Mucous Discharge
Q: I'm experiencing a funny coloured discharge from my bottom since having my ostomy. Is this normal?
A: Most likely, yes.
This is probably the question we've been asked the most at Ostomyland over the years. It seems to be something the Surgeons, Doctors and Nurses never think to warn the ostomate of, and so lots of ostomates contact us in a panic thinking theres something wrong.
The rectum naturally produces a mucous to help grease the wheels - so to speak. If you have a temporary bowel ostomy, chances are you have been left your rectum and anus, and they will be left open. By that I mean, they are not stitched closed. And although the stoma is handling all your bowel movements now, the rectum does not know this, and so it continues to produce the mucous. And because there's no bowel movements being passed through the rectum, the mucous just continues to sit there, until enough has been produced to kid the rectum into thinking it's a stool and needs passing out.
Consistency:
The consistency of the mucous varies from person to person. For most people it is a thick paste like consistency, however it can be liquid-y too, like a very thin wallpaper paste.
Smell:
Boy, can it stink! This is due to the mucous sitting in the bowel and festering until enough has been produced to pass out into the toilet. If you pass it reqularly, such as weekly, the smell will be minimal, if noticeable at all. The general rule is, the longer it's been since your last mucous motion, the smellier it can be.
Colours of the discharged mucous
The colours of the mucous can vary from either light green-y/biege colour, to a medium brown colour which can sometimes fool people into thinking they have passed a proper stool! In the early weeks post-op, the mucous can appear a darker brown, this is due to it mixing with stale blood left behind in the rectum from the operation. If the colour should ever be jet black, or bright red, seek medical advice as soon as you can - ideally immediately. Bright red obviously means your rectum is bleeding (however, it could just be a slipped stitch from the rectal stump so it might be something minor, but still get it check out!), and likewise if it's jet black it means you've been bleeding quite a bit and it's only now been passed and the colour has gone black.
Frequency:
How often will you pass this mucous? It's impossible for me to say. It's all down to your personal body's rate of mucous production. For most people it happens once every month or two. However, some people who produce a liquid-y mucous find they pass it weekly. Or for people who produce a thicker mucous find they never pass it naturally and so end up having a rectal enema every year or so to clean out the rectum.
Should I worry about this?
My advice is always that if you are at all worried about absolutely anything to do with your stoma, or your bowels, contact your Stoma Nurse, or GP as soon as possible. This is for your own peace of mind though as for 99% of people the mucous discharge from the rectum is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about.
