IBS and surgery
#198 - 01/30/03 05:43 PM
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GMumma
Reged: 01/30/03
Posts: 12
Loc: Oregon
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I hope I am doing this right. This is my first time on a chat board and I'm not sure what I'm doing. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be part of a chat board like this. It is so nice to find other people who have the same problems I do. I stumbled onto Heather's books in the library browsing one day and they have changed my life! To be able to ask her and other people the questions I have is priceless.
I am IBS-C and go in for breast reduction surgery on Feb. 18th. While I am very excited for the surgery, I am concerned about possible complications with anesthesia, pain meds and IBS. Has anyone had experiece with this?
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Gayle
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Breast reduction,huh? I wish I had that problem. just kidding. Yes, I just recently had surgery. Interstingly though, I did not go to the bathroom for 4 days and I have IBS-D. I don't know if the anesthesia was the cause or not but at any rate expect that since your body is going to be under some kind of physical stress you will experience a change in your bowels.
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Hi Gayle - Welcome to the board! Major surgery with anesthesia is likely to have some affect on your IBS. I would definitely talk to your doctor about this in advance, and make it clear how serious this concern is to you.
Anesthesia and pain killers in general tend to slow down muscle contractions and contribute to constipation. You're also likely to be on a restricted food/drink intake, which means your bowels will be more empty than usual and you might get a little dehydrated.
I'd ask your doc how soon before and after surgery you can take a soluble fiber supplement. You might want to increase your supplement intake in the week or so before surgery to keep yourself really stable, and then continue taking it as soon as possible after surgery. Drinking as much water as you're allowed after surgery will help a lot.
You'll probably be pretty inactive in the days after the surgery, and this can contribute to constipation too. Hang in there - the main thing to remember here is that it is all temporary. You will be able to eat and drink normally again, and regain your activity level, and your IBS will stabilize, so don't worry.
Best of luck on your surgery, and I hope you are thrilled with the results!
- Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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I already do Citrucel twice a day and a stool softener at night. How much more can I increase?
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Gayle
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If your dose is 2T twice daily, that's about the maximum. You can ask your GI doc if you can go higher. I don't know about the stool softener...you might actually want to call your GI doc and express your concerns regarding the surgery. I'd pick everyone's brain on this one, just to be safe.
- Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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Okay, you guys. You've passed me by with IBS-A, B, C, D, etc. What is the difference? Maybe I should've read the books all the way thru!
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Sharon
"Anything Chocolate"...that is all!
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There will be a quiz on Monday. :0
- Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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Okay, Heather. Boy, am I embarrassed. I should've guessed that. I pride myself as being quick on acronyms. So there's only two, C and D?
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Sharon
"Anything Chocolate"...that is all!
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Well, there is also IBS-pain predominant, but I don't think I've seen that abbreviated. And some people have bloating as their primary symptom, but I've never seen IBS-B either.
The only other term that threw me once was "refractory IBS." That's just a fancy way of saying IBS that doesn't respond to conventional treatments.
- H
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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i guess i'm IBS-A (A= alternating between C and D)
so i guess that can be added to the list :-D
Beth
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I'm so glad someone asked! I had no idea either!!
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Okay, Heather, what about the kind of IBS that I have--mostly get gas without pain and neither have constipation nor diarrhea, but get the feeling that I have to go all the time, but don't? Is it IBS-G? I'm not trying to be funny, but no one else on the board has mentioned the "gas with no pain" kind. Can you shed any light on this?
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Sharon
"Anything Chocolate"...that is all!
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The doctor told me the feeling of having to go all the time is constipation. I am experiencing that more often then the diarrhea now. I used to have the diarrhea all the time.
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Torbetta - but when I have that "have to go", I go but feel like I still have to go. The only thing that helps is eating a lot of rice and oatmeal (even the instant oatmeal pkgs work). Is that still C?
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Sharon
"Anything Chocolate"...that is all!
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