Hey all,,I'm a chronic pouchitis J-poucher. I recently got pouchitis and took 1 cipro pill yesterday and Im back to normal,..normally I do a 10 day cycle and it works great. After the 10 days, it always takes 3 weeks (21 days) to leave my blood. I'm a racquetball player and I have a pro stop tournament to attend March 11th,.Cipro always makes me perform lousy by making my legs weak and throws off my reaction time. (makes me see the ball blurry) Here is my question,...does anyone have success taking Cipro for just 2-5 days instead of 10 days? I know with sinus infections if the full cycle of antibiotics is not taken,..chances are the infection comes back. Id really like to make this tournament without Cipro in my blood. Any advice is appreciated,thanks Drew

It might just come back soon then expected. I eventually got to the point where cipro didn't work anymore. I think I did a round robin of 3 different antibiotics. 2 weeks of each one. My pouchitis never went away if I wasn't on them. Good luck.

thanks cataja for the advice,..yea I'll have to stay on cipro for 10 days,..im not gonna risk it comin back,...so you tried that many antibioics? I never have a problem puting pouchitis into remssion,..3 xifaxan a day,2 shots of Cortifoam and probiotics help keep it away,..but if it gets bad,..a cycle of cipro does the trick...the first 2 years of having a jpouch I never had pouchitis,..I made the biggest mistake of my life from eating raw fish sushi a couple of times a week,..my Drs assistant told me it was ok and I didnt research it enough ,..gave me chronic pouchitis for life,..i cant go even hours without cortifoam or xfaxan

Drew,
So we can't each sushi? I am learning so much on this site. So how does the raw fish effect pouchitis and are you saying now that I eat sushi (just started a couple years ago that is why I have been having more complications with my pouchitis. Can you tell me more...sorry to go off the your subject.

Sushi is not a guarantee of pouchitis, but it increases your risk, since the risk of a parasitic or bacterial/viral infection is greater with raw fish (so also true with seared tuna). Some sushi restaurants are more reliable in regard to the quality of the fish they serve than others. However, if you get a parasite from sushi, it should be treated and you should be OK. But, sometimes it can become a chronic condition.

That said, the risk is probably pretty small, plus also not likely to cause pouchitis. More likely, is to get a bacterial/viral food poisoning from undercooked meat, such as in a rare hamburger.

http://infectiousdiseases.about.com/od/g/a/Sushi.htm

I know I got a terrible case of pouchitis following a bout of food poisoning and it was not even raw food, but cooked shrimp.

Jan

I went 2 years after surgery with no pouchitis,..I started eating sushi at sushi bars and a few weeks later I got Pouchitis,.ya know its funny Jan cause my Dr says it wasnt the sushi,.but his assistant says it was,.my pouchitis slowed down when i stopped the sushi,..i was getting it every 2 months,..I know get it about every 8 months,..but its permanent..if i stop the meds,..i flare. Alysia,..from my experience..sushi isnt worth the risk.

Yeah, I think that if you have chronic pouchitis that you are struggling to keep in remission, it does not make sense to take any unnecessary risks. Raw meats are just too easy to be contaminated. We don't need that sort of food, so why mess with it? I keep thinking of Jeremy Piven who ate so much sushi he wound up with mercury poisoning! Moderation...

Jan

right,and now I need hundreds of dollars every week in medication to stay in remission,..glad to have insurance,..but the worst part of it is this,..i am a big worry wart,..I was using rowasa enimas for a year to stay in remission,..i became immune to them,..so my dr. gave me Cortifoam (2 shots inserted daily) it works great,..but I stress that I will become immune to that too,..what else is there? will i lose my J if this happens? oh geez,..i sweat,gulp and swallow thinking about it,and the stress makes me worse. hopefully someone or Dr. can help me mentally.

I think it is pretty natural to obsess and worry when you have been plagued with complications that are difficult to manage. However, as you already expressed, the added stress of this worry is indeed counterproductive. You can try relaxation techniques (like meditation) to help you release that tension. Plus, keeping yourself busy and distracted can go a long way to maintaining a healthy mental outlook. It is more difficult to focus on yourself when you are engaged in other activities. The main thing to remember is the fact that you have a regimen that works for you. You do not necessarily need professional help with this, but it is out there if you find you cannot overcome your anxieties on your own.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/heal...on-technique/SR00007

Yes, there are other treatments for you to explore if needed in the future, so do not assume that all is lost if you need to change your routine.

Jan

Thank you Drew and Jan for your replies. I have had chronic pouchitis for years now, way before I started eating sushi so I think I am okay to eat it in moderation. The place I go is always very crowed so I know the fish is fresh.

Drew I am a worry wart too and stress easily and that is not good for our pouchitis. I do step classes and kick boxing and that always makes me feel good. I also agree with Jan, the busier I am keeps my mind off my stomach issues. I bartend part time and sometimes I am so busy I don't have time to go to the bathroom and it amazes me how I get through the day. Try not to worry too much and hang in there....Alysia

ok thanks Jan and alysia,.its a stress relief to know there are other treatments,..im gonna get with my Dr and find out what they are,.im sure it will calm my worrys.

Here is a good link with lots of options listed, and it is even pretty old:

http://usagiedu.com/articles/pouch/pouch.pdf

There is also this comprehensive article from the Cleveland Clinic that covers all diseases of the j-pouch. It is a little newer:

http://usagiedu.com/articles/pouch06/pouch06.pdf

Jan

Drew,
I am one that takes 500 mg of Cipro for two days and my pouchitis goes away. I do continue afterwards however, with my daily Pepto Bismol consumption which is my maintenance drug. If I take Cipro any longer it causes ill effects so two tabs for two days does the trick. I mentioned this to the dr and he just says it's ok if it works but the norm is a two week course. I have eaten sushi many times and I had no ill effects but I do not eat it anymore "just in case." Just seems it could be a risk if it was not handled correctly. I eat either the California sushi (no raw fish) or the sushi with cooked fish. The eel is really good!!

Ahhh,..now thats what i wanted to know thanks Donna,..so the next time I get pouchitis,..Im gonna take cipro for 2 days.
I also see that many people on this site are only taking antibiotics when the pouchitis hits,..I never had much luck without throwing 2 Rowasa enimas and probiotics in the daily mix.

Donna,
Just wondering when and how much Pepto Bismol you take daily? does it help slow things down?
Thanks
David