I am almost in my 6th month of post surgery for the bypass. I have noticed that my bowel movements have changed a lot since before the surgery. I used to be constipated all the time. Now I barely eat anything, and I have to go. Sometimes even in the morning when I haven't eaten anything I have to go. Has this happened to anyone? It is to the point where I can't even leave my house, because I am afraid I am going to have an accident.

I just go the one time a day, regular, like mid-morning between breakfast and lunch

no - although I've heard of bypassers with diarrhea, constipation is WAY more common. It's a chronic problem for a lot of us.

do you think it might be something you're eating that your system may be rebelling against? Like some kind of artificial sweetener or certain carbs or something?

This is me too. My bowel motions are now several times a day and quite loose (sorry if tmi ?) and kind of comes out of nowhere lol. I’m 9 weeks post op.

It is actually scary because I am afraid to leave the house. I go like 6-7 times a day, and it just comes out of no where. Sometimes even when I think I just have to pee, it surprises me with a poop. I even cut back on my water intake from 8 cups a day to only 6, and its not helping. I go to my 6 month checkup at the end of the month. I am wondering what they will tell me.

2 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

no - although I've heard of bypassers with diarrhea, constipation is WAY more common. It's a chronic problem for a lot of us.

do you think it might be something you're eating that your system may be rebelling against? Like some kind of artificial sweetener or certain carbs or something?

No, I don't eat any carbs. No artificial sweetener either? I even cut back on my water intake from 8 cups a day to 6 and its not helping.

YES. Several days a week, I will go to the bathroom five or more times. One day, eleven times. It's not diarrhea. Occasionally, this is accompanied by bad nausea throughout the day.

Last week I visited my surgeon to discuss this with him. He said this was rare -- he really didn't see instances of it in his practice -- but he reviewed a CT scan I had done in March, when I was experiencing nausea and the frequent bathroom visits. He pointed to an area on the CT scan and said that it was possible that there might be a twist in the intestines, but he would only know that if I were to undergo exploratory surgery. When he had originally looked at the CT scan in March, he didn't see anything wrong.

He offered to refer me to an ENT to determine if there was a gastrointestinal cause for this problem. I am scheduled to see him in two weeks.

A friend of mine formerly worked in a hospital and said she didn't think I should undergo the exploratory surgery because when she was still employed (she retired), she observed several patients develop severe infections post-surgery and a few died.

So I've decided that unless there is an extremely concerning reason (e.g., life-threatening) for the surgery, I will not undergo it. Just FYI, on some occasions, I have been able to stop the urges to go and the cramps by taking Xanax, which I am prescribed for anxiety. It stops the nausea and frequent bathroom visits about 75% of the time. I mentioned that to my surgeon.

Edited February 8, 20215 yr by Prestonandme

I'm so jealous of how often you guys defecate! ? I take a medication that causes severe constipation so I am lucky if I go twice a week. That's with the help of miralax too. I am still surprised with how small my bowel movements are though. Before my surgery, their length and diameter were much larger. I guess when you eat a lot less food, a lot less waste needs to come out.

For me, it's either nothing or all the time. I still fluctuate between going 3 times a day, very loose, or not going for 3 days (my weight curve looks so wonky because of this, lol)

If I have anything scheduled in the morning, I now wake up an hour early. That gives me time to have my cup of coffee then 30 minutes for morning bowel movement. It's clockwork since bypass surgery.

8 hours ago, JMJames92 said:

I guess it goes both ways with the bowel movement problems. Before surgery I was so constipated I would be doubled over in so much pain. I would take Miralax every day, and it would not work. Now after the surgery, I can not stop going. Weird how much the surgery has changed things. You did remind me by saying medication....I was on a lot more meds before the surgery, and that is what probably did it. Is there anyway you could maybe change the medication your on?

I'm so jealous of how often you guys defecate! ? I take a medication that causes severe constipation so I am lucky if I go twice a week. That's with the help of Miralax too. I am still surprised with how small my bowel movements are though. Before my surgery, their length and diameter were much larger. I guess when you eat a lot less food, a lot less waste needs to come out.

19 hours ago, GradyCat said:

I wonder if it is because you had surgery so long ago? I hope mine gets better. This is awful.

I just go the one time a day, regular, like mid-morning between Breakfast and lunch

16 hours ago, NewMe3 said:

This is me too. My bowel motions are now several times a day and quite loose (sorry if tmi ?) and kind of comes out of nowhere lol. I’m 9 weeks post op.

Mine have been that way now for almost the entire 6 months. It is awful. Not only is it loose, but it stinks something awful. Mine comes out of no where also. I hope it gets better for us.

11 hours ago, Prestonandme said:

YES. Several days a week, I will go to the bathroom five or more times. One day, eleven times. It's not diarrhea. Occasionally, this is accompanied by bad nausea throughout the day.

Last week I visited my surgeon to discuss this with him. He said this was rare -- he really didn't see instances of it in his practice -- but he reviewed a CT scan I had done in March, when I was experiencing nausea and the frequent bathroom visits. He pointed to an area on the CT scan and said that it was possible that there might be a twist in the intestines, but he would only know that if I were to undergo exploratory surgery. When he had originally looked at the CT scan in March, he didn't see anything wrong.

He offered to refer me to an ENT to determine if there was a gastrointestinal cause for this problem. I am scheduled to see him in two weeks.

A friend of mine formerly worked in a hospital and said she didn't think I should undergo the exploratory surgery because when she was still employed (she retired), she observed several patients develop severe infections post-surgery and a few died.

So I've decided that unless there is an extremely concerning reason (e.g., life-threatening) for the surgery, I will not undergo it. Just FYI, on some occasions, I have been able to stop the urges to go and the cramps by taking Xanax, which I am prescribed for anxiety. It stops the nausea and frequent bathroom visits about 75% of the time. I mentioned that to my surgeon.

I wouldn't go for the exploratory either unless it was an emergency. I have a script for Ativan, but rarely use it as I haven't had a lot of panic attacks after surgery. Your comment re the Xanax makes me wonder if I should try taking it for that reason alone.

22 minutes ago, HealthyLifeStyle said:

I guess it goes both ways with the bowel movement problems. Before surgery I was so constipated I would be doubled over in so much pain. I would take Miralax every day, and it would not work. Now after the surgery, I can not stop going. Weird how much the surgery has changed things. You did remind me by saying medication....I was on a lot more meds before the surgery, and that is what probably did it. Is there anyway you could maybe change the medication your on?

The medication is Suboxone and I take it as a medication assisted treatment because I am a recovering heroin addict. Technically I could go off of it but I never had any success with staying clean before I started taking Suboxone, now I have nearly 7 years clean. A little constipation is a low price to pay for that. It used to be a lot worse too, but I have since lowered my dose and it is more manageable. I used to go 2, sometimes 3, weeks between bowel movements. I am planning on lowering my dose a little more over the course of the next year or so. Maybe it will get even more manageable

1 minute ago, JMJames92 said:

The medication is Suboxone and I take it as a medication assisted treatment because I am a recovering heroin addict. Technically I could go off of it but I never had any success with staying clean before I started taking Suboxone, now I have nearly 7 years clean. A little constipation is a low price to pay for that. It used to be a lot worse too, but I have since lowered my dose and it is more manageable. I used to go 2, sometimes 3, weeks between bowel movements. I am planning on lowering my dose a little more over the course of the next year or so. Maybe it will get even more manageable

Well first of all congrats on the 7 yrs clean! I too am a recovering addict....coke and alcohol. I have been clean now for over 20 years.

Good luck with everything. Hopefully with the reduction of the meds it will help you.