Chronic Stomach Issues & Post-Surgery Challenges: A Personal Account

Question
I have suffered from stomach problems most of my life. Severe pain, constipation, to long of a colon, etc.  I had a subtotal colectomy in Sept. of 2003 (90% of my large intestine was removed).  Thought this would solve my problems.  It didn't.  Since then in Jan. 2004 I was put in the hospital for a small bowel obstruction.  I have severe pain in the upper part of my stomach, severe nausea with some vomiting, constant bloating, excessive gas that builds into a large bubble and won't release, diarehha etc,.  I am actually sick almost all the time and due to the pain and gas build up find that even sitting up causes me to hurt.  I am taking a medication to help releave some of the pain(dicyclomine 20mg tabs 1-4x daily as needed and I do take them 4 times a day) and nausea and vomiting(trimethobenzamide 300mg 1-every 6 hrs as needed and I also take this as much as I can and was on prochlorperaxine 10mg but that didn't work).  Which helps to a small degree.  It does releave some of the pain but not the gas pain and while it has stopped the vomiting it hasn't stopped the nausea.  I feel as if I have morning sickness 24/7 just as if I were pregnant.  This has all led to totally interupting my every day life.  I had missed more time than I worked since I returned from my surgery and since April haven't worked at all.  I find it hard to even go to the store as while standing also hurts and any movement just makes the nausea worse.  As for sex I have very little interest in it and when we do have sex I have to fight the bile that rises in my throat and be careful not to press on my stomach so that it doesn't hurt even more.  I have had a small bowel follow through that took over 6 hrs and still only went through about 80% of my system.  I also had one before my surgery and it took about 5 hrs. but did complete at least.  My gastroenteroligist has thought maybe I had IBS then after this test and other visits now mentions something called intestinal pseudoobstruction.  From what I have found on the net I do have several of the systems of this but still don't totally under stand what it is.  My question is this what would you advise for someone to do when the medications don't fully work and doing just everyday things cause problems
and your waiting on additional test to determine the cause.  I would ask my Dr. however I have just recently been informed that he is no longer with my medical group and that another Dr. will not be assigned to me to see until after my test in July.  I was told until they see me they can not advise me as to what to do.  I am not looking for a cure right now just some advise as to what to do.  It seems like all I do is lie around the house all day and maybe this is the best course to follow for right now but I don't know.  I would like to get back into my life so maybe my solution may not be the best even though it makes me feel the best.  If you could offer any advise or tell me what you would recommend to a patient of yours with this problem or a reference where I could go and get help I would really appreciate it.  Even if it is only to tell me that what I am doing is what you recommend as it does make me feel better to a certain degree than so be it.  At least then I would know I am doing all that I can for the moment.  Also if you could maybe explain a little clearer what intestinal pseudoobstruciont is and if I have this what the treatment actually is that would be great also.  Thank you,  Mrs. Allen

Answer
If you could offer any advise or tell me what you would recommend to a patient of yours with this problem or a reference where I could go and get help I would really appreciate it.
I have my patients stop all wheat products and all sugar containing products, add acidophilus and magnesium oxide to their diet. OK?


Also if you could maybe explain a little clearer what intestinal pseudoobstruciont is and if I have this what the treatment actually is?
Yes it sounds like you have partial bowel obstruction which is when the bowel is swollen from eating wheat and sugar and does not let the contents move on. OK?
The acidophilus and dysbiosis diet helps restore normal bowel function as does the magnesium. OK?