Foul smelling flatulence long after reversal

Dear Davey,

I had this problem too. I have recently had a transverse colectomy. but didnot have to have a bag.For about 4 weeks I had this problem when I came home from hospital and it was at its worst in the evening and at night. It settled after that and now my bowels are back to normal. They have not been as good for years now that I have recovered from the operation.

You do not say how long it is since you had your colostomy reversed. But if it is fairly recent maybe the flatulence will settle like mine did.

Best wishes Laurpat

Dear Davey,

Sorry you have this problem. I had a bowel op but no bag but do sometimes have a socially difficult situation as you so delicately put it. I have had good results by taking digestive enzymes with food and using acidopholous and/or lactobacillus (from the health food shop).

I hope this helps.

Jen XX

Thanks for responses. It is about 8 months since my reversal and initially everything seemed to be going the right way although I had been concerned at others experience and I also developed a DVT leaving me on Warfarin for 6 months with, at least initially, a restricted diet. We had a holiday in January to Madeira which was difficult as my bowels were unreliable and the walking we like was curtailed. I am no more than a social drinker but the restrictions there were annoying as well. I am off the Warfarin now and have tried to maintain a normal diet. My motions are much more balanced but still sticky preventing a complete evacuation thus leaving a feeling of still wanting to go. Things are better there however and my bottom is less sore. It is this infuriatingly difficult wind that is frustrating as the smell is truly atrocious. I have tried charcoal tablets without any noticeable effect and have started today to take actimel. I shall also be buying some tomato juice as I have read that this can help. Peppermint tea does not help and I presume it only works for upper wind.

Thanks again

David

Dear David

I'm sorry that you and your wife are suffering with this problem. I had my ileostomy reversed in dec 09 and still suffer with smelly wind particularily in the evening, it is definately better if i take regular actimel and activia yoghurts. mine is much worse if i've eaten tomatoes but these also give me diarrohea so i'm not sure about the tomato juice theory, let me know how you get on. I'm seeing my surgeon again in august so i might ask for some suggestions, i'll let you know how i get on 

Best Wishes

Rebecca

Hi Rebecca and Jen

I thought I had found the cause of my problem a few days ago when after I had eaten a couple of scones the flatulence was very bad. I began to think that I may have developed a wheat intolerance so cut out the bread and did not have a recurrence until yesterday when it came back with a vengeance without having had wheat products. We did have a bottle of white Bordeaux which might be responsible so I am still going to miss the bread and see what happens now.

I am doubtful like you about the actimel but it can't do any harm and the tomato juice was one of the suggestions I found whilst searching for info on line but again I doubt its efficacy.

I feel guilty posting about something so insignificant when others have so much more to worry about but small as the problem is I am grateful for your responses

David

xx

Hi Davey,

Scones, wine ? Could be yeast- exclude the wheat but if it's not that do try excluding yeast, it is often a culprit.

Good luck.

Jen XX

Hi David

Unknown said:

I feel guilty posting about something so insignificant when others have so much more to worry about but small as the problem is I am grateful for your responses

I noticed your post and was reading this - I have a few problems sometimes, but I reckon mine are just the normal 'wind' fairy visiting me!  However, I do find that the Wind Eze capsules you can buy ease mine.

What I did notice was your remark about feeling guilty about something so insignificant.....I'm sorry, but I don't agree with you on that one......foul smelling wind is a big problem for both you and your wife, and it's important to you.  This place is for people to discuss things, however trivial they may seem, and there are lots of people here who are willing to help, and who, indeed, may well have had the same problem and found a way of dealing with it.

Please don't ever feel guilty about asking, there are loads of lovely people on here, and they'll give the best advice they can.

Hope you find a cure for this, best wishes,

Sue xx

Thanks Sue

You are right about so many lovely people on here and I note their various posts with awe and respect. I have been so lucky since my diagnosis almost exactly two years ago since when I have received some fantastic treatment in the main at Darenth Valley Hospital with radiotherapy at St Thomas. I travelled up to London for the radiotherapy by train and walked most days from Victoria to St Thomas where I established a real rapport with my 'handmaiden' radiographers so each trip turned into fun rather than a chore. Subsequently I had a low laparascopic anterior resection with an ileostomy followed by some unpleasant chemotherapy. I was given the all clear and the stoma was removed just before Christmas. Although I am very active I sustained a DVT in the right leg and had to have warfarin for six months. That is over now and apart from the wind and occasional tummy upsets I am fully fighting fit. Without religious belief I nevertheless say a secular prayer each day for others to have my outcome.

As to the flatulence - I have had a few false dawns but seem to be settling down a bit. I have pretty well dismissed the idea of any  food intolerance now and think it may be down to gut bacteria. If the actimel is not fully successful I shall look into a tablet form but we are on holiday for a couple of weeks very soon so I shall just monitor things and will stay down wind of my wonderful partner and wife for a while

David

xx

Hi everyone, I am a year after my op for rectal cancer. I am now cancer free. I am about to have my colostomy reversed but I am having second thoughts.

I really don't know what to expect. I find dealing with my colostomy a cinch. After a very bad year I don't want to rock the boat  as I feel wonderful.

I would be grateful for any advise. What to expect, how do they put you back together again. Will they cut open my scar.

I know I should wait until I see the surgeon and ask him these questions but forewarned is forarmed.

Thankyou Julie X

Hi Julie

Congratulations on being given the all clear. I had doubts like you about the reversal having read some horror stories but for every one of those there will many more success stories  who because they are successful will not be publicised.

Everyone's experience is different but my reversal was a short full anaesthetic operation. When I woke up where the bag had been was a 2 inch scar which is now fading. Officially I was to stay in hospital until I had passed a motion but with good care at home and being fit otherwise I was discharged after a couple of days with the hospital aftercare team following me up. For a couple of days nothing happened then I had a dramatic clearance of my bowel. Separately, and a rare occurence, I got a DVT in my leg which meant I had to take warfarin and for a while because of that had a very bland diet and apart from early controllable diarrhoea settled down quite quickly. I am back to normal with my motions which took a couple of months or so and were/are sticky leaving a feeling of still wanting to go but that has got steadily less. I have developed the problem noted in this thread but am working on that

I was fine with the ileostomy bag and as an older man was not too bothered about body image. I had the occasional leak but apart from that was fine. A major factor in my considerations about reversal was the thought that although I was absolutely fine with the bag now what would it be like when I get very old and even forgetful. It was that consideration which encouraged me about the reversal and the thought of it has supported me during the problem times.

The stoma and cancer nurses are a great source of information and it will be well worth your while to speak to them before making your own decision

Good Luck and all my best wishes

David

xx