I had a j-pouch construction on February 4th, 2007 and am still having a lot of output. My body doesn't seem to be processing any food so even though I'm eating normal, I feel weak and lethargic all the time, and I'm loosing weight like crazy. I'm already on Immodium and Lomotil and while they are helping slow down enough to prevent dehydration, things are still moving really quick. I was also on Questran for a while, but it didn't seem to help. Has anyone else experienced this? What helped?

I'm assuming you now have a loop ileostomy and if so, that's the nature of the beast (and calling it a beast is putting it mildly). Even though you may think you're not dehydrated, your symptoms sound like dehydration. You might want to try an electrolyte replacement drink to help. The one that I use for everything (dehydration, keeping the flu at bay, stress management, hang nails) is Hydralyte. It might help with your lethargy. Once you have takedown, you should perk right up pretty quickly.

kathy

When I had the loop the only thing that could slow me down at all was tincture of opium. This and massive doses of narcotics are all I could do to get through the time with the loop. Hang in there though, it’s worth it in the end .

My husband had surgery on Jan. 30, and has been experiencing the same problems. The only thing we've found that slows down the output is a peeled fresh apple - works much better than Imodium (he's careful to chew it really well). Another suggestion is to limit the amount of fluids you drink with meals - this allows food to stay in your system a little longer. Are you getting periodic blood work - he's having some problems with his potassium levels because of the output.

Welcome to the site!
You are just getting used to the operation. Eat low residue/low fiber food. Be very careful with fresh fruit & veggies. They can cause obstructions. Chew everything very well or put it in a blender. Oatmeal always moves thru me nicely. Also, try Benefiber to thicken things. See if things slow down if you don't have any caffine or carbination. Most important stay hydrated, try Gatorade's new drink taht is low in sugar, G2. You might want to try Pepto-Bismol if you think you have pouchitis.
Try looking thru this:
http://www.j-pouch.org/diet.html

You will get great advise from this site! I wish I had it when I had my operation 14 years ago. Remember, you are not alone.

I had my surgery on January 14th and I am still playing with keeping the output thicker and less frequent. Some things that seem to help me is taking 2 Imodium with each meal, bananas, rice, and snacking in between meals with pretzels. Then again there are more times when it just comes racing out all liquid within 1/2 hour of eating. I also drink ensure to maintain weight and a little gator-ade once in awhile.

I'm just biding my time and praying for takedown soon!