Hi all! Has anyone had radiation before they had their takedown? I've been with my jpouch for about six months and have had nothing but issues. I have little cuts all around my anal area that won't heal doctors think it's due to having radiation to the pelvic and butt area for rectal cancer. Because there is no rhyme or reason to my bowel movements even with lomotil and questrain. So the cuts don't have a chance to heal bc there isn't a big time lapse between bowel movements. I want to know if anyone else is having this issue bc im so close to going back to the bag because I can not handle the pain everyday and the wacky bowel movements.
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I have never had radiation but had a problem very similar to yours for months. It was agonizing and the anal tears are most likely fissures. Warm bath soaks will help. Also prescription nifedipine or rectiv will help but note the rectiv will most likely cause an instantaneous headache. However, when I was as miserable as you are describing the rectiv worked best. Try not to strain when emptying your pouch and use fiber if stool is liquid and acidic to help. My GI prefers immodium over lomotil. Also, cipro will thicken the stool and slow down the movements.
Thank you jeane! I have an appt with my surgeon this week and will make a note to ask him about it. How long before you were 100% better?
Probably about a couple of months. Hang in three!
I'd suggest being very careful not to overshoot on thickening the stool.
I have had this problem for a while and am still going through it, but did not have radiation. I have two fissures and three hemorrhoids and one of the products I use is a prescription cream called protopic that has helped with my tears (fissures) a lot! Warm sitz baths also help so much.
Thank you CCanepa456! How often between your bowel movements? Does the cream burn when you put it on? How soon does your doctor say they are suppose to heal?How long with your Jpouch and did this start due to takedown? Sorry so many questions, but excited I have someone who can relate!Thank you so much for your feedback!
The cream does not burn at all. My doctors say that my fissures have been healing very well ever since I started using the cream. They would also say to take 3 sitz baths a day when it was really hurting. The cuts take a while to heal from what I understand because stool keeps passing through.
I had takedown at the end of March and all of my different problems started to happen in April I would say. I was going so much and straining every time I went for unknown reasons, so that is why the fissures showed up I think. I still have a lot of pain if I go more times than "normal", but my antibiotics I am on for pouchitis also help. I would definitely recommend the cream though.
I had takedown at the end of March and all of my different problems started to happen in April I would say. I was going so much and straining every time I went for unknown reasons, so that is why the fissures showed up I think. I still have a lot of pain if I go more times than "normal", but my antibiotics I am on for pouchitis also help. I would definitely recommend the cream though.
You can only put on the cream once a day, but my hemorrhoid creams and products help soothe my bottom as well. I use A&D ointment too because I am not a fan of calmoseptine. Also I never use toilet paper, only sensitive wipes.
Thank you! We've had our pouches the same amount of time! Why did you have to have one? How old are you? From your pic you look about my age.
Also what are your bm's like a day? Are you going sporadically or are you going the same amount everyday? Are you still having diarrhea, if so what do you take for it?
I had somewhat of an emergent surgery with three different steps because of my severe ulcerative colitis. I'm guessing you had colon cancer because of the radiation? I just turned 19! My bm's right now range between 10-12 and that is pretty good for me. I was going a lot more, but the antibiotic I am on right now is making the frequency less. I also take 2 to 3 imodium pills a day (2mg each) and most of the time it is still diarrhea so it is hard to keep hydrated. I also have metamucil wafers that I take sometimes.
You can private message me too on here if want to talk and compare more questions, etc.
You can private message me too on here if want to talk and compare more questions, etc.
How do I do that, the private message?
You go to the folder in the upper left that says "new" and then you can do a private message!
You can PM someone by clicking on their name and selecting "Invite <name> to a Private Topic." You can generally navigate to the PM area by clicking on the "Go" tab near the top left of the window and selecting "Personal Zone."
You can adjust your account settings to send you an email when you get a PM, or there will also be a flashing (but small) indicator when you log in.
We replied at the same time - ccanepa's method works fine, too.
You can adjust your account settings to send you an email when you get a PM, or there will also be a flashing (but small) indicator when you log in.
We replied at the same time - ccanepa's method works fine, too.
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