I am five weeks post takedown surgery now and am still experiencing a lot of pain. It often feels like gas pain, as the pouch expands, but also feels comparable to the cramping that I used to experience when my UC would flare. Have a lot of you experienced this, and if so when did it go away? I'm also still going between 12-16 times per day. Some times it's very loose, and other times it almost has form it's so hard. Is that bad? I've tried some Imodium, but it doesn't seem to decrease how many times I go, and can make it much more difficult to go when I do. Any suggestions? Finally, what would be a perfect menu for someone post takedown? I've tried to vary things and have started a food diary, but what specifically have people found has helped a lot, other than lots of mashed potatoes and pasta? Meat, veggies, fruit? Thanks for all the input people give to this forum, it has been a life saver many times.

I'm not much help re: the cramps, etc, since I never really had any. However, chewable gas-x helped me with gas those first few weeks. I think Beano is good, but I didn't try it because I thought the chewable would work better for me.

There are dietary guidelines on a link at the top of the page. Rice and pasta are good for me. The funny one is these tortilla chips that are made locally at the grocery store really firm things up for me, surprisingly, even when eaten with mild salsa. I don't know if national brands would do it for me since if I buy the chips, I always buy the locally made ones and pair it with Pace mild picante sauce. That wouldn't work for most people though!

My doc also provides guidelines for after the surgery but they're similar to the link at the top of the page. Good luck!!

I've been trying to use the dietary guidelines, but things seem to go to extremes. I'll eat foods to thicken, and then need to eat foods to thin because it gets too thick. I ate a half a banana and felt like Mt. Rushmore had somehow jumped into my pouch. Everything I eat feels like it has extreme effects on my output. I've read a bunch of the discussions and am glad that things are going fairly well compared to some, but the discomfort gets old, and I'm looking for some hope that it will eventually go away.

I was told about Pepto Bismol. It has antibacterial properties, and helps with diareah. I take a dose every morning, and it helps thicken a little. Everybody is different. Find the foods that help you. Most people cant eat lettuce for a while becuase of loose stools. It slows my system down. So i eat a salad a day. Experament, and you will find a painfree place before long. I had my takedown 4 months ago, and the cramps are going away. dont rush things.