Sounds like a fissure. Yes, call your doctor. You can do sitz baths to try to relieve it, but you may have to suspend the cuffitis treatment until this calms down. You can try oral mesalamine in the meantime, but if you have a fissure, every time you insert something, it will tear it open again.

Jan

What do they do for a fissure? It does feel like I tore something. Its hard to explain what it feels like but its a shooting pain when I wipe and go to the bathroom, from my rectum, about a couple of inches up my back.

Sitz baths, fiber supplements, and topical ointments, such as nifedipine and lidocaine.

If it is persistent for months, then they look at Botox injections or sphincterotomy.

Call your doc before you do any more suppositories.

Jan

Jan, I'm wondering if the fiber supplements (as a fissure treatment) are mostly for people with colons, to help soften the stool. The would be a non-issue for most of us. OTOH maybe thicker is better than liquid, which would apply to us, too.

Yes, the fiber is to "soak up" the acid liquid and make the stools more comfortable.

Jan

Thanks! When they say that UC is a "pain in the ass" they weren't kidding!

You might also look into buying a bidet retro fit for your toilet. Lots of options on the market, from under $50 to over $1,000 with lots of bells and whistles. May be more of a preventative measure, but an easy way to reduce irritation.

This is a surprise because if you have a jpouch the rectum is removed, right??????? Thank you LJK

HI Jan, I am right, right? The rectum is removed for the jpouch at least that is what I was told would happen. If not I am in alot of trouble they told me years ago the the disease was located in the lg intestine as well as the rectum. Well if she left my rectum I am going to have to go back to my ostomy, gosh I just finished this surgery, are you kidding me! Now I am worried!!!!! please respond pretty please!!!!!

People often use the words "rectum" and "anus" in not entirely accurate ways. In a stapled J-pouch procedure a centimeter or two of rectal cuff is generally left as an attachment point, and it can sometimes develop UC findings ("cuffitis"), but usually doesn't. I think Akk was using the word rectum just to mean the very end of the internal "stuff."

Yes the rectum is removed, for the most part. In most cases there is a 1-2 cm rim of rectal tissue remaining to attach the pouch to, and generally it causes less problems than trying to completely remove all rectal tissue. But, I should mention that a few people do NOT have their rectums removed, but if you retain your rectum, you do not need a j-pouch. Sometimes too much rectum is left behind and that is a big problem for many.

Also, the ileal pouch is referred to as a "neo-rectum," that is a "new" rectum to replace the removed one. It acts in the same capacity, just not as well because it does not have the muscles to aid in emptying. So, it really is mostly just semantics and nothing to get worked up over.

Jan

Yes, like mentioned above, the words rectum for example, just fly out of our mouths...even though it is removed.

Thanks so much for the replies, the reason for asking is when I had my first surgery 8 years ago the surgeon said that the crohns/colitis qas in my lg intestine plus my rectum. I am still adjusting to the jpouch and my mind races that my crohns is back, so scary! I am still having BAD butt burn, incontinence,and I have this feeling that someone has kicked me in the stomach, also because my buttum is so raw I sometimes have blood in my stool which really worries me but again its not all the time! I made an appt to see a gastrointestinal MD but its not until 12-26. I went to my medical MD and they did blood work and said that a little inflammation that could indicate a flare up gosh I hope not. But its been 3 months and still having all of this going on I am hoping I am just still healing from everything,after all the surgery I did develop an illeus and had to have a ng tube placed which I hated, its so painful! Well I just continue to pray that evrything is OK. If you feel I should get to MD sooner please let me know? thanks to all