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I got colon cancer surgery and going thru chemothrapy. Since the surgery my bowel movement has increased to about 8-10 times per day. I got colonoscopy to find any blockage. As per the GI every thing is normal.Is there any reason for frequent bowel movements?
Optional Information: Person's Gender: Male Person's Age: 66 Already Tried: Doctor has prescribed Diphen/atrop 2-5 MG a generic for LOMOTIL. I am trying this but still having frequent bowel movement.
HIWhat part if your colon was removed and which part was rejoined.What was the length of the bowel which was removed?Do you have blood in stools ?Was the stool tested for infection?How is the consistency of the stools - loose, water, soft,solid?Any other medication you are on?Please let me know
Sigmoid cololn 15 CM from the Anal was removed.
Length of the colon removed was about 6 inches.
There is no bllod in stool.
There is no infection in stool as per all the tests.
Generally the stools are solid and formed.
I am taking 50 mcg of Levothyroxin (synthroid). I also take multi vitamin, Calcium, Fish oil, Vitamin D3, B12, and Osteo biflex.
HelloThe part of the colon which was removed are the main storage stool reservoirs of our intestinal system and so it is natural to have increased frequency of stools as the storage capacity of the colon has reduced.Absence of infection in stools re-enforce the above explanation.It is like a small bowl which becomes filled fast and overflows.Gradually the intestines may adapt and the frequency may come down.Till then these symptoms may persist.You can have medications like lomotil to control it.One more aspect is synthroid.If it is more than required it can induce more bowel movements.So it would be prudent to check your TSH levels to see if it is normal.If it is too low then probably you can reduce the dose of the synthroid.Maintain a food diary and note the foods which increase the stool movements and avoid them in the diet.Usually food with high residue like fruits, fruit juices,milk , diary products are avoided.Well cooked meat,eggs, fish are OK.I hope this gives more insight to your problem.Regards Dr.Tharun
HelloI noticed you expected more - what more can I assist you with?If you have further questions /doubts please don't hesitate to ask.I will be glad to assist you till you are satisfied.Dr.Tharun
Experience: MBBS, DNB surgery and presently working as Urology resident towards the degree of Urologist.
Hi Chan,I would like to add some more Info on your problem.Most of the patients who develop such symptoms after removal of the colon will improve with time.As the bowel adapts to the new situation, these symptoms will diminish and revert to pre surgery levels.Most of the patients tolerate colectomy well and have a good quality of life in long term.Other medication which can be tried apart from Lomotil is imodium(Loperamide).It is more potent than lomotil and worth a try.Bismuth subsalicylate and Kaopectate are other drugs which can be tried to solve this problem.Adding probiotics like Yoghurt can be beneficial in some cases.Fiber supplements help in select individuals and can be tried if other measures fail.
As said earlier , trying a low a low residue diet usually works in reducing the number of bowel movements.Here is a detailed list http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/low-fiber-diet/my00744 & http://www.lowresiduediet.info/low-residue-diet-food-list.
Last option if the symptoms persist for long time and not responding to medications is surgery.
Colo-pouch surgery is done to increase the capacity of the colon in form of J -Pouch.This increases the storage capacity and hence reduce the frequency.It is not done regularly as general cover in colectomy in all cases as pouches have a tendency to get inflamed.
If you are unhappy , please write back with your queries and I will be glad to help you out till you are satisfied.
Regards
Dr.Tharun