Hysterectomy and bowel problems:are they connected?

:-( I had a partial hysterectomy about four years ago and within a year i had to go back and have the other half removed along with my appendix and uterus. I've had a colonoscopy about 3-4 months after that and they found nothing in my colon. I have been having so much pain with my stomach and bowels. now I am experiencing occasional bleeding from the vagina area when i make a bowel movement. I almost always have the bleeding in the rectal area but the vagina area is scaring me. I haven't gone to the doctor yet. i have done alot of research about this stuff and it seems that everyone is going through the same thing. We really need answers and no one seems to be giving them.

M.Thomas

I had a total laproscopic hysterectomy about two months ago. I have been experiencing problems with bowel movements - I suffer more from constipation, irregular bowel movement and a dulling of the sensation that my bowel is full. I am allso looking for advice on how to deal with this and if it will improve with time.

I had a hysterectomy in 2004 and a year later began having left sided pelvic pain. The pain is now on both sides and I suffer from constipation. The pain has been so severe at times I have had to be transported by ambulance to the hospital where they checked for kidney stones and appendicitis.
I have had CT scans and a colonoscopy with no explanation for my pain. I now take pain killers, muscle relaxants, anti anxiety and anti depressant medications. I used to have a flat stomach and now I have a pooch. At times it bloats to where I look 6 or 7 months pregnant.
Scar tissue? Believe it or not one doctor actually told me that since I am older I now have a lower tolerance to pain!

The most recent post here seems to be from just a few months ago, so that is why I am going to try to post here now.

I had a full hyserectomy just six months ago. They told me that they had to scrape tissue off of my something...I can't remember now. But, I assure you it was quite painful a recovery process for me. And then the bloating ....shoooot, I was in pain!

I have been having what all of you have described: severe bloating, pain on my left, and sometimes right sides. Sometimes sharp, sometimes not. But, the bloating was killin me!


This is what I have learned to help myself, and to whom ever may read this I hope you find this too!

Drink water! Eat more vegies than normal, green vegies. Cut back on red meat. You may need to change the way u eat.


What took away the pain for me is "Colon Cleanse" ! You can purchase it at most any natural food store, or organic food stores. My husband and I purchased ours here > yerbaprima.com
The firt week is the most difficult/painful. The bloating actually got worse; which of course tempted me to stop swallowing the tablets. But, I pushed myself to endure and go on with the regiment. And now I feel so much better!

I am not a spokes person or anything like that; I am just offering my experience. The cure isn't pretty I agree; but, the relief is well worth it for me!

Much better than a buriem milkshake!

~Peace to all who read this; and good luck!~

I had a complete lap hysterectomy last year. Since I have Had chronic constipation,bloating,abdominal pain,and nausea despite fruits and veggies, and Im a runner and run almost everyday. After a colonoscopy and barium enema,transient studies, i was tild by my a colon-rectal surgeon that sometimes after a hysterectomy the sigmoid colon can buldge down where the uterus was and cause constipation,bloating abdominal pain,etc. Im a nurse and have never heard this.
I have had 2 c-sections,2 explore laps to drain blood filled ovarian cysts and a lap hyst. I was told each time I have alot of scar tissue connecting with other organs and that some people develop more scar tissue than others.
WHY WON T U SURGEONS ADMIT THIS AND DO LYSIS OF ADHESIONS?????IS IT BECAUSE YOU DONT MAKE AS MUCH MONEY JUST DOING THIS AND ITS A WASTE OF YOUR TIME WHILE WE ARE SUFFERING FROM SEVERE PAIN AND MISERY, TAKING PAIN MEDS ,ETC.

PLEASE CONSIDER THIS FOR SOMEONE THAT THERES NO OTHER ANSWER TO THESE SYMPTOMS!!!!

thank you!!!!

I couldnt believe when I read the reviews. This is me! In November 2010 I had a full hysterectomy. Since then I have had nothing but problems.

I was re - referred to the hospital and they feel that I may have formed lesions around the operated area.


Following a mri scan, it came to light that there was mild signs of diverticular disease. I am now under a gaestro specialist who has tried to do a endoscopy, which was no good as I apparently have a sharp bend in my bowel. So the next day I had a barium enema and am currently awaiting the results.

My symptoms are abdominal pain around pelvis & stomach. Mainly left handside, but sometiimes on the right. Bowel movements have changed, I feel bloated, I am continously tired and exhausted. I can get pains shooting down my leg through sneezing or even coughing. I can wake up in terrible pain early hours in the morning and have to get up as its unbearable to lie in bed.

When this is sorted I then may have to go back in for a laproscopy to remove the lesions. I am only 39 and cant believe all these complications.

It would be good to hear back of anyone. At least I dont feel I am on my own.

omg reading this at 134am whlst waiting for doctor to call me back i had a abdominal hysterectomy in september and have suffered with bloating and sevre abdominal pain ever since, my bowels never feel empty and to be totally descriptive it feels like they are going to fall out !!!! im 39 and newly married why are we not warned about this before the operration so many women on here are suffering the same symptoms this cannot be a coincedence .

All of these stories sound like my situation. I had my hysterectomy on 11/1/2010. Took the uterous and left the ovaries and fallopean tubes. I thought something was wrong in the recovery room. The amountof pain I was in was unbelievable. After three hours of not being able to controll my pain level they finally put me on a morphin drip. This was surprising to me, I pride myself in my pain threshhold, it is very high. Within the next month I had a uti and a cyst on my right ovary burst, a blood clot in my right calf, that broke of and went to both my lungs, the uti spread to my kidneys and my heart valves. To top it off, I am still having vaginal pains, almost like a pressure and also with my bowel. I don't know how much more I can take. My energy level is at zero. My doctors keep looking at me like I'm making this up. I just want to know what causes this to happen. Is it something with my bladder, or my bowell or should I be getting everythng taken out? Can anyone relate?

My hysterectomy was in 2004. I had previous bowel problems, but they have escalated since that time. Immediately after the hystorectomy, I spent a week in the hospital with diverticulitis. The problems have continued for years.

The pain became so severe this fall, that I've had three CAT scans and three trips to the emergency room. I had a colonoscopy scheduled for the week before Christmas this year (2010), but they couldn't complete it because of blockage. I then had a barium enema.

I go in next week to have an 8.5 inch section of my colon removed. My doctors all say the two are not related, but I cannot deny my own experience or those experiences posted here.

Look, if you take out an organ (uterus) that leaves a void in the area. The colon goes into the area to fill the void. It only makes sense.

If I had the time, I would produce a study to show the connection. It's not my field and I don't have time....

Does anyone know someone who could?

hi all,had abdominal hysterectomy on 23rd march 2011.i know its early days but im also having probs going to loo.i think my bowel has forgotten what to do.labour pains are a breeze compared to this.pain is all inside my tum and im sure i can feel my dinner making its journey round my bowel.taking lactulose at the moment but even that cramps my stomach.this poo problem is worse than actual op.docs never said that i would have this.maybe they forgot to mention?hope it settles in time.could be my bowel is adjusting to its new home.heres hoping anyway .

Holy Cow, I could not believe my eyes when I read the last two posts!!! I had a Hysterectomy on Christmas eve 2009 (massive endometriosis removed, along with my left ovary - using the robotic assisted surgery). Three days later the bowel issues began. My pain is so bad I can't stand it and contemplate going to the ER every time (haven't done that yet). It is now April 3rd 2011 and I have been living with this pain since. I am on my 3rd G.I. doctor in the last 12 months. The last guy told me to eat oat bran every day and it will all go away. Can you believe that??? I also had 2 colonoscopies last year, a barium enema, and recently a stitz marker x-ray, barium xray of the small intestine and a CT scan. 2 weeks ago, I had so much stool backed up in me that is was backing up into my small intestine. Now mind you, I work out 4 times a week and eat very healthy with 30 grams of fiber a day and plenty of water. I am now on a low fiber low residue diet and take miralax twice a day and a dulcolax at night. And no change. GEEZE! What the heck is going on here!!!!!!! I swear my colon is bent and causing blockage, and crazy as it sounds, I can feel stool and gas pass through the blocked area. Here is the strange part....it rears up and gets really bad every three weeks, like a menstrual cycle. It even happens when the other girls at work are menstruating. What could the connection be here? I met with a surgeon last Thursday and had a CT scan Friday. I don't know the results yet, but at least things are moving in a positive direction. And if one more doctor tells me I just have IBS or Diverticulitis, I am going to scream!!!!!!! How do you tell your doctor you know what is going on inside?

GIRLS YOU NEED TO BE GOING TO COLON/RECTAL Doctors. Got my full Hysto on 9/28/11 (Endometreosis, cysts etc). 6 months ago. Ever since I have been having problems with my bowels. Mainly bloating and then not being able to push the BM out. I have to push on my vaginal area to get it out and man does it hurt like hell. Like the lady that said labor pains YES and I've almost gone to ER three times now b/c it pushes on the nerves lin lower back where i have cyst and nerve damage. Been told by rectal Dr. that Gastro testing won't show anything and neither will scans of abdomen. They have to do testing where the put a paste up you and you poop it out under X-ray (defography)and partial colonoscopy. He says muscles and nerves get damaged and rectum can prolapse into vagina or form pockets where it stays until pushed out. I was using Enema's and nothing would come out...talk about scary. I've lost 25 pounds. Anyway, getting a 2nd opinion and researching b/c I had no idea this could happen either, was never warned even though it now seems to be quite normal.
I have NO FAITH in Doctors anymore, they are mostly just greedy money making jerks who have no compassion for people in pain. It amazes me. In fact, I don't put it past they Gyno to do this purposely so his good buddy the Rectal Dr. gets a surgery out of the deal too. Makes me so SICK. If anyone has been fixed please post. They are talking about doing surgery to tighten my rectal muscles and I already have Fibromyalgia. UGH!

Whoa, it's nice to know I'm not alone.  I had 12" of my sigmoid colon removed 6 years ago for a cancerous tumor.  Then Oct. '09 I had a vaginal total hysterectomy.  Since then I have had pellet stools, no pain but I don't seem to ever completely evacuate and sometimes have to manually push on my anal area to get the stool out.  Brought this up with my GI doc & he says it's constipation and maybe adhesions from prior surgeries (appy, gallbladder, etc.).  Put me on Fibercon & Senecot & lots of water.  Helped 1 day but now nothing.  Wonder if I should just forget the laxatives and deal with it like I have for the last 18 months.  Will have another colonoscopy next month, maybe i will find something else out.

I seen this site just miuntes ago and read everyones words...... I hate it that you are having to go through these issues, but at the same time I am happy to hear that I am not the only one.  I agree that since there seems to be so many of us ( more surely) that the doctors do know what the issue is and for whatever immoral reason.... they are not taking us seriously.  I had my hyster 15 years ago at the age of 35.....a total/vag.  I have had various problems from bladder issues, bowel issues to ovarian remnants with cyst (two times)........ thank you Mayo Clinic.  I have had so many tests during this time frame that it is unreal, only to be told that I may have scar tissue or lesions or whatever else they can come up with.  I wonder if doctors are not just lazy these days.  Believe me its not because I dont have great insurance.  I think that perhaps if I were young and a movie star or famous singer I could maybe get some doctor to care.  The one thing that I must say about my personal experience with this issue is that the more wieght I gain .... the worse it gets.  Since the hyster I have went from 127 to 181.  I dont know if this would have happened had I not gotten the hyster or not, so I can not blame it...none the less, if I stay around that 160 mark I dont hurt near as bad and BMs are much better  I know there is something in there that is pitched, blocked or being rubbed the wrong way that causes these problems for me. Exercise can help..... water type and slow walks.....if I keep it up continually every day.   One thing that is different...... my pain is all on my right side and it feels hot as well and I have never shown blood.  My parents both had colon cancer at a young age so I have had around 15 colon test, I wake up once they get to the hook area.........and no one ever puts it in the report.  I have actually screamed at the doctor and put my hand behind me to make him stop ..... and still its not reported.  I mean...REALLY!  If anyone has any news or learned anything...let me know.  I am happy to give out my e-mail for more personal talks.

Good luck to all of you,

Tookie