Adhesions/pain

Do you think it could be your gallbladder causing the pain? I don't know if that is where it's located. Have you asked your doctor(s) about it? If it is caused by certain foods then maybe they can figure out why.

Thanks for your reply! I actually had my gall bladder removed, but this is the same area! It's crazy!

I would have sworn I had gallbladder colic with the pain I had the past few months. Then it centered around the low abdomen. All my labs were good. I felt obstructed too. Turns out I had severe pouchitis. Guess it was gas pains. Maybe adhesions played a role, but since being on Flagyl, the symptoms have abated. I had self treated a couple of times with Flagyl a few months earlier, but the symptoms were different this time.

I am in my 19th year with my j-pouch, and I am still learning. You cannot assume anything.

Jan

Maybe it's a combination of things and since you did have your gallbladder removed there probably are adhesions in that area.

4 years ago yesterday was my take down surgery. I'm sorry you don't know what's always wrong with you Jan, but it makes me feel better as I am having a difficult time again. I'd been feeling a lot better lately........

Yes, I'm thinking adhesions, when would I go in? I am passing stool normally, have only ha liquid since yesterday at 9pm and still having the pain. Just wait until it subsides and try to eat again and see what happens?

The last time I felt like there was an obstruction I emailed my Internist describing how I felt. She forwarded my message to my surgeon who ordered a small bowel study. After seeing no structures, kinks etc. he basically said that I needed to wait it out. The radiologist pointed out the barium took 2 hours longer to make it through to my j-pouch than it did a year prior when I had the same test but didn't see a problem. I was frustrated because the test just showed what was water with barium going through my system and not what happened when I ate food! I go on a soft food diet when things get like that now.

For the last few years I have had a spot on the left near my original colostomy scar that blocked after any solid meal.
I had to knead and massage things through when they felt 'stuck'. It felt like there was a 'V' in the intestine, kind of like it was bent in 2 like a water hose.
I had 3 real obstructions that lasted 24hrs and scared me to death plus numerous partial ones.
Nothing showed on my abdominal plate x-rays and they didn't bother to do any other studies of the small bowel other than the opacifications of my pouch.
When my surgeon (God Bless him and keep him healthy and practicing!) went in to reattach my pouch to the wall, I indicated the spot where things got stuck and he took a peek...there was a loop of bowel folded and adhesed to the wall.
He liberated it and things seem to be flowing along nicely ever since.
So yes, adhesions can do some nasty things in there and unless someone pops in and takes a peek they may never see them.
Sharon

You should guage when to call your doctor or go to the ER based on the severity of your symptoms. Severe, unrelenting pain with vomiting warrants a trip to the ER. Pain that is less severe or intermittent and with continued bowel function warrants a call to your doctor if it does not resolve or is recurring frequently. Otherwise, you can wait and see.

Jan

That's important Jan. I've been to the ER twice in my life and both times happened after my j-pouch surgeries. I worry more and think that's a good worry. There were times I probably should have gone in when I still had my colon. One "attack" was before I had my colon removed. I saw my Internist for a regular appointment and she was the one that told me I needed a colonscopy "now" and not to wait until I was due for one several months later. I had my first surgery before that scheduled colonscopy. My colon was so bad my GI came into see me in the recovery room with an appointment for a CTscan 2 days later.

I don't wait when I feel like maybe I should go to the ER anymore. That's why I've been there twice since my surgeries.

I know what you are talking about Sharon. I too massage the area where my stoma was. That is where it feels like something gets stuck. The new A.R.T.sessions I'm having are hopefully going to break up my adhesions for good! So far she has worked on the smaller adhesions that are closer to my abdominal wall. In a few days she is going to start treating my larger adhesions. I've been all over this site talking about receiving this adhesion busting therapy. I first got the idea to seek external ways of breaking the adhesions and scarred areas when a male j-poucher posted that his wife had been in there kneading his abdomen and how much it was helping him. I was trying to do this myself but wasn't getting results. The A.R.T. therapist is a Chiropractor but DC's are not the only medical professionals that train in this technique. I don't know how she finds all of my adhesions but I can tell she has found one when she starts treating it. She only does so much work each time I come in. The next day or so I have abdominal pain from the treatments. This is a different kind of pain which is hard to describe. It's more of a soreness than deep pain. I hope that makes sense

TE,
Just be very careful with this...if it hurts 'too much' you need to ask them to lighten up a bit.
I used to go to the Chiropractic school down the block (don't drive so I was rather limited in where I could go) and they tried something that was probably that...
They kept deep massaging/pressing/pushing on certain zones...in my case, after menopause (and 7 abdominal surgeries in 5yrs) I had the impression that my muscle mass was all but gone.
I could sweat that they broke through the wall so to speak and enlarged a couple of hernias...(impressions are not facts...just feelings)...I finally begged them to stop (and I am not a wuss)...way too painful. Keep in mind that they were students and not full fledged Chiros yet.
I have a new rule now...if it hurts enough to make you scream or cry then you shouldn't be doing it. (again, opinion, not fact)
With my fragile abdomen I no longer allow anyone but my surgeon to touch me.
Sharon

There are several types of techniques to help with adhesion pain out there. Like I said, other medical people get this training, like Physical Therapists. I brought in my small bowel studies DVD's for her to review plus we discussed my incisional hernia surgery. I was impressed that she knew what UC was. She also researched j-pouches on-line. I'm confident with her abilities. Like I said she just does so much each visit and the areas are more of a sore feeling than the having a baby labor pain that I get I also located her from the A.R.T.'s listings of professionals in my area - they have it by zip code.

There are DC's that take what they do too seriously, IMO. I'm referring to the ones that claim to cure diseases like cancer! The ones that sell voo doo supplements et al. I prefer DC's that don't try to take the place of our medical doctors.

Thanks for the advice everyone! I didn't end up going in, pain never got that bad, but still having it but not near as bad as before. So I will be calling the doctor just to see what he thinks I should do. Sharon, Jan, TE, how did you find out you had adhesions? I know tey won't show on a scope. Should I ask for CT SCAN? Or MRI? Would an ultrasound show anything? I really just want peace of mind that nothing else is going on! Who knows if I ever will quite get that....

No one really tried to find out if I had any or not...they went in for a semi-exploratory laporoscopy and found them...I don't make many at all considering how much abdominal surgery I had...so they are an 'event' practically...but I do have them in the same spot each time...the original stoma site.
I am not sure if any radiological film can show them...
Others know better than I do.
I am a true believer that if the pain is so bad and reccurent that it is interferring with your life then you need to have something done about it. Not everyone agrees with me but it is my philosophy.
Good luck
Sharon

I never had any recent tests that prove their existance. In the past I had plain x-rays and a CT. They just showed no complete obstruction. Adhesions don't show up (poor blood supply). Just their effect shows. They are diagnosed by eliminating other causes of the symptoms. I do have a standing order for a year to do a plain x-ray when I have acute symptoms. Adhesions are assumed to be present anytime you have had abdominal surgery, but they do not necessarily cause problems.

Jan

My surgeon noted existing adhesions, from my prior female parts surgeries, in his colonectomy surgical notes. Several other doctors have felt them. The first time I saw my GI at the Mayo clinic he asked me what I did for the pain they caused. My PCP treats my pain because I see her at least 4 times a year. I had incisional hernia surgery 6 months after my take down surgery for a total of 5 abdominal surgeries.

See if you can feel them with your hands. I've had my husband feel them before. They are hard feeling.

As Jan says they are quick to x-ray me too. The most recent x-ray was because I've developed unexplained nausea. I've had 3 small bowel studies too.

Sharon-my husband and I agreed that I need to have something done to see if we can find out if anythings going on, just for some peace of mind, because yes it is a regular occorance not just a one time thing!

4life,
Surgery is still surgery, whether open or laporoscopic...it still involves anesthetic, risks etc...So I wouldn't walk into it without good reason...But for me debilitating pain, occlusions, constant blockages etc are very good reasons to get adhesions snipped.
I prefer my laporoscopic surgery (and the surgeon) because even though they are still rooting around in there for a while (3.5hrs for me) and pushing things around you do not have to deal with cut muscles, suture lines, scars etc.
I was in hospital for 2 nights, used very little pain meds, was up and showering on my own the next morning and had no adverse post op side effects, no ileus either!
The same surgery done open would have had me staying for a week, bedbound for 10days and tons of post op problems and meds.
They do say that even with lap surgery you can (re-)create as many adhesions as they snip...I don't know how long they take to grow back or if they do each time. I am just happy that he got the job done.
You are your own best judge of how serious it is and if you require help...
Talk with your doc but IMO I would go for lap and not open surgery.
Good luck
Sharon