Twisted bowel complications post bypass

[salski]

Hello all

I have not been online for a fair while and one of the reasons is suffering with horrendus abdominal pain. I have had MRI scans and ultrasounds which have come back all clear. However the surgeon I have seen today mentioned my symptoms sounded like a twisted bowel.

i HAVE DONE A LITTLE READING UP ON THIS AND i HAVE TO AGREE THAT MY SYMPTOMS MATCH, APART FROM Im not in constant pain.

Sorry for caps lock lol

Anyway - does anyone have any more info on this? Anyone suffered with it?

Sally

 

[flowerofshona]

Ouch that sounds very painful !! lets hope its not that, i would have thought the mri would have picked it up but you never know, take care xxxx

 

[simplylucy]

I became ill with horrendous abdo pain about 3 and a half weeks ago.

I was rushed to hospital with what they first thought was appendicitis. I spent 12 days in hospital, loosing a stone, on drips, vomiting, bowels not open at all. I couldn't even keep fluids in at one stage.

I had X-rays, CT scan and ultra sound which all showed my bowels had something there but even an enema couldn't shift it.

I was on a lot of morphine and other painkillers.

The xrays showed tight loops in my bowels, hairpin bends, too tight to shift anything past!

I was eventually moved to the hospital where my bypass consultant works, 30 miles away, just incase it was bypass related once they got inside.

They operated on 1st December to discover appendicitis caused by blocked bowels, the hairpin bends had twisted.

They spent 3 hours operating on me to remove all the scar tissues that had caused webbing on my bowels and created the loops and twists.

I had my bariatric consultant and a lower GI consultant working on my solid for the 3 hours.

The scar tissue was hanging around from my 3 c-sections then the added scar tissue from the bypass was just too much to cope with.

No wonder I'd been in so much pain.

I asked why it suddenly happened 14 months post bypass and this was their explanation.........

"you bowels were nicely padded and surrounded by a cushion of fat. That fat has gone and your bowels/intestines now have room to roam and move around. Sometimes they just move into the wrong position and get jammed"

Kinda made sence to me.

Hope this has helped.

 

[flowerofshona]

Ah the same as the surgeon explained today about hernia's as there is more space they happen.

 

[Fuffs]

Ah the same as the surgeon explained today about hernia's as there is more space they happen.

My hernia always causes me agony if I lose weight fast and my tummy turns soft. Not good. Terrible pain

 

[Big an Bouncy]

Had my hernia done at same time as wls,it feels so firm and comfortable now like an internal girdle!

 

[PhilT]

My bowel twisted within days of my op ended up with further surgery, kidney failiure and a three week stay in hossy! Still no regrets - and I was told that my weight loss of 6 stone pre op created the extra space too.

 

[salski]

Hello all - thank you for your replies. It seems I am not alone in this pain. As I said preveiously the only thing that doesnt add up is that I dont have the pain constantly. It has been on and off for months but for an hour or 2 at a time, apart from the last attack which lasted a few hours. Food doesnt seem to be an issue and I have constant dihorreah?!
Anyway - food for thought. Thanks all :/

 

[Fuffs]

Hello all - thank you for your replies. It seems I am not alone in this pain. As I said preveiously the only thing that doesnt add up is that I dont have the pain constantly. It has been on and off for months but for an hour or 2 at a time, apart from the last attack which lasted a few hours. Food doesnt seem to be an issue and I have constant dihorreah?!
Anyway - food for thought. Thanks all :/

My hernia is not constantly. Mine is when it
Pops through and either goes back in by itself or I have to lie down and massage it back in. Feels very strange lol

 

[JayHobbs]

:cry:
I too have been having intermitant abdominal pain for the last 2 months.

It is now getting more frequent and intense. I am only sleeping 4 hours each night as I wake up in pain.

I am always constipated and compacted and have trapped wind all the time. My bowels just seem to have stopped working.

My life now seems to revolve around lactulose, prunes, movicol and suppositries

I mentioned it to my weight management doctor (Dr Labib's clinic, who put me through for the bypass) at my lasy appointment and they suggested a few possibilities but advised me to see my GP and ask for a scan to investigate.

Some of the possibilities mentioned were:

• Twisted Bowel
• Gall Bladder/Gall Stones
• IBS - Irratable Bowel Syndrome
• Prolapsed Womb
• Rectal Prolapse

All of which are apparently quite common post gastric bypass due to rapid weight loss and relaxed internal muscles/support.

I keep putting off going to my GP's as I am working SO many irratic shifts/hours over holiday period.

I KNOW I should get it checked out..!!!
I am a Health Advisor for goodness sake and spend ALL day assessing symptoms and advising people to see GP etc.. argg why can't I take my own advice!

It is getting pretty bad now so I KNOW I have to go see my GP soon :cry:


Jay

 

[Fuffs]

Really hope you get it sorted son Jay. You can't go on forever feeling how you do chick xxx

 

[Brunetteandred]

Yep, I had bypass via an open procedure April 2009. I soon after developed an incisional hernia and had this repaired via keyhole in September 2010. That was after my bowel got incarcerated (strangulate). It's happened again and I have had another emergency in patient episode in November. I am now on the 'urgent' list for surgery in January 2012.

My advice? Do not ignore abdo pain post-bypass. I almost lost my bowel, because had I had left it any longer, it would have died.

 

[janebell]

sounds terrible hope you get it sorted soon x

 

[JayHobbs]

Really hope you get it sorted son Jay. You can't go on forever feeling how you do chick xxx

Thanks Fuffs.

I will get it sorted.

I have booked a week off work in a couple of weeks and aim to get all my health appointments for that week.

I just hope I can hold out another couple of weeks so I don't have to take any un-authorised time off work :cry:

I was plannning on a week in the sun,,, but my health comes first!

Right where's the phone:


TODAYS TO-DO LIST:

• GP's re Abdo Pain
• GP's practice nurse re (WELL overdue) smear test
• Opticians re overdue diabetic eye screen
• Hosp/Clinic for my 6month blood tests

Gonna be a busy week... lol

 

[JayHobbs]

My advice? Do not ignore abdo pain post-bypass. I almost lost my bowel, because had I had left it any longer, it would have died.

Thanks for this,, it has kicked me up da bum!