As some of you know, i'm currently experiencing symptoms, but i'm not on any anti-biotics currently...

Only Immodium and VSL#3...

So i'm wondering, do some of you have pouchitis cure itself WITHOUT anti-biotics?

Does it sometimes go away WITHOUT anti-biotics?

I'd like to know your experiences in the past...

thanks,

Based on my understanding, pouchitis CANNOT be treated by VSL#3 along.

VSL#3 can do a good job at PREVENTING pouchitis, but antibiotics is really the only way for it to go away. Many times a 2 weeks supply of antibiotics does not fully kill all of the bad bacteria, even though the symptoms might disapear. If there is still some bad bacteria left, it can colonize and start pouchitis all over again. Sometimes a longer dose is needed or a gradual decline in dosage works. Such as 1000mg for 2 weeks, 750mg 1 week, 500mg for 1 week, 250mg 1 week and then zero. It is really trial and error.

good luck

My surgeon's claiming anecdotal evidence indicating VSL#3 can be used to successfully treat active pouchitis although he hasn't done a double blind trial on it yet. That's at odds with current thinking I know so it will be interesting to see the outcome. If you're feeling better with the immodium/VSL#3 combination then by all means stick to it. However, if you've just got some aversion to use of antibiotics and that's behind the question then I'd probably take the more well trodden route of bringing yourself into remission with the antibiotics.