Has Your Sense of Taste Changed After Ileostomy Surgery?

I got an ilyostomy when I had emergency surgery on the 12th of July.  Have any of you who have had this noticed your way of tasting food has changed?  My food seems to taste so different now.

Yes, I noticed the same thing. They told me it may be because of the anesthesia. I have always loved spicy food but now I need it to be really spicy :)

Hope you're feeling better every day. It takes quite a long time to get back to our old normal.

~V~

Hi, I hope this finds you well.  Things are coming along now pretty well.  I still have the pain issues so I remain on the 800mg Ibuphrophine x 3 daily but I am down to two now. Yesterday was a not so great day but I get good and bad ones now instead of all bad.  I let home care go as I am doing most of my own care now.  I am changing my own hardware by myself and the wound nurse comes once a week on one of my change days to supervise.   My supplies finally made it here from the VA but they sent the wrong skin barriers so I had to have them reordered.  They transposed the numbers on the order.  Taste remains the challenge and the diet.  I used to be able to ignore my hunger for a while but not anymore.  I have to eat 5 to 6 small meals every day now and I can't ignore the hunger, I have to eat.  I am in the boot all the time as my foot xray showed that there has been no improvement in healing like the foot doctor was wanting so that is somewhat of a hindrance for me but at least I can walk.  I still have days that I feel down but it is getting better.  I will be starting back with my VA therapist within the next week or so.  So, I guess I can be grateful that I am doing better.

I still continue to experience the cramping pain that goes left to right across the top of my stomach.  This pain typically comes at night, after supper and around the time I go to bed.  The cramps are quite painful.  Sometimes I can control it with 800mg of ibuprofen,  other times I end up taking a pain pill which I don't like taking.  Does anyone else experience these cramping pains?  I am 30 days out from emergency surgery where I was sliced from my sturnam to my lower belly.  If any of you have had this type of pain, how long did it last and how did you deal with this pain?

I'm sorry you're still feeling badly, but as bad as it sounds, you're still really early in the process. Plus, by virtue of it being an "emergency" surgery, it's far more traumatic. My psychiatrist told me that for every hour of being under anesthesia, it takes at least two months to recover... add any traumatic events more than doubles that. I just passed 7 months and I'm still having a hard time bouncing back. I also have cramping. I know my surgeon is frustrated wih me and even says that she told me in the beginning that the surgery wouldn't "necessarily" take away all the pain -- well, that's a bit ambiguous! My endocrynologist told me to stay at it and keep asking questions... it's my right.

I'm sure it's especially difficult for you because of having to go through the VA, right? How's your output? Are your chewing really well? That's an old habit hard to change. I've always been bad about eating on the go. I actually get an upset stomach with ibuprofen and have to be real careful about OTC anti-inflamation because I had Barret's Esophagus.

You might ask about Bentyl -- it's supposed to relieve the spasms. Also, if the cramps are up higher (more from the stomach) do you think Prevacid or an aniacid would help?

My pain is more often in the lower abdomen... if I didn't know better (complete hysterectomy), I'd think I was having a period. I also still feel like I have to go to the bathroom the old way which drives me crazy. I have another appointment with the surgeon coming up on the 21st.. I am not very hopeful that I'll get answers, but I have to try.

I hope you're able to get some relief.

Take care, Vicki

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