MC Related to abdominal hernia surgery or opioid pain medicine?

[Arleeda]

About a month after my MC diagnosis, I developed a pain in my LLQ that coincided with a bulge in my abdomen that I could sometimes make go away by pressure, but sometimes pressure only made it worse. Then I tried hot baths, and that worked for a while. Then nothing worked, I changed GI docs and got a diagnosis of Spigelian hernia. Not long after that diagnosis I got a horrific pain in the LLQ and went to the ER. I was admitted and laporascopic surgery performed on the hernia, but mesh was not used. Things went great as far as hernia was concerned for three months, but then it came back. This time I got an experienced GI surgeon who put in a mesh; that was a week ago. After both surgeries I was given narcotics, but I only took for one day for the first surgery and two days for the second . However, right now, 3 days without narcotics, I am still constipated and having to take stool softeners. When or Will the MC, which usually resulted in liquid diarrhea at 2-3 a.m. or thereabouts every night unless some medication was taken, return? Or is it possible there is some connection--which seems doubtful--between the surgery ( which my GI doc says was a Spigelian hernia and the surgeon an inguinal hernia) and MC? I am trying to decide which is worse, constipation or diarrhea? Diarrhea gets my vote, and I think it will return, I just don't know when to expect. How long does it take oxycodone to wear off?

[tex]

Hi Arleeda,

I would have thought that by now, constipation due to most narcotics would have faded away. If the narcotics had caused a blockage, you would probably have alternating constipation and watery diarrhea. If you're still having only constipation, I wonder what's going on. Your symptoms don't appear to be following the expected pattern, and I have no idea why. Maybe someone else might have some insight on their situation.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

Tex

[Arleeda]

I'm no longer experiencing constipation, and things appear amazingly normal. I am just waiting for the dam to break. I will see the surgeon in one week, if I haven't reverted to diarrhea by then I will have questions for him--and if he is just as perplexed as I am, I will ask my GI doc--although I don't think she will have any idea either. Thanks for your response.

[jbrohlr]

I had similar problems after my gallbladder surgery. My dad also had "slow gut" after his knee replacement and again after his prostrate surgery (they kept him in the hospital because of the bloating). I've heard three factors can cause it: the anesthesia, oxycodone(?) and just the trauma from the surgery. It passes but it is alarming.