18 months after hemicolonectemy

Hi W,

Sorry to hear you're having a bit of bother just now. If you've had this since June, can you contact your stoma nurses? It's so frustrating when everything goes well for a time, and then for no apparent reason you have pains, wind etc. 

Hope you get to the bottom of what's causing this.

Linda :-) 

Like you, I spent my life eating anything,anywhere,anytime with few ill effects, apart from staying near a bathroom for 24 hours!

But a year after chemo finished I still struggled with IBS type symptoms.Very unpleasant and affected my ability to socialise etc. Multiple bathrooms trips, lots of gas.

My excellent oncologist suggested gfcf-gluten free,dairy free diet, which fixed me 90% in about 10 days. (Coconut milk in cappuccino is a joy) It took me a while to work out that even gluten free oats affected me. And beer! So my evening beer is either rice beer, or cider. No problem.

But still that last 10%  was a frustrating problem. More Google research uncovered bifidobacterium longum infantis. And more research led me to combif AR tablets made in Switzerland, and I remembered my oncologist prescribed them during my chemo!  

I am now 10 days into a 1 month course and they are working like a charm. But everyone's microbiome is different so what works so well for me may not for others but it seems that populating the gut with literally billions of good bacteria is worth a shot.

Reading this I realise I seem like a salesman for Combif!! I am not! Just identifying with others who suffer those nasty IBS type post chemo symptoms and suggesting something else to try.  But do check Google/doctors first.

Best wishes,

Steve

Hi Steve. Thank you for this reply, I am trying a different diet at the moment, it’s early days but there is much improvement. I’m keeping your ideas in mind for future reference. I hope you are recovering well. Carol