Unusual Symptoms Post-Ileostomy: Greyish Smell?

Does anyone have a greyish smelly from their back passage.  I had my ileostomy 18 months ago

Lilian,

  I'm guessing you still have your rectum and some of your large intestine intact?  I also have an ileostomy.  Discharge is normal as the large intestine and rectum still produce mucus.  It kind of feels like I have to have a movement and I usually get to the restroom in time to void it.  If you're concerned though, you can always have a doctor do a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy to make sure everything is ok.

  Mucus and sometimes blood discharge is normal.  Some of the members have a real problem with it soiling their underwear but there are a number of things you can do.  If the discharge only comes once in a while, you can manage it with wipes.  Even as a guy, if the discharge was bad, I've used ladies thin pads to soak up anything I couldn't control.  And then you could always use medicinal enema's if it bothers you that much.

  Just my 2 cents worth.  Hope it puts your mind at ease.

Bain

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Hello Lillian. 

Thanks for your post as this is a common problem for people with ileostomies and colostomies.

Bain has more or less covered the points I might have raised and it just so happens that I have been corresponding on a similar post this morning which you may like to refer to. It's on the next page of forum posts and has the title 'Loop Ileostomy And Problems With Hard Mucus Build Up' - posted by Kateinbed.

Also, if you look in the 'CONTENT' box (on the left hand side of your screen) and click on 'COLLECTIONS' - then on 'Ostomy-related Complications', there are a number of past posts that deal with this issue.

Best wishes

Bill

It is very normal every 6 months or more....you have a living tissue area in the stump that still produces natural moisture.  Over time this will feel like a bowel movement and pass from your system.