Rectal Mucus after Colostomy

[CubGuyMS]

I became paralyzed in 2008 and am T3-Incomplete. I elected to have a "diverting" colostomy (doc says its reversible) due to poor health at the time and the inability to adhere to a bowel program. I have never really had a problem with "buildup" before, but noticing now that I have a "putty" like substance in my rectal canal. When I was at the SCI center, I was advised that I would have to do a Digital Stim from time to time, but it was never really explained why and what the purpose was for. I am now learning after research that buildup of this "Putty"-like substance can contribute to neuropathic pain and other inflammations.

Can someone who has had this experience, or ahem, more experience with it give me some insight on the subject.

[arndog]

I can tell you all about it. I have had a diverting colostomy for 10 years following my trauma with a L1 burst caudal equina injury incomplete crutch walking paraplegia.
The putty like substance is mucous which the rectal stump mucosa makes normally. If your plumbing is connected, the mucous that this lining makes helps slide out the feces. But now there is no output going by this lining as it is diverted out through the ostomy. But the lining continues to make mucous. It can build up and cause local inflammation in the rectal stump. You are right - it can lead to increased neuropathic pain that can drive you crazy cause you can't feel or tell where it is coming from .

So what you have to do is give yourself an enema in the shower and get all that "putty" mucous out. I do this every 2 weeks. Sometimes I forget and will have neuropathic pain out of the blue and then remind myself that it could be "disuse proctitis" which is the clinical name for the inflammatory process that this mucous causes.

I have a one liter reservoir with tubing that I fill with tap water (luke warm) and run a .5 liter to a liter through the rectal stump and get that stuff out. I get a finger in there to make sure it is all out. It ain't a pretty job but what about SCI is??

I suffered greatly until I learned about this and no one in the medical profession warned me about it which sucks.

Disuse Proctitis causing neuropathic pain in Thoracic and Lumbar SCI in patients with a colostomy and a rectal stump. I should right a paper on this to bring attention to this important cause for unnecessary neuropathic pain....

Good luck....

[smashms]

arndog gave you a great explaniation but there is also an ostomy website that is great. it is uoaa.org they have lots of info about the different colostomies and urinary diversions and a message board on there. it is the united ostomy association's website.

[SCI-Nurse]

the bowels have normal mucous and opening is still there.
Enema is necessary. As suggested or tap water or 4 oz enema or more ( like fleets enema container might do- dpon't need the fleets med) and frequency depends on you.
Not sure why this would lead to neuropathic pain--- (I have to read that research) but definitely want to clean out for hygiene purposes.
Stay away from products that can cause more mucous and just clean out with water, no soap or anything usually needed.
Those that have alot of mucous after Bisacody suppositories ( I know called butt Snot) might also have this and that is why Enemeez enemas - that don't have any type of chemical stimulant don't have this. can be used instead of suppositories.
CWO