Also see Adhesions and Intestinal Blockages
In blockage, the intestine/bowel does not allow food to pass. This may occur due to a twist in the bowel, an intussception, or the wrong type of food lodging in a spot that has a small passageway due to surgery or adhesions or pressure from a tumor. This is a serious condition often requiring a trip to the emergency room. The best strategy is to avoid the problem.
[edit] Prescription Approaches
GI blockages are about the worst pain I've experienced. Pain comes in waves, usually minutes apart. Eventually you vomit until you have dry heaves. The first couple blockages sent me to the ER. Now I just duplicate what they do at home. I take a Phenegren suppository so I won't throw up. Then I take a painkiller, oxycodone 5 mg. or an OxyContin 20 mg. I take two or three Ducolax. If the bowels haven't started working in a few hours, I'll give myself a Fleet enema or two. I lay around for 12-24 hours and take nothing but liquids for the next day or two, slowly reintroducing easily digested solids (banana, papaya, potato) in small qualtities.
[edit] Non-prescription Approaches
Lactulose is a nondigestible syrup that looks and tastes like corn syrup. Lactulose will draw water and blood ammonia into the bowels, loosening things up. Lactulose when you are flowing...will give you diarrhea...which can be a good thing at times.
Painkillers will cause your bowels block. Lactulose can be used to counter the constipating effects of opiates....
You can find many web sites talking about milk and molasses enemas on Google. Again please heed the cautions about enemas. IF lower blockage is the issue, M & M will purge it out...use milk (warmed to body temperature) a fifty fifty mix of milk and molasses....probably 2% milk...
Blockages are not uncommon for people who've had major GI surgery. I've had a few since my surgery. The GI tract shuts down, you vomit instead of poop, there's major pain, often in waves (bowels trying to have a movement but running into the obstruction. First couple of times it sent me to the ER.
I can now head them off. When the pain begins, I take an anti-nausea suppository, a couple of Ducolax and Oxycodone for the pain. The anti-nausea med is so the Ducolax and Oxycodone stay down, the Ducolax to get things moving, and the Oxycodone to kill the pain AND let the bowels relax. Oh, and after I've done this, I wait an hour or two and administer a Fleet enema. Sometimes two. This combination breaks the logjam.
Afterwards, I pretty much stick to liquids for a few days. Slim-fast shakes, soup, etc.
Now, the one complication with this is that painkillers tend to cause constipation, so it's good to get off them ASAP.
I try to stick to a high-fiber diet because this keeps the stool soft and easier to move. That said, everyone is different and some folks have all kinds of problems with lots of fiber. So, find out what works and stick to it, then slowly introduce other foods in small quantities. And be patient. It'll take a while to whip that body back in shape.
During the two years after my tumor debulking surgery, I was in much pain, as you have described. Sometimes the pain lasted for as long as 5 days. It felt like labor pains and after a few months it was accomanied by bouts of severe vomiting. After many tests, my onc finally ordered a "Small Bowel Follow Through". These images diagnosed intenstinal obstruction from surgical adhesions. Turned out all of the pain and vomiting was from repeated partial small bowel obstructions. Some folks are prome to adhesions, most are not. I am, and can tell you that it is a most unpleasant experience. After surgeries for lysis (removal) of adhesions (once during a 'complete' small bowel obstruction), I have learned how to try to control these episodes with diet.
This is what I have found helpful...I avoid raw uncooked fruits and vegetables, nuts, etc I try to only eat foods that are easily digested. I will not eat anything at all until I feel that an episode is completely resolved...sometimes even a tiny sip of water during an obstruction can cause my body to be racked by terrible pain. I use phenergan for the nausea, orally as a tablet if I can swallow it or as a suppository if I can't. Robinul (generic: glycopyrrolate) is an anti-spasmodic drug that for me stops the continual contraction of the intestines that causes the horrible pain. I get almost immediate pain relief with this drug - it just stops.