I have the exact same problem. I've had 5 surgeries and my body likes to make adhesions. The pain is much better since the hysterectomy, but I still have bowel troubles. I have had a lower GI (barium enema) to ensure that the adhesions have not caused an obstruction and it was good. So, I'm left with a bowel made sluggish from the adhesions on the outside. Very slowly, over time, I have found ways to deal with the consipation. And consitpation is an understatement. My bowels just wouldn't move. I had to use enemas to get the stool out. Laxitives were brutal because it just caused diarrhea stuck behind the hard stool. I've had some good luck with diet modification. Basically, if I eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, the contents of my bowel stay soft enough to be propelled out. You have to train yourself to go first thing in the morning (I have coffee first), even if you don't feel the urge. It's hard to get used to this diet. White flour is useless, so you have to look for high fiber alternatives. Wheat bread is OK. I use whole wheat flour and oatmeal to make muffins. Oatmeal bread is OK. Any veggies are great. I make cucumber and tomato sandwiches. Fats, believe it or not, are also OK. Fruits are great. Whole wheat pasta is good. Potatoes are good. Eat a lot of these foods for several days and drink tons of water. You'll start going. After you get a routine going, you can add small bits of meat and cheese back. For example, a little chicken on a big salad. A little chicken and lots of vegetables in a stir fry (use brown rice not white). Baked potatoes are great. Put a teaspoon of cheese on it if you want. Use a healthy butter substitute. Even sour cream is OK for me. You may even want to eat some ground flax seed. You find this in a health food store. Grind it in a blender or coffee grinder. I mix it with orange juice. Eat 1-2 tablespoons a couple times of day. I can't overstate the importance of water. If this doesn't totally solve your problem, ask you doctor about Zelnorm. It's a new drug and it has helped me a little. I can get away with a little more meat and cheese (I can't eat normally, however). Zelnorm increases seratonin in your intestine and helps food to move more quickly. Soft waste is much easier to pass.
I hope this helps a little. It took a very long time for me to figure out what works and what doesn't. Also, I still fall off the wagon and pay for it for several days. If I get backed up, I drink a bottle of magnesium citrate. It's gross, but it cleans me out. Make sure you chill it and drink it as fast as possible. I can't finish the bottle if I drag the process out too long. It takes 1-3 hours for it to start working, but you'll need to stay near the bathroom until you are emptied out.
If I can help any more, please feel free to e-mail me. I think you can see my address above.
-- NancyAt Mon, 5 May 2003, Elaine wrote: > >I've spent the last week trying to get in to see a doctor. I saw a >physicians assistant who thought I had a bowel obstruction, scared me to >death and then spent three days figuring out he wanted to refer me to a >gastro doc. > >I got the referral paperwork and it says IBS - referral is routine. I >can't seem to go to the bathroom and this is routine? If I take a >laxative, I get a little diarrhea, major cramps and no relief. > >I tried to explain to the first gastro doc's secretary that I never had >this problem before my hysterectomy in October. That they cut down scar >tissue four months later, I've gone just fine until about three weeks >ago. She diagnosed me over the phone with IBS. Wow, why even go to the >appointment? Needless to say I'm trying another gastro doc whose >receptionists don't diagnose disorders via the phone. > >So, I want to know. How do they diagnose adhesions or do we all get the >catch all diagnosis of IBS when our intestines aren't working? I have >friends who DO suffer from IBS. It's a horrible thing I know so please >don't think I'm saying it isn't. My problem is not set off by certain >foods, stress or anything. Its constant. I just cannot go. > >I can imagine quite a few here have been referred to a gastro doc. When >I do get appointment (likely a month from now), what should I expect? > >Thank you all for your kind words the other day and for any experiences >you could share regarding IBS. How can they diagnose this without ANY >sort of tests?