still constipated after entire colon is removed 2 years ago

[bethcod]

I had me colon removed because of the cronic constipation and bloating and pain 6and feet gone! I now am tired all the time and have constipation any help please!!!

[homeslice187]

I had a total colectomy at age 16 due to chronic Ulcerative Colitis starting beginning at age 8. I suffered chronic diarrhea for 10 years then I managed to cut my anus from wiping so much. This "fissure" was insanely painful for about 10 minutes after each of the 15 or so bowel movements per day. I highly advise you to be extremely careful so as never to get a cut down there. It took me months to heal from this and the only cure was taking hydrocodone pain killer so that I could eat again without feeling the pain upon pooping it out 3 hour later. Slowly but surely the nutrients healed the 2millimeter cut/fissure after about 3 months of being immobile and losing 30lbs from not eating for fear of the pain. After 4-5 Dr. visits trying to find a Dr. who could heal the cut somehow (one said he might try to superglue it!) we found a colorectal surgeon who immediately put me on Hydrocodone (I was in severe pain and being so young didn't even know about painkillers). I truly wish I had never gotten this cut because even though the traumatic memories caused me to be much more careful about wiping, I had about 3 more severe cuts over the next 4 years. The last one left a skin tag (scar) that would never fully heal so the surgeon cut off the tag. A few months later the region became infected and a golf-ball sized abscess formed causing more sever pain and I had to have it manually squeezed out (insane pain). This healed but a fistula formed at the same time. The fistula reinfected due to fecal matter trapped in there and I got 3 more of those golf balls. Finally the Dr. put a ceton strip in the Fistula to allow drainage and now the 2 fistulas I have are under control and the leakage is not that bad at all (2 years later). I'm worried about having surgery to fillet the fistulas because this could cause permanent incontinence as they'd have to cut through sphincter muscles. They're is a plug method but Dr.'s say its hit or miss. I found after taking hydrocondone so many times for pain that it is an agonist to the opioid receptors in the intestines and slows down smooth muscles contractions. Taking hydrocodone was a God send as it was the first time on 12 years that I didn't have to go poopy diarrhea every 1-2 hours, stay home, not go camping, anxiety pooping at friends houses, at parties etc. The general sense of well being combined with the stoppage of cramps from gas and bloating made me forget about my stomach for the first time in a decade. Unfortunately this medication is addictive and highly controlled. It also has acetaminophen bad for the liver in high amounts. Have had issues of running out a few days early due to taking too much and the withdrawels are hell. But if you can get a regular prescription and control it your stomach problems and diarrhea will be sooo much better. Whenever I had to go poop if I was away from a toilet I would just take 1 or 2 and it would stop the churning in there completely. The other plus is that while you develop a tolerance (and risk taking more than prescribed) your intestines don't! So it will work for the rest of your life. Seriously risk vs. benefit consideration though because of the side effects and people thinking you are an opioid addict (pharmacists being nosy and judgemental). But that is the tradeoff for feeling like you never had your entire colon removed! I quit cold turkey for 4 months to reconsider and at the end decided it was worth all the ********. Just be able to control it or have someone help you by holding it. I raised my dosage from 4 to 6 to 8 to 10 to 12 over a period of 4 years and the Dr. has now put me on Methadone (I've never taken Heroin) nor am I a criminal or druggie. I'm a married man with my first child on the way now. Couldn't have done it without the aid of those opioids. I pooped on my ex-GF's leg during the 4 months of abstention and decided that it was worth it. The methadone works just as well in slowing down due to the opioid receptor agonist effect (methadone is a synthetic opioid). So now I take 5 10mg of these and feel ok (side effect of impotence though). My hope is that I can get back on the hydrocodone or oxycodone or perocoset since these are the ones that have no side effects for me. Only problem is that they are the most abused drugs in the US so people like us who actually benefit from them (chronic diarrhea and mal-absorption from having no large intestine) suffer as a result. We are viewed as abusers when the truth is without it our life is ****** hell! Since taking the hydrocodone I gained 20lbs (130-150) due to the slowing down let me absorb more nutrients and water and my acne cleared up. The goal is to slow down the smooth muscles of the small intestine and nothing has done it for me but Opioids.

Cipro is an anti-bacterial drug so treating diarrhea caused by a physiological alteration (you have no colon) makes zero sense to me. Your diarrhea is not caused by an infection or bacteria, its caused by the fact you have no large intestine whos job is to absorb water, minerals and compact your poop for you.

I've tried fiber and certain foods may help a bit but I'd rather take opioids, feel good and eat anything I want whenever I want like everybody else does. I believe that I should have the right to freely take opioid medication on my own without having to fear a Dr. or Pharmacist taking it away and thus taking away my continence and thus quality of life. Now that I have developed a tolerance (willingly) I would go through the hell of withdrawals while the severe diarrhea would return and I would just hope to die at that point.

Colorectal surgeons and GI's need to stand up for our right to take opiod medications like morphine, oxycodone, hydrocondone, etc. They say "Just take some Immodium." Well that may work for someone with diarrhea who actually has a large intestine but we HAVE NO COLONS!

I used to deal with pooping all my blood out but now that the colonoscopy saved my life I have to deal with life-long diarrhea and Dr's and DEA who have no idea nor care what kind of hell I've lived through and will go through without proper medication. Opiods have been used for thousands of years to treat diarrhea! Why is that now, a man cannot choose to take relatively harmless medication (especially compared to legal alcohol) so he can stop pooping all the time and sleep through the night without waking up 3 times a night soaked in diarrhea.

My advice if you can't stand the diarrhea, cramps, bloating, gas, leaking, sleepless nights - anymore. Ask your Dr. about opiods and get some oxycodone with the lowest ratio of acetaminophen.  -God bless.

[bethcod]

thank you for your advie  will give it a shot I am so tired all the time as well. I am taking B12 shots and the doctors gae me provgil to give me some energy.. I am so tired of feeling like this.  I have tried a raw diet but I can not break down my food

[Morecambe]

Normally after a colectomy, your motions become far more liquid etc.

All I can suggest is to try a high fibre diet to include items such as:-

- pulverised fresh vegetables to which organic bran has been added
- pulverised fresh fruit to which organic bran has been added
- organic wholemeal bread
- no junk food, colas etc
- ~2 litres of water per day

good luck
regards
Morecambe