4 days out from takedown

30 is a lot. But I remember the first few days being like that. It should start to come down. almost nothing you do is going to help the burn right now. I would hop in the shower on scalding hot right after going for the few days following surgery is still sometimes do it just to be sure to get all fecal matter or digestive juices off. Then pat dry and apply an ointment.

I am getting ready to have my takedown on April 4th. I have been reading a lot about this problem and have read that Savlon Antiseptic Cream is the best. It is produced in the UK so it takes a long time to get but I ordered some last week in preparation of my takedown. From what I have read, many people who haven't had the best of luck with Calmoseptine have said that the Savlon Cream is the way to go.

I hope that your system calms down very quickly and you show improvements every day and are able to get some relief.

Yes, it will get better but you must eat in order to start your recovery. I had very high frequency, 20+, the first few weeks. It gradually got better. I kept a food diary and measured transit times of food and stuck with those foods that were the slowest from mouth to exit. You must be patient and you must get a tube of calmosteptine. I also found that soaking in a bathtub was very soothing.

Sue

I suggest contacting your doctor to let him know what's going on. You'd likely benefit from something to slow your bowels; have you tried any antidiarrhoeals like Lomotil?

For butt burn I took one teaspoon of fiber daily, which absorbed enough of the bile acids to make life livable. I took Metamucil, though many prefer Benefiber.

Also, make sure to stay hydrated; pooping a lot can sap you of water and electrolytes real quick.

Good luck!

Try eating some thickening food it might help... Mashed potatoes, pretzels, stuff like that. Some people use fiber and Immodium or Lomotil, too, though I never needed them.

I HATE Calmoseptine. The menthol is just too much. My favorite of all time butt cream is plain old A&D ointment. I also like Bag Balm, too.

I am having the same exact problem!
I too had my surgery on the 20th and just got out of the hospital on Tuesday! What a coincidence!
I never know if my urgency every 30 minutes is gas or actually having to go and I am trying to stretch out the pouch by holding it in, but it is just too painful!
You are not alone!

Fear not! The butt burn should subside within a few weeks as your body gets used to your new digestive system. It's definitely not uncommon to have crazy urgency and spastic feelings early on too. 30 BMs a day is rather high though. Definitely try to eat soft mushy foods that arent stringy. I had my take down in May 2012 and there are still things that I will not eat. For instance a food like celery. I don't think any poucher in their right mind would consciously want to ingest celery as a snack. Maybe a few exceptions exist, but you get the idea. Your body does need some kind of soft fiber to thicken up your stools and move more slowly through your system. I really recommend Metamucil fiber wafers. They aren't too much but they contain psyllium husk which is derived from a plant and acts to absorb water and liquids in the gut. Just be sure to drink at least 8 ounces of water or some kind of light drink like Gatorade or juice with it.

The best thing to know is that the human body is incredibly resilient and flexible. In the way that you can teach yourself a new skill, in other words make new a neural connection in the brain, your digestive system can and will also adapt to a new function. The cells in your Jpouch and throughout most of your small intestines will learn over time how to absorb more water and salt to make up for the missing colon. It's truly amazing that our bodies evolved to be so flexible.

Good luck to all you new pouchers out there and be patient.

Thank you for all the advice! I am currently 8 days out from my takedown. I am using the bathroom 20 times per day (which is better than 30) but I'm having a problem at night. When I lay down it seems that there is an inevitable gas bubble that constantly moves up and down into the jpouch. I will go to the bathroom to get rid of it but in walking to the toilet the gas seems to no longer be there until I again lay down. I finally slept in an upright position in the rocking chair last night just to get some sleep and to avoid the gas. Any tips?

When you go to the bathroom to try to release gas, move around in different positions. Standing up, touching my toes, then sitting back down on the toilet is a guarantee for me to help pass gas, but it's different for everyone. You can try leaning forward, leaning back, twisting to either side, etc as well.