GI Issues Related to Parastomal Hernia

Hi all. I'm reaching out to find out if any of you have or had GI issues such as very uncomfortable bloating, trapped gas, and alternating constipation and diarrhea after developing a parastomal hernia at your ostomy site. Can you please describe your symptoms and how you deal with them? Any insights, advice, or tips will be appreciated. Thanks.

I have a peristomal hernia. So far, no GI issues. The skin at the base of my stoma is getting a little torn up from the wafer hole edge, mainly from support belt pressure on the wafer. Talk with a stoma nurse or doctor about your GI symptoms. We all have slightly different plumbing and stomas.

I agree with Beachboy. Personally, I have an ileostomy and am somewhat less susceptible to hernias. But when in doubt, always turn to your medical support team.

Daniel

I too have a parastomal hernia - though I have an ileostomy, not a colostomy. It has been noted that this is not uncommon with ostomy surgery. It did take several months for mine to develop, showing its ugly mound. I believe this resulted because I failed to take heed about lifting heavy objects in the months following my surgery and the lack of strong stomach muscles as I aged.

I do not suffer any external or internal (excessive gas, bloating, etc.) discomfort from this hernia. I am able to eat most foods and drinks. But as mentioned in many posts on this site - we are all different. The major surgeries involving rearrangement to our digestive systems have different impacts on our bodies for sure.

Milk and milk products, for instance, seem to cause issues in many unsuspecting adults - the key is to tune in to your own body in terms of what you are consuming to discover if food is causing your issues or seek medical advice if you feel there is a more serious issue. Take care. jb

When I had mine, I was getting blockages and pain. These were my only symptoms from my hernias other than the bulge sticking out.

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Discuss your symptoms with your surgeon.

Holy cow and her calf!

I no longer post the fact that I am different, that I read what comforts me more than even I can believe.

There are other abnormal ostomy survivors besides me. I can't describe how much better that makes me feel.

I have the same issue and had my "closing the loop" surgery done in 2019.

I eat to keep from getting lightheaded. I deal with the discomfort from what some call bloating. I call it blockage. Food gets lodged somewhere around one of the 2 hernias, most often in the bottom right lower quadrant area. Liquid passes when the solid decides to stay for days. This makes it hard to bend over; in fact, it feels like something is about to burst loose. To keep from tripping on things, I no longer use a broom and pan. I now use a leaf blower and a shovel.

I feel like I need to poop all the time. I get mad because I can't get things done since I sit on the toilet half the dang day.

My doctor told me it's normal to have this sensation of blockage. I replied that it was not sound advice an abnormal patient needs to hear.

Holy cow and her calf!

I no longer post the fact that I am different, that I read what comforts me more than even I can believe.

There are other abnormal ostomy survivors besides me. I can't describe how much better that makes me feel.

I have the same issue and had my "closing the loop" surgery done in 2019.

I eat to keep from getting lightheaded. I deal with the discomfort from what some call bloating. I call it blockage. Food gets lodged somewhere around one of the 2 hernias, most often in the bottom right lower quadrant area. Liquid passes when the solid decides to stay for days. This makes it hard to bend over; in fact, it feels like something is about to burst loose. To keep from tripping on things, I no longer use a broom and pan. I now use a leaf blower and a shovel.

I feel like I need to poop all the time. I get mad because I can't get things done since I sit on the toilet half the dang day.

My doctor told me it's normal to have this sensation of blockage. I had to reply that this was not sound advice an abnormal patient needs to hear.

I have discussed it with multiple surgeons. They have no clue as to what's going on with me. And, they don't have any curiosity to think and research to find out. Surgeons are highly specialized technicians. The best ones try to hone their techniques. They have no interest in the human being they are treating.

Please tell me more about the blockages and pain you had from the parastomal hernia. From your use of the past tense, I'm assuming you do not have the hernia now. What happened? Did you have it surgically fixed? If so, what was that experience like?

Any info/insights you can share will be deeply appreciated. Thanks.

As soon as I noticed my hernia bulge, I consulted my surgeon and had a CT performed. CT revealed a part of the small intestine pushing up at the base of my stoma. Every once in a while, I can see the bulge from that bit of small intestine pushing up at the side of my stoma. It comes and goes.