I am currently dealing with my second spell of pouchitis within a year. I went to the hospital yesterday as I was feeling very sore and washed out with lose bowl motions every 1.5 hours and cramping pain prior to the motions. I was also running a fever yesterday but that has subsided. Seeing as I was in a quite some discomfort, the emergency medical doctor gave me a course antiobiotics to take for the inflammation (Metronidazole).I am experiencing pronouned pain in the rectal cuff area. It especially hurts when I walk or get up from sitting down. I do not know if this is due to the actual pouchitis or a result of watery stool.

I also want to find out if intensive excercise causes pouchitis. This has happended to me on tow occassions now whenever I have started lifting weights. I am natrually very fit and eat healthily.

Me and my wife are expecting our first baby this year, and I do not want to be ill. I already feel quite emotional because I thought I would never be able to have children with my wife due to the emotional issues having a jpouch can create.

Any advice would be greatly welcome.

The antibiotic you were prescribed is standard treatment for pouchitis, and if it is effective for you, then you are done. In that case, you may want to ask your doctor for a standing order for a prescription the next time this comes on, so you do not have to wait for it to become something so bad that you are driven to the ER. If you are equipped to deal with it on your own, you are less likely to feel that it is a major problem, and more likely to view it as the occasional inconvenience it really is. If you are not seeing any improvement in 3-4 days, you need to follow up for a change of treatment.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that this is the suitable treatment for you. Cipro is the second most prescribed treatment.

Jan

I don't know about a link between pouchitis and exercise but I wouldn't be surprised if it can be triggered or worsened if you're overtraining. Exactly how intensive is your weight training programme?