Hemorrhoidectomy

[anitraw]

Originally Posted by rcl

I need help. I had my hemorrhoidectomy 8 days ago. Until the bowel movement, which came three days later, I was actually dealing with it. However, my movements have never been without having to strain. In fact, I always feel like I have stool waiting and wanting to come out, but unless I strain, it won't come out.
I went in to see the surgeon yesterday, and they went in and manually removed some stool. That was horrific. So, today, I have been pushing as hard as I can to move stool.
I started reading this and realize that maybe this wasn't a good idea. How do I get my stool to self-propel? I'm crying over this. It would be tolerable if it wasn't for this. I've been spending every other hour in the bathroom because of feeling like I need to go and then pushing the stool out -- which doesn't seem hard, but it's not soft either. I've even gone in and pulled whatever I could out myself.
I can't go back for that manual extraction. It felt as bad as the first day I had the surgery. I had external and internal hemorrhoids.
Please help somebody.
rcl

Rcl- I know how you are feeling this is how I was at the begining and I even went to the ER for it and they gave me a med that made me have bad explosive BM'S! That hurt really bad!!! Don't push whatever you are going to do dont push. If you read back far enough you will see that I was having this same fight and Tammy helped me get on the right track. You need to take colace and Metamucile. And make sure you have enough fiber in your diet. This will help your stool be self moving. You will see that in some of my recent posts I started to push again and set myself back. I am at week 7 and I started to have bleeding again and after talking to Tammy I am sure it is because I started to push again. I added another Colace and seem to be doing better. I also drink about 20-22 glasses of water a day, it is also important to eat three meals because I have learned that if I skip a meal my stool seems like it is not going to move on its own and I have to help. The other thing it is hard to feel that stool sitting in your rectum but you have to try to leave it there until it is ready to come out. I found that if I lay down for about 10min and then walk around for 10 min and keep doing that until it is ready it seems to be a little less painful.

Well soon you will be getting a post from Tammy and she will be very upset when she finds out that you are pushing as hard as you can She is great she will help you through this, she is the only doctor we all can trust. I hope things start to get easier for you and keep posting you will find that it helps you through this awful surgery. Take care

[wjpjr]

Originally Posted by Tammynoska

I just don't know why no one here is bothering to try the nifedipine. My new cut no longer even bothers me, and that is just after 5 days of using the nifedipine. I plan on using it for a month, but I have had fantastic results with this.

Tammy, Its not like we don't want to try it but most surgeons (at least mine) don't seem to want to prescribe it. It would be nice if nifedipne didn't need a script but alas it does.

[rcl]

Thanks Anitraw.
It just seems that right now I have fairly hard stool sitting there. Does anyone know what to do about that -- push, no push, soften it somehow. It's just always there right now and everytime I stand up I want to go to the bathroom, but it won't move on its own. It's killing me.
I can't even tell when I'm supposed to go to the bathroom anymore. It's like I have diarrhea without the runny stuff -- although I tend to be getting seepage, like stuff is coming out from around the hard stool.
Help.
rcl

[Tammynoska]

Walt, I know about your surgeons' refusals, but your wrote a couple of days ago that you had an appointment with a new doctor, and were going to try that one for a prescript, and were going to go armed with that pdf printout. Have you tried that one yet? I just don't know why these surgeons of yours don't want to prescribe the nifedipine, unless they are worried the nifedipine works too well and will keep you from being a paying surgery patient.

My surgeon didn't have a problem prescribing it, as it is along the same lines as the nitroglycerin, but doesn't give the headaches and has a much higher success rate. I have had no side effects at all with it either of any kind, so I am very happy with this. The nurse told me I may get low blood pressure, but that hasn't happened in over a month---I make surre not to use more than a BB size dose, and that seems to work well. I would seriouslyl question the motives behind your surgeons refusal to let you try this treatment.

[wjpjr]

Originally Posted by rcl

Thanks Anitraw.
It just seems that right now I have fairly hard stool sitting there. Does anyone know what to do about that -- push, no push, soften it somehow.

rcl, Unfortunately, I don't have any instance ideas for you. It sounds like you are becoming impacted. This is just one complication that can happen during recovery. How many days has it been? You could try an over the counter laxative. You might also get your surgeon or primary care doc write a script for lactulace. Lactulace is a prescription laxative. If you don't go soon (within 3 days) you may need surgery to remove the impaction.

Once you are clear you must start using colace, metamucil and add natural fiber to your diet. You absolutely keep your stools soft and moving. Every person takes a different combination and amounts to make them have BMs and at the right consistency.

Sorry I can't be more help. Good luck.