Ever try Bentyl to relax things a bit?

i was not prescribed that. dr shen prescribed belladonna and opium suppositories but so far i have not seen the script.

Tom,

You didn't leave the CC with an RX?

Sue

i was prescribed when i returned home and they have yet to get the script to me. i got the lactulose one but still no b and o. i have an email into them yet again. i was also told good luck finding it when i do get it...

If it's a stricture issue wouldn't Shen have found it?

well dr dietz did a digital exam while i was there and said he felt a very mild stricture but dr shen never addressed it. it is actually something that i mention this time in my email to them today.

Seems funny that they wouldn't rule out for certain the simple thing first before diagnosing you with something more complex.

If it was a mild stricture, the digital exam itself could have easily remedied it. Plus, a mild stricture may or may not pose problems. It all depends on how small the opening is.

Still, worth following up on.

Jan

jan, i was just reading one of your replies to another post about a bumpy feeling at the connection sight perhaps meaning cuffitis. i was diagnosed at treated for cuffitis last year and all my symptoms are completely gone. could i still have it? because i feel bumps upon digital exam...

Sure, just like UC, inflammation comes and goes, and also comes in degrees. You can have chronic inflammation without significant symptoms (bleeding, diarrhea, etc.). But, it could be inflamed enough to irritate your sphincters. You may be one of those who need maintenance treatment. Have you discussed this with your doctor. Seems easier than doing other extraordinary things.

Jan

well i always felt the bumpiness but after seeing shen a few months back he did not say a thing about cuffitis, just the paradoxical sphincter contractions and levator ani syndrome. could i be mistaken on what im feeling? it definitely doesnt feel smooth...

No two people reading this will have the same exact mental model of how to diagnose cuffitis by touch. If I were lucky enough to be examined by Shen and had no obvious cuffitis symptoms, I'd start by assuming he was probably correct, and try his recommended course. If it failed I might go back and ask him why I was feeling bumpiness.

The suture line could be bumpy, particularly if you have staples. The cuff would be between the suture line and the anal canal. I certainly would trust what Dr. Shen tells you, as he definitely is the expert on all things j-pouch. You could easily be mistaking one thing for another, as I am sure that your finger has not been up as many butts as Dr. Shen's (or any GI for that matter).

Pelvic floor dysfunction is no picnic, and topical cuffitis treatment would not likely help in any substantial way.

Jan

thanks guys. damn pelvic floor issue. jeepers...