Unexpected Bowel Movement After Colostomy: Is This Normal?

I have almost 5 months with my colostomy.

It's been a few days since I started walking about 8 km (5 miles) every day.

I was aware it is normal to eliminate some mucus from the anus from time to time, but today I didn't expect to eliminate about half a finger's worth of something that looks like feces (but doesn't really smell like it).

My best guess and hope is that it was old scarring tissue left from the colon/rectum surgery, now being expelled from the rectum with some help from my daily 40-minute walk.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is it normal?

Thank you

I had a loop ileostomy in September 2024, and in spite of this, my lower bowel continues to fill with waste. This apparently is due to a certain bacteria in the large bowel that is used to keep it healthy. If it continues and causes problems, or if it increases in amount, I would speak to your doctor, as there are resolutions for it if it is problematic. My condition is rare, but from other ostomates, a small bowel movement every month or so is quite normal if it doesn't exacerbate any symptoms or cause issues.

It could be hard mucus. Sometimes mucus comes out more solid than liquid. It's normal. Try not to worry about it. If you have concerns, call your doctor and explain the situation.

Maybe it was a Baby Ruth bar. 😁 Of course, you'd have to know the movie I'm referring to.

You walked 7.5 mph?? You mean you ran like the wind?? LOL that's not a walk. A 10-minute mile is a challenge for most people, and you did 5 miles?? Crazy.

Probably tissues or something, especially if it didn't smell.

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

I agree with Infinity; probably hard mucus. Sometimes mucus can look quite dark in color, almost dark caramel. Your new walking regime could have something to do with it, but I will occasionally get a firmer, darker mucus come out, regardless of my daily routine. It doesn't sound like anything to worry about.

Terry

It's normal; your rectum and anything that is still attached to it still sloughs off skin cells as well as mucus, and eventually, it has to come out.

You will probably find that this will continue to happen every once in a while.

I have a 4 cm rectal stump, and every few months I get really bad cramps. I accidentally overtrained my rectal sphincter muscles when I briefly had my ileostomy reversed, which was a nightmare, as I had to run to the loo sometimes over 30 times a day. I didn't want to end up having an accident, as there are no toilets between our nearest small town, which is a half-hour drive from our home in the country....
My specialist sent me to a physiotherapist who specializes in getting people to tighten their pelvic floor muscles and that sort of thing, but she said that she couldn't undo what I did. The only thing apparently that could help was a Botox injection in the anus, but I really didn't like the thought of that.

So now I have to wait for my rectal stump to become inflamed, as I am not allowed to use a small enema to help me get rid of it just in case I accidentally pierce my rectal stump.... The contents become a liquid, and it then comes out in explosive diarrhea (just a small amount - but unpleasant to say the least).....

I've found that not a lot of people are told much by their surgeons about rectal stumps - this procedure is called a Hartmann's procedure - and so many people are shocked and dismayed when they discover that they have a small bowel movement every once in a while.