Hi,

I don't post much but read a lot on this site that has been helpful. I had my takedown surgery last week and ended up back in the ER yesterday due to severe cramping and nausea. I'm back on a clear liquid diet and I think I was just really dehydrated. But what should I eat after clear liquids, I think food might be part of the cramping problem. All I was eating was jello, apple sauce some english muffins and rice. I just tried to eat some dry cereal and the cramping was back. I don't know what to do. I know everyone is different but this is scary. I'm still have a lot BM a lot during the night, butt burn and incontinence and I'm just plain hungry. I saw my surgeon yesterday and he didn't mention any immodium or metamucil just the clear liquid diet to try and subside the cramping. So after all this rambling I guess I have two questions: what can I eat to start slow after clear liquids and should I be on some sort of "thickener" to help the number of BMs and continence?

Hi! I live very close to you! Who did your takedown? My surgeon, Daniel Ng, gave me a diet to follow after takedown and it worked for me. I'd be glad to share everything if you PM me!

You live so close to me. Forgive me but I'm so new to this posting thing and maybe kind of lame but I don't know how to PM you. Can you explain, because I would love to communicate and get that diet. My surgeon is Dr. Shbeeb at Long Beach Memorial.

Hi, Allison!

We must be online at the same time! I don't know your surgeon. I had my surgery at Hoag in Newport Beach and I had Step I in 2001 by Dr. George Moro and Step II at Hoag in 2002 by Dr. Daniel Ng. Both were excellent surgeons. I'm sure you had a wonderful surgeon, as well. Patience is the key. Things do improve immensely! Please feel free to call me or e-mail me. We can meet, if you'd like. I have had a wonderfully funhctioning J-pouch since its inception....2003.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: CeCe,

Allison,

If you ate just Jello, apple sauce, English muffins, and rice, your electrolytes would rapidly get out of balance (mainly low potassium -- you need 4.7 GRAMS daily!). Low potassium can cause cramping, but if this is the first time you have tried solid food after takedown, you could be having severe cramps in your pouch just from the fact that ANY solid food is entering it (especially if these cramps come and go every 10-15 minutes a while after eating solid food). This particular type of pouch cramping will get less intense on its own as you eat more solid foods.

I'd recommend chicken-rice soup, cream of potato soup, bananas, and, if tolerated, plain yogurt and orange juice. These are all very high in potassium, and should gently thicken things up. It may not be possible to have anything but frequent loose stools if all you eat is clear liquids, even with medications. You could try a little Metamucil later, after you are tolerating the soups and bananas.