Having awful diarrhea

[jennrn108 0]

Sorry so graphic...I am 3 days post op and have been having very frequent (up to 10-12 times a day!) episodes of diarrhea since day 1!! The churning in my stomach is awful as well. I called my surgeon and he said I can try liquid Immodium or Kaopectate, which have both done nothing to help the situation. I'm still on the clear liquid phase of my diet. Has anyone else had this situation? If so, what helped you and how long did it last? Thank you for any input!

[Tweety39 0]

I was in the same boat as you, till Today. Today nothing !

There is another thread with a lot of people with the same issue, and someone put it into the right words" liquid in and liquid out".. It gets better!!!!!!!! promise

[Diamondgirl81 0]

So sorry to hear what you are going through. I actually went through something similar, but just for one day. I called the doctor and he told me that if it didn't go away after taking pepto or imodium to come see him. He mentioned that it could be a virus. I forget the name of the virus, but I remember reading that it was one prevalent in hospitals, unfortunately. So, I'd call your doctor back and tell him that what you're taking is not working and demand to be seen. You don't want to get dehydrated or delay any treatment if needed.

Wish you the best,

Lauren

[onikenbai 33]

Could just be your body flushing the drugs out of your system. If it's been happening since immediately after your surgery, it's not likely a virus that you caught at the hospital because they rarely work that quickly. I know my tummy wasn't happy with me after the anesthetic and there was much heaving involved.

Just keep drinking so you don't get dehydrated. If it persists though, you need to get back to the doctor before you turn into a raisin.

[BetsyB 9]

It's really common, post-op--particularly if you're on Clear liquids. Part of it is a response to the trauma of the surgery, but it's also a basic liquid in/liquid out sort of thing.

I had diarrhea until I started solid food. I was told to expect this--it was included in the preop educational materials. It's generally not a cause for concern--and if your surgeon isn't worried, I'd try not to worry, too.

I know it's uncomfortable, though---so since your doctor has okayed it, trying to slow it down isn't a bad idea. Better still is using skin barriers (ointments, etc.) to protect the tender, sore skin that can develop. That was what was most bothersome to me.

[Dawn68PA 0]

I'm 2 weeks post-op and still have it. Today is my first day back to work and I had to go running to the bathroom and I didn't make it. I've been on soft foods for 2 days. Anyone else have problems this far out? I want this to end!

[taybjb 0]

Had the same thing..

[sawyer77 1]

I had it, too! No worries -- you're not alone!

Diarrhea is caused by stress or bacterial infection. It's *NOT* caused by drinking liquids. (If it were, we'd have it all the time.)

Keep drinking your liquids and stay hydrated. It's your body's reaction to stress. It WILL go away!

[Teryn 0]

Sorry so graphic...I am 3 days post op and have been having very frequent (up to 10-12 times a day!) episodes of diarrhea since day 1!! The churning in my stomach is awful as well. I called my surgeon and he said I can try liquid Immodium or Kaopectate, which have both done nothing to help the situation. I'm still on the clear liquid phase of my diet. Has anyone else had this situation? If so, what helped you and how long did it last? Thank you for any input!

I had the same problem for the 3 weeks after surgery. Was horrible but gradually started going away as I started soft then solid food. I actually lost 14lbs during those first weeks, lol. Hang in there and hope you're feeling better soon.

[mjbf 0]

Same thing happened to me until I started eating soft foods--it gradually tapered off until it was "normal". It took about maybe 2-3 wks.! I did take Immodium though also. Good luck!

[logancummins 0]

I'm sorry for your discomfort, but I'm so relieved that others are having the same problem as me. I had it a bit during the pre-op diet, but since being Banded on 2/4/2010 and resuming a full liquid diet I haven't had any #2 that hasn't been liquid.

I may try the liquid Imodium, but I'm scared to head back to work with this problem. I commute about 1.5 hrs each way via train, and it'd be embarrassing to not make it to the bathroom!

The Logan Cummins Blog

[mjbf 0]

I just used the regular Immodium caplets and did just fine! Good luck!

[fhce13 0]

I had the same problem for 4 weeks after my banding. I had to wear a pad on the back part of my undies to contain the "leaks". It did improve with time.

[BetsyB 9]

Diarrhea is caused by stress or bacterial infection. It's *NOT* caused by drinking liquids. (If it were, we'd have it all the time.)

Keep drinking your liquids and stay hydrated. It's your body's reaction to stress. It WILL go away!

Yes, definitely keep drinking the fluids--that is essential. The diarrhea is not CAUSED by fluids. However, when your input is only Fluid, your output is not going to be solid.

Your body has had huge disruption---including lots of icky meds it's trying to purge. The trauma and drugs are the cause of the diarrhea. The fact that your only intake is Fluid means that there's lots to purge.

This is a good thing, really--the fluids will help your body get back to normal more rapidly.

As things balance out, you'll find that most of your output is urine rather than watery stool. This often coincides with re-introducing foods. I know it did for me.