So I had my take down surgery a week ago and I'm struggling. I go about 10-15 times a day. The mornings are great! I get up, shower, eat, relax, and then around 2 is when I start having really active bowls. I go about every hour to two hours. Its not much.. But I always have this sudden urge that I can tell is gas but I have to hold really tight or else I leak. I can't just relax cause gas is constantly pushing. Is this normal? What can I do to lessen the gas? Also, I use cream for BB, but it still is pretty rough. Any suggestions for that?
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You are very new with your jpouch. It takes a long time for it to all work out. My mornings are my worst. And my doctor told me it would be. Are you on any medicines? I take Levisin for spasms and it works great. I would love to know what medicines you are taking to see if there is anything else you can do. As far as the butt cream. I use Target brand up & up with 40% zinc oxide. It works great and you can find it in the baby isle. It comes in a tube. I also use dubicaine. I order it from drugstore.com I use both zinc oxide and dubicaine together. A little of each. That is all I use and it works great for me. Dubicaine is a numbing agent. I buy like 5 or 6 at a time so I can get free shipping. This should really help you out. Lots of people on here swear by Calmoseptine Skin Ointment from Walgreens. It burns my butt even worse. I hated it. I am sorry but don't waste your money. These other two are easy and cheap and do the trick. I had my take down March 16, 2012. I still have issues and it can take up to two years for it to all work out. My heart breaks for you. I know exactly how you feel. Eat slow and eat only what is right for your stomach. Rice, oatmeal etc. Did you see the diet on this site? Please keep us posted. Good Luck. It will pass. I have more good days then bad days. But I also realize I can no longer eat anything sugar. It is so hard for me to give that up. I also do eat a lot of chicken. My life saver. Hang in there friend.
Hi Breann, congratulations on the surgery! What you describe is totally normal. The surgery is a massive change for your body, and it takes time for it to heal and get used to it (as well as the years you presumably had bowel disease). Whilst it might seem frustrating just now, hang on in there - it's definitely going to make things so much better in the long term. I'll let other people answer the gas question - I'm not one of the ones who can release gas seperately to going to the toilet, but I know many do. Good luck with your recovery.
Lay on your stomach to seperate gas gas
Sounds normal. I'm actually surprised you have such great mornings mine always get disturbed between 5am and 8am where I might have to go to the bathroom a couple times then its tough getting back to sleep so that's great for you. Your bathroom trips will definitely lessen as time goes on plus when you start to adjust your diet. As for your butt burn Calmoseptine is the best thing going and now you can it in Walgreens or if you don't have one near you you can always order it through your pharmacy. The reason I like it is because they use menthol so it keeps your mind focused on the menthol cooling feeling instead of sensation of feeling like you have to go to the bathroom all the time. Ask anything you want someone will have answers for you. Glad your without a diseased colon anymore. Good luck.
It all sounds normal to me.
I was the person that hated Calmoseptine for butt burn. I used Proshield Plus. It is clear, less thick and easier to clean up. It needs to be ordered online - I go thru Amazon. I still use it occasionally and I'm almost 10 years out. But really, nothing helped at first. I started jumping in the shower after every bathroom trip. It was the only thing that helped. That made me decide to get a bidet. It was all uphill from there.
Be patient. Begin getting out when you feel comfortable doing it. That takes your mind off things.This takes time, but is so worth it for most of us.
I was the person that hated Calmoseptine for butt burn. I used Proshield Plus. It is clear, less thick and easier to clean up. It needs to be ordered online - I go thru Amazon. I still use it occasionally and I'm almost 10 years out. But really, nothing helped at first. I started jumping in the shower after every bathroom trip. It was the only thing that helped. That made me decide to get a bidet. It was all uphill from there.
Be patient. Begin getting out when you feel comfortable doing it. That takes your mind off things.This takes time, but is so worth it for most of us.
Calmoseptine didn't exist when I had my takedown. Good ole A&D ointment was my favorite.
I never liked Calmoseptine, either. The word "cooling" doesn't quite capture the sensation I experienced. Many folks swear by it, though. Plain zinc oxide really worked fine, but I liked Ferguson Formula a bit more. I haven't needed any of them in years.
Breann,
Do you take Immodium (loperamide)? If not maybe this would lessen your urgency and trips? I take loperamide 3 times per day. Also, my surgeon recommended NO 'holding it" for the first two weeks. After that, he suggested that I get into the bathroom and before sitting, to stand and 'hold it' for one minute, and over time to increase this 'holding time'. This will help build your 'endurance'. There can be significant pain associated with gas, and holding it; this will lessen over time, but be prepared that this can take a long time. My takedown was in 2006, and I still have pain and urgency at times, but I can hold it prtty well. Also for me I have to stick to a strict schedule of what I eat and drink, and when; then I can better plan when I will need to use the restroom. Beano,beano,beano is a great product to lessen gas; I eat beano with nearly everything.
Take care, and best of luck,
Mark
Do you take Immodium (loperamide)? If not maybe this would lessen your urgency and trips? I take loperamide 3 times per day. Also, my surgeon recommended NO 'holding it" for the first two weeks. After that, he suggested that I get into the bathroom and before sitting, to stand and 'hold it' for one minute, and over time to increase this 'holding time'. This will help build your 'endurance'. There can be significant pain associated with gas, and holding it; this will lessen over time, but be prepared that this can take a long time. My takedown was in 2006, and I still have pain and urgency at times, but I can hold it prtty well. Also for me I have to stick to a strict schedule of what I eat and drink, and when; then I can better plan when I will need to use the restroom. Beano,beano,beano is a great product to lessen gas; I eat beano with nearly everything.
Take care, and best of luck,
Mark
Perfectly normal (but knowingly uncomfortable) Breann. Unfortunately it may be like this for a bit - but it will get better.
So try antacids for butt burn. It has recently been shown that antacids (like Tums, Tagamet, Xantac) or PPIs (like Prilosec) can alleviate pouch inflammation and I suspect would help while you are healing up. Also, topicals like everyone is suggesting would be good too.
It took me literally months for things to settle down. Not something to look forward too, but you can do it!
Steve
So try antacids for butt burn. It has recently been shown that antacids (like Tums, Tagamet, Xantac) or PPIs (like Prilosec) can alleviate pouch inflammation and I suspect would help while you are healing up. Also, topicals like everyone is suggesting would be good too.
It took me literally months for things to settle down. Not something to look forward too, but you can do it!
Steve
Breann, i am curious how are your nights?
Brean,
I am almost four weeks post op and had your same issues until a few days ago. They started getting better after week three.
The mornings are better and the afternoons gradually continue to get better. My problem is still at night, gas and leakage.
Happy to compare notes
I am almost four weeks post op and had your same issues until a few days ago. They started getting better after week three.
The mornings are better and the afternoons gradually continue to get better. My problem is still at night, gas and leakage.
Happy to compare notes
It doesn't make sense to me either, but your body does adjust to the new plumbing. It takes a long time. I am 9 months since takedown and while I still have bad days, they are nothing like before!
I had less butt burn the thicker my output. Imodium works good for daily use and when I have really watery BMs Pepto Bismol works great.
I do not eat anything green especially lettuce. HUGE gas maker, also try to stay away from carbonated drinks (my bane).
I have found that if I don't eat in the mornings and push lunch out until around 1-2pm. I can keep from using the bathroom until I get home from work. Pretty crazy!!!!
I had less butt burn the thicker my output. Imodium works good for daily use and when I have really watery BMs Pepto Bismol works great.
I do not eat anything green especially lettuce. HUGE gas maker, also try to stay away from carbonated drinks (my bane).
I have found that if I don't eat in the mornings and push lunch out until around 1-2pm. I can keep from using the bathroom until I get home from work. Pretty crazy!!!!
Hi Breann.
John from Australia.
As you are only a week after having your Ileostomy closed it may take a while for things to settle down, so don,t lose heart.
Try and keep afood diary of everything you eat at this stage and I mean everything so you can work out what goes through so to speak.
I am a bit carefull with what I eat even after having a pouch for over 30+ years but I find it is a very small price to pay for not having U/C like I did.
Just make sure you drink plenty of water so you don,t get dehydrated at this stage,I
drink about 2 litres a day and so far so good.
As regards passing gas sometimes I can standing up if I am carefull but I think if I could stand on my head it would be a lot easier,only somebody with a pouch could understand this.
Somw foods may also cause BB too so this also may be worth checking out.
I have found that in the early days of my pouch that if you find something to take your mind of your pouch the better it seems to work.
I was able to manage as I was one of the first pouch ops done in Australia,had no one at all to talk to butI did ok as I had a couple of very good Stoma nurses look after me.
I think you will do ok as I think you are going better that I did at that stage.
Hope you find this info usefull.
Best Regards from Australia.
John.
John from Australia.
As you are only a week after having your Ileostomy closed it may take a while for things to settle down, so don,t lose heart.
Try and keep afood diary of everything you eat at this stage and I mean everything so you can work out what goes through so to speak.
I am a bit carefull with what I eat even after having a pouch for over 30+ years but I find it is a very small price to pay for not having U/C like I did.
Just make sure you drink plenty of water so you don,t get dehydrated at this stage,I
drink about 2 litres a day and so far so good.
As regards passing gas sometimes I can standing up if I am carefull but I think if I could stand on my head it would be a lot easier,only somebody with a pouch could understand this.
Somw foods may also cause BB too so this also may be worth checking out.
I have found that in the early days of my pouch that if you find something to take your mind of your pouch the better it seems to work.
I was able to manage as I was one of the first pouch ops done in Australia,had no one at all to talk to butI did ok as I had a couple of very good Stoma nurses look after me.
I think you will do ok as I think you are going better that I did at that stage.
Hope you find this info usefull.
Best Regards from Australia.
John.