Blocked bowel

Nana56,
I hope your DH is much better now!!

I don’t have any experience of it Nana56 but didn’t want to ignore your post. Hope your husband is soon feeling better x

A good friend had just had surgery for this 2 days ago, it’s a slow healing process but she is up and sitting in a chair and looking much perkier than she did .

I have experienced adhesions. I hope he is recovering well. My first time I escaped surgery but second time there was no alternative. Bowels are tricky and it can take a while to get things moving after surgery. I wish him well

Yes, I am afraid it is something that happens to me very regularly - around 30 times maybe? It used to be that I could go into A&E, get some decent pain relief, sleep and relax for a few hours and it would pass - not any more sadly ... firstly because A&E won't give you any pain relief, and secondly I have so many adhesions/hernias etc I generally end up strangulating so need surgery .... (I have had 24 in the last 2 decades |I might add, although not all bowel related!)

Sadly more surgery = more adhesions, making it worse.

I hope he is out and recovering and didn't need surgery? xx

I heard recently that someone taking cocodamol was taken to hospital in severe pain with a blocked bowel due to the medication. I am on the same meds so being as careful as possible.

The codeine in cocodamol will cause constipation. Drinking plenty of fluids will help.

Thank you. He's home now. Resolved itself but sore and tender. Until the next time!!

Good news Nana56.

Nana56

Bowel obstructions usual resolve themselves.

If your DH has adhesions, it might be a good idea to try a low-residue diet for a while. High fibre - healthy - diets can result in a blockage - especially with non-soluble fibre (sweetcorn, etc).

Perhaps he can have a consult with a dietician - it can be done over the 'phone - who can recommend such a diet.

I have a narrowing in the small intestines and it has resulted in several partial obstructions. The hospital will always go for the 'conservative' option first... which is to see if it resolves... which it obviously did for your DH.

Soft foods for the next few days (spaghetti, mashed potato, etc) will probably help him recover... avoid anything that requires a lot of chewing... and things like melted cheese which are hard to digest.

Glad he's home and sorted!

My DS when he was young wouldn't drink enough or eat veg. Bowel stopped working causing severe pain. In hospital they tried everything laxatives, enemas, stool softeners, etc to no avail. Then they gave something called 'fleet' used to clear colon for surgery which worked. On discharge I was told to give nothing except fruit for 4 or 5 days and plenty of fluids which sorted it all out HTH

For anybody who suffers from constipation due to medication or other reasons I would recommend taking Inulin daily. Despite having a healthy, high fibre diet and drinking plenty of water I have always had a problem with constipation. Even as a child I remember having to drink the liquid from senna pods soaked in water - yuk. I found out about Inulin from Doctor Michael Mosley and it has changed my life. It is a prebiotic and I also take probiotics daily.

‘Inulin is a soluble fibre that nourishes gut microbes, eases constipation, and even helps the body absorb magnesium and calcium. The benefits of inulin also include lowering blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes type II.’

It can also help people with sleep problems and is claimed to lowere visceral fat. Inulin can be found in some foods but I take it as a white powder, it easily dissolves in a hot drink. The amount needed varies from person to person but I take two teaspoons once a day. It is much more gentle than laxatives which I used to try and avoid taking but they are a thing of the past now.