Cramping After a Colectomy

It's probably just normal healing pains. It hasn't been very long since he had surgery. He won't have as much trouble with gas as he gets farther out. For now he can try a few gasx in the morning and then some more mid day, that may help keep the gas from happening in the first place. That has always worked for me. If he's not having problem with his food coming out, it's probably just gas pains and healing pains.

Dear Summerstorm, thank you for your response. My son says that he usually has the cramps right before his ostomy 'produces' and it is worse when he walks around. He says some "contractions" are harsher than others. A few more questions: 1) Do you still experience any pain (including cramping) now? 2) Are there foods that cause you pain that you stay away from 3) Is there a reason why you have a permanent ostomy bag? Were you not a candidate for the 'J-pouch'?

Dear Rosemay, his drs. did do xrays and an endoscopy last week and said there was no obstruction in his small intestine. His ostomy is producing. But the cramping is a daily occurrence... consistent. Sometime just 'uncomfortable'... some times painful. I just pray that the pains will eventually go away.

Thank you both.

1. I do sometimes, if I eat something greasy, or eat too much. Just like anyone does. Or with bad gas.
2. No foods cause me pain really. Some things, like broccoli or fish make a lot of gas, and smell really bad, so I don't eat those a lot. There are a few other things I don't eat, not because I cant, because I don't like how they look or smell coming out :)
3. I chose a bag. When I had surgery my son was almost 2. I had already missed enough time from him with being sick, and one surgery. My husband worked 3rd shift and had other things that often took him out of town. I had to have my grandma and parents take care of my son while I was recovering. Which ended up that he stayed with them for about 5 weeks. I couldn't lift him and I obviously couldn't have a small child at home, alone while I was on the pain meds. So it seemed like a lot of trouble to have the second surgery. I'm the kind of person who if something is gonna happen, its gonna happen to me! So I figured getting the bag now would spare me the risk of a jpouch failure, even though its super rare! And I also honestly never wanted to go to the bathroom the regular way again! It really boiled down to being more practical for me at the time.
At your son's age that's not really a factor, you can plan the surgeries around school. A few years ago my son was having trouble with blood in his poop, and I freaked! I told my husband if it was UC, there was no trying meds, no waiting and seeing, he would be getting set up for a jpouch. That was hard just to say! I cant imagine how hard it was for you to make the decision, and how hard it must be to see your child have to go through it. But I think you've done a good thing for him, sparing him from a life of meds and pain!

I had a lot of gas pains/cramping after surgey. It went away within a couple of months. I have to say; I got the ileostomy for the EXACT same reasons as summerstorm! I wanted to forget I ever had a butt, LOL!

I had only partial colectomy, but I get horrible cramping and gas before my stoma "produces" too.  If I can get to a bathroom I can "do" it right in the pot, which I prefer because it's less cleanup in my case.

My trigger is foods like grapes, grape juice and wine, also milk with lactose left in.  I am lactose intolerant.  I ate a small Frosty today and 20 minutes later ran to a restroom.

As with some GERD and migraine people, keeping a good food journal - foods, drinks, medicines, time, day, and reactions - helps identify my triggers.  I got started on this on advice from my allergist because my gastric reflux goes on to trigger tachycardia.

After identifying my food list, I had to break down the foods into ingredients and do "challenge testing."  I've described this in posts you can find by putting the keywords into the search box at the top of the page.

Dear Alcie, thanks for your response. I will let Niko, my son, know. I keep asking that he journal the foods he eats... but he is a teenage boy. Perhaps I will do it for him. How long ago was your colectomy? So do you have an ileostomy bag? I just assumed an ileostomy bag was only for a total colectomy. Forgive the questions... I'm still learning.