Skip to main content

DUCK11,

Wow it’s really interesting that you have endometriosis on top of everything else and it is interesting to know how the pain is different. My hunch is that I don’t have it but I’ll still look into it just in case. I wonder if there is any correlation between endometriosis and abdominal adhesions. That is a lot for one person to deal with! I’m sorry to hear you have it but it’s great that it’s under control. One less thing for you to worry about at least. 

Well I met with the surgeon today and she didn’t have much to add. She basically said she doesn’t know why I’m having pain, she doesn’t know why it’s happening, doesn’t know what to do about it, doesn’t recommend surgery since she doesn’t know what’s causing it. My gastroenterologist said he thinks the pain I’ve been having is from adhesions causing my intestine to twist or bend and cause an obstruction but the surgeon thinks that is unlikely because she said they would have seen the obstruction when they did the CT scan. So now I’m even more confused that I was before because I’m being told that my symptoms are a complete mystery. Feeling frustrated. 

Sjan810,

How frustrating-I'm sorry you didn't get any answers. Can you get a second opinion with another surgeon? I had one surgeon tell me what you heard, but the other one said adhesions cause all of this and they aren't usually able to catch them on scans. Have the scans caught anything related, like dilated bowel loops or anything? That is what my surgeon saw on mine despite not seeing a clear obstruction point--they said this only happens if something is blocked. 

All of the scans I’ve had have been normal, no signs of anything abnormal whatsoever. My next step is to go back to my gastroenterologist and basically ask: now what?? I feel like I’m just going to have to live with this and I don’t think there’s mugh I can do about it since no one can say for sure what is going on and they can’t treat an unknown issue. Ugh. 

DUCK11,

Yes, when I’m in pain it usually happens after eating & I either have no BMs or only watery ones during the painful episode which usually lasts about 5 hours. I sometimes have bloating & I vomited one of the times mostly because I was drinking a lot of water thinking it would help things pass through but I just ended up getting bloated & vomiting. I tend to feel bloated after eating even a smaller sized meal, I often have to push a lot to have a BM. It seems like I’m having some sort of obstruction but I don’t know why nothing shows up on scans. Maybe it’s something different, I just wish someone could tell me what’s wrong & what to do about it. 

Hello!  I am new here.  I had a total colectomy with J-pouch in 2008 and I have been dealing with abdominal pain and nausea for the last 2 years and like you all of my test are coming back pretty much normal.  I have had some liver test that have been slightly abnormal and they saw mild dilation on my MRI but my surgeon and GI doctors are all saying nothing that should be causing the pain I am having.  They explored endo, I even had a complete hysterectomy to try and alleviate the pain but even after that I am still having the same pain as before.  I had a capsule study done in 2017 and they said I had a portion of my small bowel that was slow moving and told me to try laxatives, but that didn't provide any relief either.  I am seeing a new GI doctor and they are repeating the capsule study this Monday to see if there was something missed or something that has changed since the last one.  I'm hoping it will provide some answers.  As bad as I feel that there are others going through the same pain as I am it is nice to know that I'm not crazy.  Thank you for sharing your stories.

I saw a new gastroenterologist yesterday who also said he thinks my pain is caused by adhesions. He thinks I’m either experiencing partial obstructions that resolve on their own or that I’m just not able to go to the bathroom while in pain because it’s too painful to push with my abdomen & try to go when I’m in pain. He doesn’t know what causes the episodes or how to avoid them. Basically the adhesions pull on whatever they’re attached too & that causes pain but there’s no way of knowing exactly what triggers this. He said a low fiber diet  may help but there are no guarantees there. He said surgery to remove adhesions would likely make things worse and since this is only happening once every few months he wouldn’t recommend going down that road. He said unfortunately there’s not much we can do but treat the symptoms when these painful episodes occur. This has been a crazy journey trying to figure all of this out over the last 6 months or so! I’m starting to feel a little more okay with this new reality. As long as it’s not happening all the time and I can get through the episodes with some pain medication I can live with this. 

If adhesions are what cause a lot of the pain, do they also cause stool not being able to pass through?  Or are the painful episodes experienced from adhesions and the ones from partial obstructions completely unrelated?  I’m guessing unrelated...

I have been on a low fiber diet for a long while now. It does seem that it has caused my episodes to be less frequent?!  They still just pop up randomly.  But I’m thankful for less.

AmberQ, what is a capsule study? I thought I’d had everything, but I’m not sure what that is. 🤨

Adhesions themselves are painless, but they can lead to pain in two ways. Since they can’t stretch they can pull on the gut when it moves, and that can hurt. They can also cause the gut to kink or twist a bit, which can narrow the opening. If food or liquid get caught behind the narrowed opening the trapped material will increase the pressure inside the gut, which hurts like heck.

Adhesions are very, very common after abdominal surgery (they occur 93% of the time). Most of them don’t cause any trouble at all. 

A capsule study is where you swallow a pill that is a camera and it takes thousands of pictures as it goes through your digestive track.  The last time I did it the results showed that there was dilation midway through my small intestine, right after where it was slow moving but the doctor I had never did anything to look into what was causing it, just prescribed mild laxatives.  When I had my hysterectomy my surgeon said they didn't see many adhesion's so they didn't believe the pain was coming from that.  Do any of you have any other symptoms besides the abdominal pain?  I get blood in my stool almost daily (sometimes I go a few days without) that usually comes along with the pain.

AmberQ,  

That capsule test is interesting.  Sorry for all the problems you are having.  😕.   I’m not sure if I have adhesions or not, not really sure if anyone on here knows for sure...when I have had my most painful episodes I’m fairly certain it’s from an obstruction.  Sometimes if it goes to long I vomit. Then I’m sore for days afterwards. As far as bleeding, I agree that sounds like it could be something else.  Like Scott said, maybe from straining, or maybe hemorrhoids?  Good Luck with everything.

Scott,  Thank you for clarifying more about what adhesions can do/cause. 

Hi all,

A little update. I've been on a super duper strict low residue diet--and quite often puree my food. It's gross ad time consuming but I do feel like the episodes have been less often and less intense the past month so maybe it does help. I've even resorted to eating my sons baby food! Anyway, just thought I'd pass it along incase you want to try it. I've had 2 obstruction type episodes instead of 6 and they didn't require ER visits so I'll take it. 

duck11 posted:

Hi all,

A little update. I've been on a super duper strict low residue diet--and quite often puree my food. It's gross ad time consuming but I do feel like the episodes have been less often and less intense the past month so maybe it does help. I've even resorted to eating my sons baby food! Anyway, just thought I'd pass it along incase you want to try it. I've had 2 obstruction type episodes instead of 6 and they didn't require ER visits so I'll take it. 

I think you are on to something. I’ve been having the episodes of severe pain every 1-2 months for 10 months now. I’ve been trying to figure out what is triggering the episodes and I think it may be food related. After an episode I restrict my diet to about 1/2 of what I normally eat and I think after a month or two has gone by I’ve gradually increased my intake to a more normal amount. I also purée my vegetables and follow a low residue diet. I don’t think it’s what I’m eating so much as the volume. When I eat “too much” (which is really not that much” I think it might be causing partial obstructions. Now I’m cutting back on foods that thicken my stool and taking a 1/2 dose of MiraLax daily for a week as recommended by my doctor. This is to try to clear out any partial obstruction that may be present and to try to avoid another one. I’ve had so many doctors tell me they don’t know what is causing my pain and they don’t know what to do for me. Now my doctor is leaving his practice and I’m going through the process of finding a new one. I’m still on the journey of trying to figure out what to do and how to cope with this. Wish me luck! 

maddie18 posted:

Try taking super enzymes by Now.  Look it up online.  This product helps digest our meals.  I also avoid fiber.

I’ve been taking Better Bitters which is supposed to help your body produce more of it’s own enzymes. I haven’t noticed much of a difference though so I might try the enzyme supplement next. 

All of the symptoms that have been described are either a partial or full blockage!  I have had so many of them and have had 5 scar adhesion surgeries.  It is unfortunately a endless cycle.  If you have severe onset of pain and can not go to the bathroom that eventually leads to vomiting, it is an obstruction.  My doctor has always told me that if I go 4 hours after the vomiting starts and still not resolved to always go to ER.  I am immediately administered fluids with IV Reglin to promote bowels to move and Dilaudid for pain.  Regular xrays will not always show blockages but Cat scans usually will.   My blockages usually pass either on their own or with help at ER.   One of my surgeries was emergency to unblock them though.  Twice I have had areas of my small bowel just start closing and have had two resections.  I just had the last surgery in December.  It was a resection and adhesion removal yet again.  I am now looking in to getting Clear Passage Therapy because I have already had a major blockage since my surgery!  Ugh.  I am a very active healthy person and hate having to be set back by surgery.  One of the members on here has had the Clear Passage Therapy twice and they have had good results so far.  I am also experimenting with Intermittent fasting to let the bowel have periods of rest.  I had severe pouchitus going into my last surgery.  I had to go for quite sometime without eating before and after surgery.  They didn't do anything while I was in hospital to help my pouchitus get better.  But the Pouchitus is gone!  I think the healing is a result of fasting.  I am only eating between 11 am and 9 pm.  So it isn't really that hard.  Also increasing my water intake during the periods that I can't eat food.  I wish I had kept up with the number of blockages that I have had in the last 17 years.   I think that I am very fortunate that my GI doctor is also my GI surgeon.  He has saved my life many times now.

If anyone that sees this has looked into the Clear Passage therapy as well let me know.  It is know as the Wurn technique.  Check it out.  www.clearpassage.com

It is very interesting and they have some very significant studies that show unbelievable results.  The person that is on here that had it done was able to get her insurance company to cover it.  It is pricey.  $8000 .  It is 5 days of therapy 4 hours a day.  Also they only have 6 facilities in the US.

 

Hi Jackie--Please let us know if you do get the clear passage treatment. I've heard about it on other threads but wasn't clear if it helped long term.

For the rest of us, I just found this very helpful diet source. it's basically what i have been following, but offered graduated levels of diet depending on symptoms. 
http://www.clearpassage.com/si...ive-health-guide.pdf

I'm having another blockage this week though, so i guess it isn't perfect 

 

Haven't posted in a long time, just thought I'd throw my hat in the ring and say that I am going through something similar as well.  

First surgery was over 30 years ago when I was 14.  After s-pouch revision in 2002, Ive had approximately 6 full obstructions lasting 12-24 excruciating hours that all resolved without surgery, and a steady increase in partial obstructions (from a few per year to presently a few per month) leading me to this thread today.

I would like to give my thanks for the clear passage info.  I may consider it.  Also enzymes as someone suggested is potentially a good idea for experimentation.  I am also interested in laproscopic options but have not gone down that road yet or heard much from others about it.

In case it might resonate with anyone, I can offer my 2 cents about obstructive symotoms and antibiotics.  While they may help with pouchitis and other symptoms, I am convinced that (for me personally) antibiotics have been a contributing factor to adhesion related obstruction.   Before giving them up 4 years ago, I'd taken them on and off for decades, and slowly was able to deduce a correlation.  If your # of bm's are reduced on antibiotics, then it just may be for someone with adhesions, the likelihood of obstruction may increase without enough bacteria in there doing what they do.  I am only speaking from my personal experience and what I believe to be true for myself. Obviously these things are very subjective, but it feels worth sharing anecdotally because there's very likely never been any studies on this, and your GI is likely to never  consider the possibility when prescribing (I could be wrong though, just my impression).

I am single and live alone and work full time.   I just keep adapting as best I can.  I can't eat normal sized meals any more without paying for it and try my best to restrict meal size.  Very difficult if you have done something taxing or athletic and your body is telling you to eat.  Just gotta do whatever it takes.  I'm also a big proponent of the low fodmap diet. 

Lately I've been having having chronic mild to moderate pain mid-abdomen and mild partial obstructive symptoms lasting for two continuous weeks.  This is new to me.  I'm worried it may become more serious in terms of obstruction, but for now, holding steady and hoping I can deal with it.

After many surgeries, procedures, exams, and consultations, I've learned that simple mindfulness (paying attention to my body) has probably been the most effective form of treatment available to me.  Obviously that's only going to get you so far and sometimes/ultimately it's out of our hands. I would never wait too long to seek medical help or emergency medicine when it is needed.  

Stay strong everybody!  Wishing you peace when you need it most!  And how 'bout a nice long run of good luck?  I think we deserve one of those too!

b_logan posted:

Haven't posted in a long time, just thought I'd throw my hat in the ring and say that I am going through something similar as well.  

First surgery was over 30 years ago when I was 14.  After s-pouch revision in 2002, Ive had approximately 6 full obstructions lasting 12-24 excruciating hours that all resolved without surgery, and a steady increase in partial obstructions (from a few per year to presently a few per month) leading me to this thread today.

I would like to give my thanks for the clear passage info.  I may consider it.  Also enzymes as someone suggested is potentially a good idea for experimentation.  I am also interested in laproscopic options but have not gone down that road yet or heard much from others about it.

In case it might resonate with anyone, I can offer my 2 cents about obstructive symotoms and antibiotics.  While they may help with pouchitis and other symptoms, I am convinced that (for me personally) antibiotics have been a contributing factor to adhesion related obstruction.   Before giving them up 4 years ago, I'd taken them on and off for decades, and slowly was able to deduce a correlation.  If your # of bm's are reduced on antibiotics, then it just may be for someone with adhesions, the likelihood of obstruction may increase without enough bacteria in there doing what they do.  I am only speaking from my personal experience and what I believe to be true for myself. Obviously these things are very subjective, but it feels worth sharing anecdotally because there's very likely never been any studies on this, and your GI is likely to never  consider the possibility when prescribing (I could be wrong though, just my impression).

I am single and live alone and work full time.   I just keep adapting as best I can.  I can't eat normal sized meals any more without paying for it and try my best to restrict meal size.  Very difficult if you have done something taxing or athletic and your body is telling you to eat.  Just gotta do whatever it takes.  I'm also a big proponent of the low fodmap diet. 

Lately I've been having having chronic mild to moderate pain mid-abdomen and mild partial obstructive symptoms lasting for two continuous weeks.  This is new to me.  I'm worried it may become more serious in terms of obstruction, but for now, holding steady and hoping I can deal with it.

After many surgeries, procedures, exams, and consultations, I've learned that simple mindfulness (paying attention to my body) has probably been the most effective form of treatment available to me.  Obviously that's only going to get you so far and sometimes/ultimately it's out of our hands. I would never wait too long to seek medical help or emergency medicine when it is needed.  

Stay strong everybody!  Wishing you peace when you need it most!  And how 'bout a nice long run of good luck?  I think we deserve one of those too!

Thank you for sharing! I’m sorry to hear that you have been dealing with this for so long! Your attitude is encouraging though. I agree that listening to our bodies is one of the best things we can do. I’ve been dealing with this for about a year now and so far doctors haven’t really been able to help me much. Limiting my food intake is the only thing that seems to help. Like you said, it’s not ideal, but I don’t want to be in pain either. I hope your situation gets better. Stay strong! 

b_logan posted:

Haven't posted in a long time, just thought I'd throw my hat in the ring and say that I am going through something similar as well.  

First surgery was over 30 years ago when I was 14.  After s-pouch revision in 2002, Ive had approximately 6 full obstructions lasting 12-24 excruciating hours that all resolved without surgery, and a steady increase in partial obstructions (from a few per year to presently a few per month) leading me to this thread today.

I would like to give my thanks for the clear passage info.  I may consider it.  Also enzymes as someone suggested is potentially a good idea for experimentation.  I am also interested in laproscopic options but have not gone down that road yet or heard much from others about it.

In case it might resonate with anyone, I can offer my 2 cents about obstructive symotoms and antibiotics.  While they may help with pouchitis and other symptoms, I am convinced that (for me personally) antibiotics have been a contributing factor to adhesion related obstruction.   Before giving them up 4 years ago, I'd taken them on and off for decades, and slowly was able to deduce a correlation.  If your # of bm's are reduced on antibiotics, then it just may be for someone with adhesions, the likelihood of obstruction may increase without enough bacteria in there doing what they do.  I am only speaking from my personal experience and what I believe to be true for myself. Obviously these things are very subjective, but it feels worth sharing anecdotally because there's very likely never been any studies on this, and your GI is likely to never  consider the possibility when prescribing (I could be wrong though, just my impression).

I am single and live alone and work full time.   I just keep adapting as best I can.  I can't eat normal sized meals any more without paying for it and try my best to restrict meal size.  Very difficult if you have done something taxing or athletic and your body is telling you to eat.  Just gotta do whatever it takes.  I'm also a big proponent of the low fodmap diet. 

Lately I've been having having chronic mild to moderate pain mid-abdomen and mild partial obstructive symptoms lasting for two continuous weeks.  This is new to me.  I'm worried it may become more serious in terms of obstruction, but for now, holding steady and hoping I can deal with it.

After many surgeries, procedures, exams, and consultations, I've learned that simple mindfulness (paying attention to my body) has probably been the most effective form of treatment available to me.  Obviously that's only going to get you so far and sometimes/ultimately it's out of our hands. I would never wait too long to seek medical help or emergency medicine when it is needed.  

Stay strong everybody!  Wishing you peace when you need it most!  And how 'bout a nice long run of good luck?  I think we deserve one of those too!

I have been through the same things. I find that when I eat meals and I'm feeling of struct it because I forgot to take a super enzyme if I take the enzyme I end up going to the washroom and I feel a great relief. Please try the enzymes with your meals and you'll find a big difference. I never put two and two together but yes the antibiotic condition that comes about with taking antibiotics seems to be a good diagnosis. From now on I will try to avoid antibiotics at all costs that makes a lot of sense.

Thanks for sharing that. Let me know how the enzymes help you. I can guarantee that you'll get great relief.

I wish I had known this years ago. I've been suffering with obstructions one almost killed me about 30 years ago I only had an hour to go my bowel was completed blocked.

SJAN810 posted:
b_logan posted:

Haven't posted in a long time, just thought I'd throw my hat in the ring and say that I am going through something similar as well.  

First surgery was over 30 years ago when I was 14.  After s-pouch revision in 2002, Ive had approximately 6 full obstructions lasting 12-24 excruciating hours that all resolved without surgery, and a steady increase in partial obstructions (from a few per year to presently a few per month) leading me to this thread today.

I would like to give my thanks for the clear passage info.  I may consider it.  Also enzymes as someone suggested is potentially a good idea for experimentation.  I am also interested in laproscopic options but have not gone down that road yet or heard much from others about it.

In case it might resonate with anyone, I can offer my 2 cents about obstructive symotoms and antibiotics.  While they may help with pouchitis and other symptoms, I am convinced that (for me personally) antibiotics have been a contributing factor to adhesion related obstruction.   Before giving them up 4 years ago, I'd taken them on and off for decades, and slowly was able to deduce a correlation.  If your # of bm's are reduced on antibiotics, then it just may be for someone with adhesions, the likelihood of obstruction may increase without enough bacteria in there doing what they do.  I am only speaking from my personal experience and what I believe to be true for myself. Obviously these things are very subjective, but it feels worth sharing anecdotally because there's very likely never been any studies on this, and your GI is likely to never  consider the possibility when prescribing (I could be wrong though, just my impression).

I am single and live alone and work full time.   I just keep adapting as best I can.  I can't eat normal sized meals any more without paying for it and try my best to restrict meal size.  Very difficult if you have done something taxing or athletic and your body is telling you to eat.  Just gotta do whatever it takes.  I'm also a big proponent of the low fodmap diet. 

Lately I've been having having chronic mild to moderate pain mid-abdomen and mild partial obstructive symptoms lasting for two continuous weeks.  This is new to me.  I'm worried it may become more serious in terms of obstruction, but for now, holding steady and hoping I can deal with it.

After many surgeries, procedures, exams, and consultations, I've learned that simple mindfulness (paying attention to my body) has probably been the most effective form of treatment available to me.  Obviously that's only going to get you so far and sometimes/ultimately it's out of our hands. I would never wait too long to seek medical help or emergency medicine when it is needed.  

Stay strong everybody!  Wishing you peace when you need it most!  And how 'bout a nice long run of good luck?  I think we deserve one of those too!

Thank you for sharing! I’m sorry to hear that you have been dealing with this for so long! Your attitude is encouraging though. I agree that listening to our bodies is one of the best things we can do. I’ve been dealing with this for about a year now and so far doctors haven’t really been able to help me much. Limiting my food intake is the only thing that seems to help. Like you said, it’s not ideal, but I don’t want to be in pain either. I hope your situation gets better. Stay strong! 

Doctors would never suggest super enzymes. I actually went to an osteopath for Clear passage therapy, where she manipulates my bowels and tries to separate adhesions and scarring. That helped for a little while, it did actually also clear one small blockage that I was having but in the long-term it doesn't help. You would have to do that on a regular basis and that can get very expensive. She was the one that recommended super enzymes and I'm grateful for that, extremely grateful please everyone, try them!

I am having the Clear Passage Therapy at the Gainsville, Fl location starting May 27th.  I will try to keep you guys updated.   The real Clear Passage Therapy can only be done at one of the official Clear Passage Clinics.  The therapist have special training specifically for adhesion therapy.  One of you mentioned that you went to an Osteopath for this treatment.  Unless it was done at one of their facilities it was not the true Clear Passage Therapy.  They also train you while you are there to do maintenance Therapy on your own.  I am hoping that his will be my miracle.  I am so tired of the blockages and the surgeries.    

I know I won't know immediately if it works but have talked to a couple of patients that said the way their bowels moved  after therapy was immediately better.  Only time will tell if it will keep me from more blockages and surgery!

I talked to my surgeon about the Super digestive Enzymes when I went to get his okay for the therapy and he wanted me to only do one thing at a time.

 

 

 

maddie18 posted:

Does anyone think cheddar cheese can cause obstructions.  I've heard cheese is the hardest food to digest.

I generally avoid dairy because it makes me feel sick if I eat too much of it but this would be another good reason to avoid cheese. I think if you have a tiny bit once in a while it might be okay but eating a lot of cheese could probably cause a problem. When I first had my j-pouch surgery I was told to eat “thickening” foods so that my BMs would be thicker and not so watery. Now I’ve been told to limit my intake of those foods (things like bread, pasta, rice, peanut butter, applesauce). It seems to help to eat less of those foods and to eat less food overall so that I don’t get overly full. It means that most of my BMs are liquid or mush but that seems to make it easier for everything to pass through without getting stuck. 

I have experienced several severe intestinal blockages as a result of a lot of post-surgical adhesions, after two colorectal cancer surgeries, in 2015 and for construction of a j-pouch in 2016, (both major abdominal resections, big zippers). Anything to avoid this horror! ....  I now take super full-spectrum digestive enzymes every day, three capsules at each meal. And drink lots of water. (I have read that so-called 'pyrolytic' enzymes might help to reduce adhesions over time. Trying them, too.) Triggers include extreme stress. Food triggers: accidentally eating even a tiny amount of palm oil puts me in hospital every time!!!! ... very bad (in almost all prepared foods, so I read the labels EVERY time that I buy anything, and no restaurant meals any more, either).  Also eating too much fresh vegetables or fruit at one time, including peppers, apples or broccoli. (Well-cooked, and small amounts is okay, well-chewed. No heavy fibre, either.) Small meals, no matter how hungry. .... Each episode, searingly painful abdominal cramps beginning in two locations (CT scan showed large adhesions wrapped around small intestines), rapidly getting worse, and unrelenting, violent vomiting. At the hospital, given large amounts of natural morphine sulphate for pain, and large amounts of Gravol-type anti-emetic to relieve vomiting. Each time, hospitalized for 3-5 days to rest bowel, nasal-gastro tube to continuously remove stomach secretions (otherwise, unbelievable vomiting, torn stomach lining). I have managed to stave off four more severe episodes (thank god) by walking around for hours, deep and very slow (mindful) breathing, while slowly sucking on 90 mg of children's chewable Gravol, as SOON as symptoms start, and taking 15 mg of morphine sulphate for pain. (Prescription, I keep a small amount handy.) Definitely a horrible thing to experience. (I am very lucky to receive compassionate care when I show up at emergency with my 'puke bucket'. Too sick to drive, barely able to get dressed. Grateful for a ride.) Sure hope some of this helps.

maddie18 posted:

Do any of my fellow j pouches think coffee or espresso affects us in a bad way?

I think it can, especially if it’s caffeinated. Personally, caffeine makes me feel shaky and nauseous so I generally avoid it. Several years ago, before my surgeries, I saw a nutritionist and she said caffeine has an effect that is basically like putting your intestines on a treadmill and overworking them so it can trigger IBD & IBS symptoms. Knowing that, I assume it could trigger symptoms for people with j-pouches too. I also remember my surgeon saying coffee is one of the foods that can trigger symptoms for people with j-pouches...this was a few years ago and I don’t remember exactly what he was referring to but I think we were talking about skin irritation from having lots of watery BMs. 

Every time I check this thread I am so disheartened how many of us have this problem. It’s a huge quality of life side effect on f the surgery that no one warned me about. I would have needed the surgery anyway, but it would just have been nice to know my healthy days were numbered. 

Related to the coffee discussion, I wonder this to. I’ve been trying to figure out why I suddenly have this obstruction problem after 20 years of good health and the only major change was the arrival of my son (he was adopted so no physical changes from that) and with it, a huge increase in coffee consumption! I wonder if it messes with our electrolytes enough to cause issues in bowel contractions, or stool consistency, or other things. Might be worth cutting out (but oh so hard with a 10 month old who is not a good sleeper yet...!) Anyone tried no caffeine? I got the enzymes maddie mentioned-I’ll let u know how they work for me.

Interestingly enough, I gave up coffee 7 years ago and only reintroduced it 3 months ago... And while I've had obstructions that have been very acute and severe during that time (aporox one per year), the symptoms I've been having recently have been different... they're almost constantly with me and partially obstructive and hurt.  Since posting here a week ago, I've given coffee up again and am possibly starting to turn the corner. At least I hope so.  We'll see    It takes months to years to figure out if one particular thing you are doing bears a greater responsibility than another thing you may be doing or simply have going on.  When I gave coffee up originally it was for the usual reasons... It exasperated any digestive discomfort or indigestion of which I had plenty.  After getting my diet in order, and avoiding antibiotics for years, I thought I could handle it.  Either my adhedions have worsened or it's coffee or possibly both.  I'm back to green tea for the foreseeable future.  I drink Japanese sencha. Avoid herbal like the plague.  The Japanese steam their leaves to cure them whereas most other tea leaves are roasted.  Less bitter more 'umami.'  I get it from an outfit in Japan called O-Cha.  Takes a while to get a system down with brewing it, you really need a japanese teapot, but great stuff.  The caffeine takes more liquid volume and longer in time to build up in your system, but it's much more even than coffee   Less highs/lows.

Ps.  They key to replacing coffee with tea, especially drinking sencha, is to get a hot water heater with an adjutable temperature gauge.  You want to use water that is not boiling hot!  Many workplace water coolers have hot on demand, that temp is on the cool end but works great.  I never use the hot water attached to coffee brewers, that temp is almost 200 degres F, way too hot... in terms of bitterness and drinkability makes a big difference. Could I make it any more obvious that I'm a fan of green tea?  

Add Reply

Post
Copyright © 2019 The J-Pouch Group. All rights reserved.
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×