New to the site and I just wanted to give some input on intestinal blockages due to scar tissue, foods to avoid, and ways that I have solved it. While I may seem to be rambling, I believe that every part of this could assist "someone".
Over the past 28 years with a j-pouch, I have been to the emergency room close to a dozen times with blockages. If you have ever had a blockage, you will know it. The first sign is a lack of bowel movements, a total lack of bowel movements. This is followed over a period of hours by cramping, severe cramping, blinding pain and vomiting of your "digested" matter down to the point of the blockage. This matter does not come from your stomach but from well beyond.
The first time this happened, the emergency room doctors and attending physicians freaked out and contacted my surgeon for emergency surgery, which was not necessary and displeased my previously sleeping surgeon greatly. After the first blockage was cleared, I was able to prevent future emergency room doctor freak outs.
Foods that have sent me to the emergency room include: popcorn, pineapple, corn, spinach, asparagus. (you should see a trend)
Ways to try to solve the problem prior to an emergency room visit: warm apple or prune juice and Amrix have worked for me. The fact is that I have not been to the emergency room since discovering Amrix 10 years ago. Finally accepting that indigestible foods or foods that can clump like seaweed are not good for me also helped.
If you are unfortunate enough to experience a blockage, I can tell you how it went every single time. You will finally be willing to go to the emergency room when you begin vomiting feces. It will always be after midnight when you finally accept that you can't seem to wish the problem away. On the doctor's 1-10 scale of pain, it is a clear 10. The "good" news is that you will not be spending time in the waiting room due to violent vomiting. I was ALWAYS given a 50mg shot of demerol upon entry. (The next hour will always be the worst.) It did not help. I was then taken for x-rays (while I tried to be a good sport about it while curled in the fetal position) that ALWAYS showed a blockage. The emergency room doctors will not provide a second demerol shot for an hour and that second shot ALWAYS resulted in the seized intestines reclaiming their ability to function correctly. (The worst part for me was the knowledge that the second shot would fix the problem and knowing that no one would give me a second shot for at least an hour.) Several minutes after the second shot of demerol, I would get up and go to the bathroom and evacuate what seemed to be gallons of water. This tremendous diarrhea would repeat about every three to five minutes for at least a half hour. At that point the doctors would release me.
Post blockage: Your abdomen will be distended and extremely tender for about a week and I always had to wear pants at least two inches wider in the waist during that time.
I have a document in my computer with all of this information that I have only had to use once. I handed it to the doctor on entry. While every thing I wrote came true, it did not change the behavior of any doctor. It did reduce their fear factor, however.
I have avoided the emergency room for ten years despite my body's tendencies by finally accepting that there are foods I can not eat. My back up is having 15mg Amrix pills (30mg knocked me on my butt for 30 hours). I am not promoting the use of a specific drug as any skeletal muscle relaxant may work. I have only had to take it four times in the past 10 years. If this helps anyone, it was worth my time.
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