Cramps 3 months post op
- Thread starter Jasmine
- Start date
dianeseattle
Member
Hi Jasmine, congratulations on being 3 months out. It's hard to answer your question because you don't say if you had cramps before surgery or if you got them after, and if so at what point after did you start getting them? Also do they seem to be connected to a particular food? Or a particular activity?
My immediate response would be to use something like Gas-X as often as allowed. I'd also look at how well you are chewing your food. Gas pockets form between solid masses in your colon, so if you didn't chew something enough, it might be allowing space between that bite and the next one.
And of course, I would take a fiber laxative everyday as directed. Doing this softens the stool and allows your bowel to evacuate. That makes it a lot easier to figure out where the cramps are originating and can rule out some types of disease.
I do think that most people report having some level of gas problems after surgery and I know that there have been several members who report it has become a chronic problem for them. That might just be something you have to live with because of your particular anatomy
Weirdly enough, though, I had more gas before surgery then I have had since. The surgery seemed to cure me of the family curse of excessive flatulence.
However when I first found this group, it was because I was having some very serious intestinal pain and nausea that made me have to sit on the edge of my bed until it passed. There was only one other member back then, but soon we were joined by a few others. I knew I was going to end up getting a bari endoscopy, and it was good that I did. The scope revealed a broken stitch AND a loose staple floating around.
I suffered for years because I was too scared to see a specialist. And my routine colonoscopies also revealed a pocket of diverticuli, but that's another story.
So call your doc first, but there's no reason why you also can't turn to some self-care remedies. I was on omeprazole and ondansetron because I was trying to avoid the endo, and my doc was fine trying the less invasive approach until I came clean about how bad it was. Both of those drugs have recently been linked to dementia in a UK 10-year study.
Ask your doc and find out if you have cause for concern. Keep us posted!
My immediate response would be to use something like Gas-X as often as allowed. I'd also look at how well you are chewing your food. Gas pockets form between solid masses in your colon, so if you didn't chew something enough, it might be allowing space between that bite and the next one.
And of course, I would take a fiber laxative everyday as directed. Doing this softens the stool and allows your bowel to evacuate. That makes it a lot easier to figure out where the cramps are originating and can rule out some types of disease.
I do think that most people report having some level of gas problems after surgery and I know that there have been several members who report it has become a chronic problem for them. That might just be something you have to live with because of your particular anatomy
Weirdly enough, though, I had more gas before surgery then I have had since. The surgery seemed to cure me of the family curse of excessive flatulence.
However when I first found this group, it was because I was having some very serious intestinal pain and nausea that made me have to sit on the edge of my bed until it passed. There was only one other member back then, but soon we were joined by a few others. I knew I was going to end up getting a bari endoscopy, and it was good that I did. The scope revealed a broken stitch AND a loose staple floating around.
I suffered for years because I was too scared to see a specialist. And my routine colonoscopies also revealed a pocket of diverticuli, but that's another story.
So call your doc first, but there's no reason why you also can't turn to some self-care remedies. I was on omeprazole and ondansetron because I was trying to avoid the endo, and my doc was fine trying the less invasive approach until I came clean about how bad it was. Both of those drugs have recently been linked to dementia in a UK 10-year study.
Ask your doc and find out if you have cause for concern. Keep us posted!
Tokash
Member
I agree with looking at how much you are chewing. I just turned 3 months post and had cramping up to about 2.5 months. Its also important to look at the foods you are eating, some can cause more gas than others. Cramping could also be from the food simply not agreeing with you. If you can narrow it down to certian foods I would try to stop eating them for a couple weeks and then try again.
dianeseattle
Member
Jasmine, how about an update?
Good morning all, I’m sorry for the late reply. I didn’t have any cramps before surgery this is all new to me. But I’m also not sure if it’s cramping due to my gallbladder removal. I had that done a month ago, my doctor thought it was complications from the surgery until they saw gallstones and did an emergency removal. I would say around that time I was experiencing these cramps they were horrible all day, when I got the gallbladder removal I was Ok until a week later and it seems to still be happening it’s not as evasive as before but uncomfortable. I try To chew as much as I can food wise I’m pretty much just been having tuna, English muffins, chicken, shrimp, salads, fruits. Pretty much what’s been in my diet so I’m not to sure on what the cause of it maybe.
Tokash
Member
The English muffin and salad could be part of it. Bred can be pretty hard to digest after surgery and I was actually advised to stay away from it for the first 6 months. I was just now given the ok to have salads but in moderation and slow pace. Sometimes greens can increase gas.