Go to loo all the time

Time. I didn't have a stoma, yet in the first year or so, I could go to the loo anything up to 8 times a day. 2 years on it has settled to about 3. Hope you feel better soon. 

Thanks.  You give me hope! 

Hi RuthieK, I had an ileostomy for a year then a reversal 8 months ago and to begin with I would go quite often.

I would suggest firstly slowing things down a bit with a small quantity of loperamide, I took 1 capsule half an hour before dinner for instance. Take more if necessary. It sounds like you need to look at your diet and perhaps introduce some fibre to start to bulk up the output.

Something I did as well, carefully, was to try not to go and hold on tight. Often the need would go away but you don't want any accidents!

It gradually got better and dependant on what I eat and drink I now go 2 or 3 times a day.

Hope it improves for you, all the best, John

Hi John,

Many thanks for your reply.  You’re right - will try loperamide.  That will probably help.  Eating a fair bit of fibre which sometimes feels like it’s part of the problem.   I guess it’s trial and error till things settle more permanently.

best regards,

ruth

Hi . Yes it does take a good while to settle down - in fact anything up to 2 years they say. You will probably not go back to the same as you were before surgery but will get used to a new normal. 
Because we’ve all had bits of our colon/rectum removed then food moves through more quickly and less water is absorbed causing the looser stools. Immodium/loperamide will slow everything down so it’sworth trying - take half an hour before eating. The rectum stores the poo then tells your body when to get rid of it. If you’ve had some removed then there’s obviously less storeage but it can stretch over time so things will start to improve. There’s a page on sphincter exercises in the booklet below. By practicing these you allow more liquid to be absorbed from the poo and also it’s sometimes better to try and hold things in rather than risking an accident by rushing to the loo

Make sure you look after your bottom with creams and wet wipes as it’s easy to get sore and it’s really quite painful.

Hope things start to settle down soon for you

Take care

Karen x

Hi again. Just to say mine was not loose, if anything I tend towards constipation, so I've never taken loperamide more likely dulcoease!! Each to their own, we are all different.