Wow indeed Elaine,
Thank you so much for posting this. I’ve actually had a horrible week with bowel problems following my Pfizer vaccination. I’ve been unsure whether the vaccine had anything to do with it or if it’s just my rotten bowels causing trouble (again!)
This may well be put into the box marked TMI, but I’m going to tell you all anyway!
(**Poo alert for anyone with a sensitive constitution ** stop reading now **)
Some of you already know that I had a colostomy 3 years ago due to my chronic constipation. I’d tried everything to resolve the constipation. Movicol (aka Laxido), Senna, Peristeen, micro enemas, and finally (for several years) digital rectal stimulation. Nothing worked, I had terrible haemerroids, a very nasty rash that was intractable and was in a really bad way because of it.
So the colostomy / stoma worked for me, although it hasn’t been all plain sailing, diverting poo from the regular route to a stoma isn’t without its own rather lovely challenges!! (I wrote a history and kind of diary of the process for the forum members; if you want to read my story, use the search box and look for the thread titled My Colostomy.)
But this week has been probably the worst time. I had the Pfizer Covid19 vaccine on Tuesday afternoon. By about 9pm my stoma pouch needed changing (stoma collection pouches are generally changed once or twice a day). It produced the most dense, compacted thick long sausage of old poo - about 6 to 8 inches long. This was followed by some softer poo with lumps in, and then a touch of diarrhoea and blood (bowel tissue bleeds very easily, so the blood’s not that unusual). In all, I’d spent about 2 hours in the bathroom waiting for the stoma to stop production before going to bed at about 12.30.
By around 2.30am I was awake, back in the bathroom and dealing with a repeat performance. The same dense old sausage of constipated poo that looked like it had been in hiding for weeks or even months. Another 2 hours getting cold, having a spasming back and generally hurting. I needed a pile of drugs when I managed to go back to bed at about 4.45. I then slept till 9.30. (Thanks medication!)
The following day, it seemed to be all over, until that night. A complete repeat of the Tuesday night, two separate incidences of dense old constipated matter, followed by diarrhoea and blood. Once again I spent over 3 hours in the loo dealing with the horrible stuff.
Then came Thursday. Super diarrhoea day. Through the day 5 separate incidences of awful diarrhoea, together with loads of blood. I must have spent about 6 hours in the bathroom just dealing with the horrible, (sometimes projectile) diarrhoea. Eventually it stopped and I actually managed to spend the night without having to spend hours in the bathroom. By Friday morning I thought it was all over. It was almost, but not entirely.
Yesterday late afternoon I spoke to my GP about my experience and asking whether it could have been related to the vaccine. ‘Unlikely’ was his thought. But possibly a stirring up of the immune system causing the bowel to try its hardest to empty out historic constipation. (As you thought Cracowian!) He did say that in the clinical trials, there were reports of diarrhoea/bowel related side effects. Although there were just as many similar events reported in the placebo group of the trial participants. So there are no expectations of diarrhoea being a recognised side effect.
Today, the diarrhoea is almost over, but it’s not quite not over either. I’m trying my best to ignore it for as long as possible because the various events of the week have caused some real trauma to the stoma. I want to give it as long as possible to heal. I know that when I change the stoma pouch there will be a considerable amount of poo/diarrhoea and blood. I just want to avoid too much traumatic damage to the stoma. Luckily the stoma and bowel do tend to heal up once left alone.
So, the end result is that the vaccine could just possibly have stirred things up. Personally I’m hoping it’s not permanent in my case, while simultaneously wishing it would be permanent for you Elaine. Regular bowel movements must be lovely. I’m almost envious (if that’s not utterly weird!!)
If there are any more people who’ve had similar experiences, please let us know - anonymously if you like. It’s not everyone who have found it as easy to discuss their bowel troubles in public. Believe me, it’s taken years and some dreadful experiences to be this open.
Sue