Hiya Guys!
Im dita and as you may guess im new to this scene. I have recently had my ileo anal pouch connected but seem to have cuffitis. I had this before my op but no-one seems to know anything about it bar my surgeon. Its back again and although the gave me metronidazole it seems to be hanging around. Granted, it has eased but not gone totally and im not sure what im dealing with and where to go next.

The symptons I have are: feeling like I need to go to the loo a lot, pain when sitting, pain when walking, and basically im unable to get comfy without the aid of a nice warm bath. Feels like im banging head off brick wall at the moment and honestly started to wonder if I should have maybe kept my bag.

Any help would be great

Thanx
Dita

Welcome Dita, have you been scoped to make sure that it's cuffitis and not pouchitis. One is inflammation of the cuff, the other of the pouch, and they are treated differently. Usually suppositories are given for cuffitis and antibiotics for pouchitis. I would call your doctor and let him know how you're feeling. Sometimes it just takes the right medicine to help things along.

janna

Hiya Janna

Thanks for the reply. The meds they have given me are antio biotics in suppository form and they are vile. Does it make any difference that I have a W shape pouch? I was always told that the shape didnt matter as they held the same capcity but not sure with regards to cuffitis?
I work at my hosp and asked me gastro, who is fab, and he didnt seem to know what it was nor did my GP so that leaves jut my surgeon.
Any idea what the other treatments are as the antio biotics are really strong and dont seem to clear it fully.
Thanks for your help!!

Dita

Cuffitis is just proctitis of the retained rectal cuff. I think your GI can understand that. He probably just has not heard the term before. The treatment is usually mesalamine suppositories (Canasa 1000mg daily) or hydrocortisone suppositories. I stayed on the mesalamine suppositories for about a month, then switched to an oral 5-ASA, Azulfidine, which keeps me in remission. Antibiotics really are not prescribed for cuffitis, as far as I know. If you have pouchitis, that is different.

Jan

Thanks guys! Its so good to be able to talk to people who know about this !!I had a scope when I first stating feeling this a few month ago and it showed red angry patches in the remaining part of the rectum. My main worry is tha if this continues I will lose my pouch. My UC was very angry and active so my minds gone into overdrive regarding this... you those early hours of the morning are dangerous times to be thinking.

I am going to phone my GI nurse 2mro and ask about some of those meds as the antio biotics dont really seem to be doing anything except making me feel grotty.

I had proctitis after my first op hence having the second part faster than expected and it feels just like that.

Is there anything I can do to help myself in this battle? With the UC I controlled my diet which helped so was wondering if there is anything like that?

Least can say one thing.. lifes never dull!

Thanks

Dita