Rectal pain after ileostomy

 Hi guys,

Just a question for you.  Is it common to have rectal pain after an ileostomy.  I have noticed lately that I have pain, especially when passing muscus from my rectum and sometimes it is tinged with blood.  I am concerned that I still have Colitis sitting in that area.  Will this go away with time?  I am almost 2 months healed and find it quite uncomfortable.  If it is still sitting there (i have a doctor's appointment soon so I should be able to find out) do you think it will hurt my chances of having a reversal down the road?  Or can they just remove the affected part and still put me back together?  Is this pain common or does it just go along with the string of complications I have already had to endure?

Earthgirl

If it feels like it did in the old days when you were still bowel intact and needed to go to the loo, then yes, this is completely normal. It's known as phantom rectal syndrome. Just like someone who has lost a limb can still 'feel' it there when it itches, so our bodies have to get used to the fact that we can no longer go to the loo in the 'normal' way anymore.

The bad news is that, in most cases, it seems to take a few years to disappear completely. Chances are you will have the rest of your j pouch surgery before it even begins to settle down for you.