Hi All
It's been 8 days since my take down. I have a colonic jpouch (for rectal cancer) and I have issues with leakage when passing bowel gas - how do you control this? At the moment I have no choice but head for the toilet each time I feel the gas heading south, that means I can't move to far from home. I hope this settles down. I would welcome any advice.
Rels

I was having the same problem but for the past few days, while taking metamucil (with less water than it recommends), I can pass gas wherever I am! Worry free! Now I can get even with my boyfriend..
I have been taking it once in the morning after breakfast, once in the evening around 5 and one more time late at night before bed. My stools are much more firm, also

Sarah

Fiber should help. If it doesn't, try it again a little later. The gas will settle down over time. Things are a little upset in there still.

I've been lucky in this regard since my takedown 3 weeks ago, as I have not had any leakage at all. I do find, however, that lying flat on my back with my legs straight out in front of me is the easiest (and safest) way to "emit fluffies" as Kathy would say.

That's because females don't pass gas!

kathy

I think it took me about 3 weeks to learn how to fart again after takedown. Part of it was the extremely liquidy stools I was having. I'm not sure it is possible to pass gas with pure liquidy output even with a normal colon.

With a colonic pouch you probably have a better shot at being able to control your gas that those of us with the ileal j-pouch, because our stools tend to be much more loose without any colon to absorb more of the water.

It's been 12 years for me and I still will not pass gas without being on the toilet. I want to keep my clothes!

But, with a colonic j-pouch, I would suspect that within three months you should be doing OK, unless there was some nerve damage near your sphincters.

Jan

I was having the exact same problems after my take down. For a while it is the safest things to go to the bathroom everytime. Also, using panty-liners or small pads helped for those first few weeks. This will pass soon and you'll be tooting like a queen!

Hi all
Thank you for the info - I guess things are still a little fresh in there. I am still on a low fibre diet as per instructions from the hospital dietitian although I am taking just one dose of metamucil and a probiotic daily. I think I might increase the probiotic dose to try to cope with the excessive bowel gas. At the moment output does not seem to equal input despite the frequent trips to the bathroom for 'gas' plus I get quite distended towards the evening - i feel i need a real good clean out!
Rels

Mine did that too. It does quit. Hang in there.