Ileostomy and rectal discharge

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Hi there

First time posting here

My mum is 7 months post loop ileostomy for rectal cancer .

She has got an relatively well with her stoma and has always had some rectal discharge . She had 3 weeks of taking iron tablets because of a deficiency and had no rectal output siring this time. She had to stop taking them as they didn’t agree with her. Since then….she’s had very urgent rectal discharge was can be very watery at time….some days going up to ten times…and occasionally not making toilet.

Contacted stoma nurse and gave samples to go.

Just wondering if anyone has any experience of this……

Many thanks in advance

Artsie over 3 years ago

Hi Maccasky

i noticed that you haven’t had a reply to your post.

I’m eight months LAR and I have days when I have times that I feel the pressure to go to the toilet however it’s very little.
It’s may be a reaction to the tablets however it may be worth contacting her team.

They may be able to give an explanation or phone here. The nurses here are really supportive

I hope that all goes well

Ann
‍

Bagpuss the Third over 3 years ago

Hello Maccasky, sorry to be Job's comforter but significant rectal discharge is a strange non-topic both clinically and in fora like these. I had a colostomy just over a year ago. Rectal discharge has been far more life-changing than the stoma pouch. 'Wear a pad' they say, but as you imply the matter - which I believe is mucus that would normally both bind, and lubricate the passage of, stools - isn't absorbed by the pads, and seems to have an effect on the sphincter, making the sufferer effectively incontinent.

Your mother will work out how to manage things a bit - wadding with loo-paper before setting the pad can help a lot, especially at night. If she's like me her body will start to recognise the need to pass the matter (I'm getting it as I write this!) and she will learn how long that gives her (I should be able to finish this before I need to go.)

I'm interested in what you say about the iron tablets. I had a short course of chemotherapy and the discharge stopped for several weeks until the effects wore off, when they did it was the same as your mother's and came back with, it seemed, more vigour. Looking back, though, I realise it never reached the intensity of my post-operative period in hospital which was unpleasant for everybody.

I hope my directness doesn't offend you, it's meant to try to help.

Got to go now ;-)

p.s. I'm a man, but night-time sanitary towels worn day and night seem to work a bit better than incontinence pads

Bagpuss the Third over 3 years ago

Hello again Maccasky - I've just re-read your post and realise I'd not spotted that your Mum has seven month's experience - so will be well aware of the things I've said. Hope they help anyway.