Question:
almost 3yrs out - is constipation a symptom of SLD?

I drink tons of water - that's not the problem. THANKS!    — jengrz (posted on August 22, 2005)

August 22, 2005
ummmmm, you really should ask your surgeon this question. But from a personal stand point, my DH who is almost 2 yrs PO has a problem with constipation and he drinks at least 100oz a day and he still has to take MOM. My surgeon's office tells all patients that constipation may be a problem PO because of the small amount of food that we eat, etc. For myself, I rarely get that way because I have microscopic colitis and have no problems in that department. When I do it is because I have let my water consumption go down. If this is a new thing for you then you should get in contact with your doctor and find out why it is happening.
   — ChristineB

August 23, 2005
I had really bad constipation beginning about a month after surgery. Like your dh, I drank planty of water. My doctor told me to eat flaxseed with yougurt in the morning. I thought the flax seed would be yucky, but it actually has a good, nutty flavor. He also recommended that I take Colace to soften my stolls every day. It worked.
   — Novashannon

August 23, 2005
Do you mean a bowel obstruction? A SLD - Staple Line Disruption is something different. Most common symptoms of that is being able to eat more, weight regain and in some a return of acid reflux. These usually only happen with VBGs and non-transected RNYs. <p> A bowel obstruction is something else entirely. Common symptoms are vomitting after eating, lack of bowel movements, no passing gas. HOWEVER, if you have a bypass type surgery, you can still have a bowel obstruction and not have any of these symptoms - we have a non-functioning part of our small intestines still in there, an obstruction can happen there (on the bypassed part) and we would not know until the pain hit.
   — Ali M