Bowel issues 7 months after treatment

Hello Ballerina

That sounds really miserable and I agree, I don't think you should be fasting so soon after what is a very taxing treatment.  But, I remember being really concerned that I was passing wind with 'follow through mucus' at four months, especially first thing in the morning.  And it did improve eventually but not for another few months.  I used to sprint to the loo and was relieved that we have a tiled floor (sorry, TMI!)  I took to wearing extra long wide panty-liners during the day for security and carried an emergency supply and clean knickers just in case.

Nikki65 mentioned the other day that she took activated charcoal capsules, and Bungle1 cut out green veg which helped them both with excess wind.  There are quite a few over-the-counter wind remedies and hopefully you can find one that suits and you can relieve your painful distended stomach.

I am sorry you are struggling and I really hope things improve soon.

Big hug

Irene xx

Hi Ballerina 

Sorry you are suffering. I had bad wind pain during treatment and like Irene75359 has said I cut veg specifically green veg and it really helped. I eat it again now and while I do fart more than is normal I have no pain and it is getting less. I have seen some people on here have followed the FOD MAP diet to help with digestive issues. Sending hugs xx

Hi I’m six months post treatment and having bowel issues. I get terrible wind which I’m taking windeze tablets for. I avoid too much fruit and veg. I get cramping pains and after having my bowels open I can have small leaks of mucous or poo. I wear a pad all the time. It’s gotten worse since returning to work a few weeks ago. I don’t feel like I’ll ever be back to ‘normal’ xx

Hi Ballerina , I’m really sorry that you’re suffering with these bowel disturbances, it sounds as though it’s really troubling you. There’s nothing worse than losing trust in your body is there? 

Does this happen every time you eat or is it more sporadic? I suspect I’ve had low level IBS prior to my diagnosis & treatment but it definitely stepped up a few notches when I’d been through the chemoradiotherapy. I suffered pretty bad bloating, excess gas & sometimes nausea. I started keeping a food diary which helped me identify a few things that sparked things off for me, some of the things that caused me issues were eggs, coffee, bread & anything containing a lot of refined sugar, some of these things I’m ok with now others such as coffee my digestive system just doesn’t like anymore. I would maybe try stripping your diet back to very plain, white, basic food (not much fun I know) then very gradually add things back in & record any reactions you may  have. It can feel like a long tedious process but if it helps it’ll be worth it. 

As Irene has mentioned I took activated charcoal capsules an hour or 2 before I was going to eat & when the bloating & gas were really bad I found Bisadol tablets worked really well for me. I’ve never suffered the mucus discharge as I swung completely the opposite way with constipation & had to take Movicol or Laxido for quite some time. 

As a last resort you could also ask your GP or treating team for a referral to a gastroenterologist or dietician.

I hope things begin settling down for you really soon. 

Nicola 

Hi Clarhedge ,

I used to suffer a little leakage after going to the loo too, I also wore pant liners for this. Like you I wondered if that would be permanent but it wasn’t, give it a little more time & I'm sure things will improve.

You’re doing really well getting back to work.

After this treatment it can be a bit of a hike back to what we consider an acceptable ’normality’ again but you’ll get there. 

Nicola

Thanks Nicola, I worked through the first 3 weeks of treatment & was back 3 weeks after treatment finished, mainly because I now work from home but periodically have to work in the office.

I'm also wearing pantyliners every day but yesterday they didn't come to my rescue.

At the moment I don't feel like normal will ever return xx

I’m struggling at work as I’m on my feet a lot. Im glad I’m back for my sanity but physically I’m finding it hard. Mostly because of the severe hip and leg pain from arthritis which has got very much worse quickly since treatment. Im waiting for a steroid injection into my hip. I see my oncologist tomorrow. I have a list ready to ask her about. It’s lucky she is very patient  

I'm going to start doing a food diary, I've been doing a mental one and I can definitely pin point it being much worse if I eat out or eat crisps, biscuits, sweets, sometimes you just want a nice treat but my body is saying no. I'm going back to basics or fasting which makes me feel great because I have no issues then whatsoever.

I go to the gym so need food for energy, thinking about doing a hair strand test thing to see what it shows. I'll also look into getting some charcoal tablets.

Thank you for your helpful comments xx

I'm definitely feeling the same as you in regards to not ever feeling like normal will return. I feel so uncomfortable when it's happening & it usually lasts a couple of days until I stop eating again which I know isn't the answer but it helps me when I'm already feeling so down about it. It stops me doing anything xx

Hi Ballerina

When I was taking Movicol I had a similar situation, lots of weird mucousy stuff which I had little to no control over, also have experienced some quite severe stomach cramps with laxatives. Are you using either laxatives or stool softeners as I think they can make some people feel ill, especially if usage is long term (more than a few weeks).

Just a thought and I hope you discover the culprits and start to feel better very soon.

Take care

Jo