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question about withdrawal symptom

I am considering trying to taper my hydrocodone use. My question is this... I have an ileostomy pouch (due to Crohn's disease), so I do not pass stool rectally. However, when I wait as long as I can before my next dose of narcotics, I begin to leak blood from my rectum. It happens each day anyway once or twice, but without the narcotics it happens much more frequently and without warning. Is this my form of withdrawal diarrhea? Or is it just my disease, and the narcotics are helping to ease the symptoms by slowing the digestive tract?
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Avatar universal
OMG I'm so pissed and frustrated right now 3am bouts with cramping and a lot of blood. I have been on narcos (hydro codeine) for 3 years now and take a min 2 10/325 a day and could take more but can't do to limitations of suggested intake from my doctor and suffer through the pain until I can,addicted oh yes couldn't function without them. I've tried Humira and that was ok for a year than tragedy it stopped working and I went completely backwards? My whole body hurt in every joint and muscle and couldn't breath at times? I'm not back to square one? It's the most frustrating thing ever. I can't function to run my business my wife drags me all over the world for leisure and it's miserable to be there. I can't be out of site of a bathroom and after 23 yrs of marriage she's just about done with dealing with my illness I think? Sympathy is out the door and becoming more resentful towards me. It's a wonderful life! Doctor after doctor med after med being a guinea pig and being addicted to hydro to even function *****! I've now been hard core bouts for 2 months bowel movements 8 x a day blood every time and getting way weaker feeling I'm on deaths door! OMG this *****!
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Avatar universal
Hey Joe,

I was thinking of you this morning, and something else occurred to me.  It could be that you just have a hemorrhoid or two internally, and that somehow the detox causes them to flare up. . . Again, I don't know - I'm not a doc - but I realized that this could be the issue, rather than active Crohn's.  

Hope you're doing well today.  
Mag
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Avatar universal
Hey Joe,
I'm new here, too, and yep, I developed my habit after my last few surgeries.  I've had a lot of pain due to really severe surgical adhesions. . . they've taken out bits of my gut in small pieces since 1982, when I was (mis)diagnosed with simple UC.  And then I discovered that these pills make life easier. . . at least for a time.

I remember being a kid in the hospital, after my first surgeries, and just LOVING the Demoral/morphine they gave me by injection.  Nothing has ever come close to that high, lol.  It definitely set the stage for my loving pills 20 some years later.  I think you're right about the constipating nature of these drugs (it's so great to only have 3-4 bowel movements a day, instead of 12 or more), and the pain caused by the disease.  Not to mention the emotional aspects of living w/ chronic disease. . . it's freakin' depressing, makes you feel like an outsider, and imposes limitations on your life. . . I'm sure a lot of us deal with those unpleasant feelings by taking pills for "fun".  

Anyhow, I'm concerned about your bleeding.  It's normal to still pass mucous through your rectum after a surgery like yours.  But there shouldn't be blood - not 10 months after the surgery. Is it bright red blood?  If so, it sounds like you have inflammation/active disease in the rectum.  I'm no doctor tho - go see yours!

Take it easy.
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Avatar universal
How long after your mother's surgery was she still bleeding? Mine was not terribly long ago, about 10 months now.
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Avatar universal
Mag,
I believe I do have the mucosa in the last few inches, but am not 100% sure. Thank you so much for your reply. I just joined here yesterday, so I don't know your story. Are you a narcotic addict from your disease, too? I have found that most people I have come into contact with who have Crohn's/UC do have an addiction to some degree. I think that with the nature of the disease, and the constipating relief of the narcotics, its hard not to.
Thanks for all of your replies.
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Avatar universal
Hi Joe,

I just joined this site.

I, too, have had a colectomy due to undifferentiated crohn's/ulcerative colitis.  I have an internal J-pouch at this time, but have had external pouches three times in the past, in between surgeries.  I never had any bleeding from the rectum during those times, even when coming off narcotics.  I'd guess that you have active disease going on in the rectum, and the stress of detoxing is exacerbating the symptoms/causing a flare up.  Do you still have the mucosa (inner layers of tissue) in those last few inches?  When I had my first ileostomy, they left my rectum/mucosa intact, and it eventually became diseased.  Definitely a question for your GI doc or colo-rectal surgeon.

On a related note, I wonder how many of us with Crohns/UC end up with narcotic addiction problems?  My guess is that the number is high.

Hope this is helpful.

Mag
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Avatar universal
Pain pills are constipating.  I know nothing about your issue but can tell you that pain pills will cause you to become constipated.... To a certain degree.

Trout
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306867 tn?1299249709
My mother, who lives with me also has ileostomy. I know that some discharge is normal, but  I don't believe it should be bloody unless you just had this done. She did have bloody discharge at first while healing.  You really need to talk to your doctor about this. Most towns have an ileostomy,colostomty, support group. My mother belongs to one and they have been such a help. Sorry but I don't know how the pain pills will effect your ileostomy. Keep in touch.  Mary
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