I am four mos post-Op#1 and two mos post-takedown and I have had urgency badly every day since 14 days after the colectomy. Note, this urgency started before I ever even began disgesting via the pouch. I have had an abscess drained and been on numerous courses of antibiotics. The only thing that mitigates this intense urgency is taking percocet, which is obviously not a long-term viable option. Has anyone had non-stop urgency, even when they are pretty much void of stool?

It would seem that if you might have pouchitis that the antibiotics would take care of it. Which antibiotics were you on? Maybe you need a longer course.

If percocet is helping then maybe you could ask your doctor about taking taking codeine by itself. Or another bowel slower.

Are you taking imodium or lomotil? How about metamucil (wafers) or other bulking product? How about the BRAT diet? That helps to bulk things up and slow things down as well.

And finally, even though it doesn't seem like, you're early in the process and it often takes a year or longer for things to even out. Try to measure advancements weekly or monthly rather than daily and you may see that you're actually improving.

Welcome to the site.

kathy

I would ask about testing for C. difficile infection, especially since you have been on numerous courses of antibiotics. While the fact that you are so early in the course of your adaptation could explain your troubles, I think more exploration is in order because you have such urgency, even when you have an empty pouch. I also agree that other bowel slowers are in order to replace the narcotic (I have been on Imodium continuously since my surgery, since I always had a high frequency).

Time for a frank talk with your surgeon that this outcome is not tolerable.

Jan

I had horrid urgency for quite some time - probably 6 months. I was at work and would run to the bathroom only to have it go away one I sat on the toilet. This would happen pretty nonstop until I figured out sitting on the edge of a hard surface in just the right position (I used the toilet seat)got the urgency going again and then I could empty my pouch. It was pretty miserable and I got very little work done when this happened. It finally went away. I was tested for c difficile a few times and it was negative. I do need to mention that I am on Cipro always for pouchitis, so maybe it was just that beginning. I don't know. I'm just glad it's over.