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Ok I am helping y'all can help me out here. This whole "pouchitis" thing has got my head spinning. I am having a few issues lately, and I'm not sure if it's pouchitis or not? I know ultimately I need to see a doctor to find out for sure, but I was hoping to get input from the experts here. Smiler I've read some of the tell-tale signs of pouchitis; fever, headache, cramping, major increase in frequency,change in appetite, etc. I don't really have much of that going on, but I do have a few things out of the ordinary, and if it is pouchitis, I don't want to let it linger unattended to. Here's my rundown-

-Slight increase in frequency (so instead of my 3x a day, somedays it can be 5-6)
-Some minor twinges/cramps in mt stomach, but nothing that is keeping me down, and doesn't seem to be related to when I eat?
-Just felt a little off/run down a few days over the wknd
-Finally (and most concerning), I've had a few accidents at night lately. Ugh. I'm not talking major blowouts, if I plan ahead and wear a maxi pad to bed they are contained. But I am about 9 months post take-down and have only ever had an accident once before, and that was after some heavy sedation. Frowner
-Like I said, no fever, no chills, good appetite still, and today I generally feel well??

I had a CT scan on the 25th of November (surveillance scans due to cancer dx), and the pouch was slightly inflamed, but I did not have any symptoms then. My doctor did not seem concerned then and did not suggest any medication. I've been on my period lately, but didn't think that gem could cause this much havoc? Also, my husband and the little boy I take care of during the week just had the stomach flu last week. Could this have anything to do with that?

Sorry for the ramble- just don't know what gives! Thanks in advance for all your help.

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What you describe sounds like pouchitis to me, more likely than a virus caught from your family. You could try waiting to see if it clears up on its own (probably a virus), or discuss the pouchitis possibility with your doctor. The antibiotics for pouchitis tend to work remarkably quickly (generally within a day or two), though they don't all work for all of us.
Scott F
But wait! Yes, your period can cause major havoc with your pouch, just like it could with your colon. Since your symptoms are mild, I would wait until a few days after your period and reassess. Take extra Imodium during this time. It could be that you had some minor pouchitis and your period sort of sent you over the edge. But, don't read too much into that CT result, because ALL pouches always have level of minor inflammation. It comes from the ileum being used as a reservoir and exposed to fecal stasis.

Jan Smiler
Jan Dollar

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