Feeling of wanting to do a "normal" poo (via rectum/anus) after ileostomy

I'm two and a half weeks post stoma fitting linked to aggressive bowel cancer surgery - so far so good.

However after about a week I felt the urge to go from back-end.  What was produced had quite a lot of blood and mucus.  I commented to my nurses and surgeon - they've done an MRI to check no wound leakage which seems fine. 

I think the "urge" is partly down to residual fluids (luckily the blood has dissipated) and bruising/sensitivity in the area which is very uncomfortable and has been hard to control. 

In my "previous" life I cycled a lot and remembered using a product called ASOS cream for saddle sores (which could be quite deep).  It's astringent - so cooling - and that seems to have reduced the urge quite significantly - I've been applying directly to the area (not internally obvs). I think mucus production is normal - it's making sure your rectum/sphincter can respond normally and under your control which seems to be the key. 

Old fashioned other options like sitting on frozen peas were discussed but I'm cold sensitive so this is a lot less tricky.

Hope this is helpful - I had chemo/radio cycles a few years ago so know how grim that can be.  Good luck

Hello SWDT, i have had the same feelings of wanting to go to the toilet & "poo" like a normal person. in the past couple of weeks, i've been having mucus discharge from the anus a lot more than usual. I had my operation for bowel cancer in 2021, & up to now everything has been fine and dandy, my stoma is ok, & working normally, it is the mucus discharge that is concerning me, i had a face to face with my oncologist on Wednesday, where she gave me the results from my latest scan, everything was fine, except for the new cancer growths in my lungs, abdomen, & original site, although they are very small and don't require treatment. I think it is something that we ilieostomates just have to live with, will you be getting yours reversed, i've been told that , i will have mine for good.

After surgery the stoma nurse told me that our digestive system comprises a large proportion of mucous membrane (the same as nasal passages and throat) to keep the linings moist and lubricated to enable food waste to pass through and exit. This process continues whether the intestines and rectum are fully functional or not.  For about 9 months post-op I used to get the feeling of wanting to use the lavatory perhaps 4/5 times each day, to find a very small quantity of mucous had been released into the lavatory and that was it. Then it stopped for a few months and now occurs very rarely, but I've simply got used to it. Pelvic floor exercises help and these are quite easy to do at anytime. Some say that the feeling is along the lines of having a limb amputated and still having the urge to scratch what isn't there! E45 cream helps to soothe the skin, particularly where the effects of radiotherapy have led to irritation. Just another small price to pay for a fairly normal life.

Thanks for this advice Dulac. 
I had an ileostomy in Nov and had an urge to poo earlier for the first time since the op. Didn’t pass any mucus though.

AlbaH

Hi AlbaH 

I have an end colostomy rather than an ileostomy, so it isn’t possible for me to have anything come out as I’m sewn up inside. However I do still get the urge from time to time for a normal poo! Your body still has the memory, and as Dulac has said, your body still produces the mucus as it did before. 

I also have a urostomy as I had my bladder removed and I do see the mucus that is produced through that stoma which is also made from part of the intestine. The mucus appears in my stoma bag and tubing and that has been a very regular thing over the years. Sometimes I also get the urge to wee, although of course I can’t. Our bodies are strange but amazing things!

Sarah xx