Interesting. I've been on aloe carb diet for the last 4 weeks and I have such liquid stools that I have to go every hour and have very little control over when. I'm even taking codeine to help slow things down but that is not helping much. Any thoughts?

I meant to say low carb!

I figured that one out Janit, 

But you may with to try Aloe...they say that it is very good for you and when I go home for the summer I buy myself big bottles of Aloe juice (with pieces...They are yummy) and drink it and coconut water daily...I feel less lightheaded and my pouch is happy.

Your low carb diet is my go-to diet most of the time and I ate only that way for over 20 yrs.

Yes, your output is not thick (that is sort of the point) and makes it easy and quick to empty out your pouch but it also encourages frequency.

What you can try is to add probiotics and greek yoghurt to your diet as well as bananas, persimmons (if they are in season...great thickeners) and maybe some whole grain bread or rice on occasion.

I used to give myself 1 carb day a week (in my case I had Mondays off so I did it then...it allowed me to fill up on energy for the week and thicken myself 1 day/week)

You can also buy whey protein powder and add it to your yoghurts and smoothies to give you some extra thickness.

You may wish to have yourself checked for pouchitis...if your frequency is uncontrollable and you need opiates to slow you down then there may be something else going on in there.

Sharon

Thanks Sharon. I think the aloe may work. Today I'm taking it one food at a time. I just had some oatmeal and although I don't feel great it's holding. I really didn't have many issues until I started the Atkins diet and I am lactose intolerant...can't abide yogurt unfortunately and I tried probiotics once and they flew through me. I've had my pouch since 1983 and generally it's fine unless something gets triggered to make the output like water and then the valve just won't hold.

im so glad I found these sites because I really have no one to talk to about it who actually gets it lol!

peace

janit

Good to hear...oatmeal is great...I used to love it as a thickener.

Atkins was always my favorite diet...high protein, low carb...did great on it for years but some days I just crave more things and I give in more.

I am a bit housebound lately and that gives me too much time to eat so I graze throughout the day...which causes me all sorts of problems...like eating carbs...

Did you ever keep a food diary? I found that it helped. I discovered all sorts of foods and food combinations that worked or didn't...For example, I had grilled chicken, green beans and french fries...it was the french fries that killed me! (those darned French!)...as long as I don't mix the carbs with the proteins I am fine...as soon as I do my output gets thick and my digestion doesn't work...so I get clogs...

If I only have the fries I am ok but I cannot mix them together.

I've had my pouch since 79 so we are both oldtimers!

I feel 1000% less isolated since I found this site, firstly because I live in a country that doesn't do k pouches and doesn't know what to do with them when they break down...this site had helped me so very much.

Welcome to the club.

Sharon

Thanks Sharon! Now I can't go near green beans unless they are out of a can! And before I had the pouch I could eat as many mushrooms as I wanted to but now they make me so sick!

At least you can eat them out of a can! I gave up on all beans, peas & corn and mushrooms years ago...I do eat salads, well cooked green beans, steamed veggies (artichokes, asperegus tips (only the tips), broccoli...). 

I have more problems with white carbs (pasta, bread, starches...) than anything else....they turn to wallpaper paste in my pouch and make intubating a hell...I end up irrigating constantly until I clear it.

Prune and grape juice are your friends, some say green tea too but it doesn't have that effect on me...

Dried fruits and nuts need to be chewed like crazy (I take only one at a time, chew the life out of it, swallow and move on...)

My favorite meal (according to my family) is chicken & green beans with salad and an artichoke.

I followed the Fit for Life diet for about 20yrs...it was the best thing that I ever did for my pouch...it gave me a line to follow that worked for me...it actually taught me how to eat for my pouch (unintentionally)...and it worked...I had never felt so free.

Obviously I had to adapt some of the idea but the basic premise of separating food groups to improve digestion worked wonders.

If you are interested just PM me and I will explain it.

Sharon

Hi Sharon, 

I'm interested in how long did it take for your body to adjust with your J-pouch? It's been 1year & 2 months post surgery for me & im still adjusting plus seeing what foods affect me etc. I use prune juice daily to help me go easier where sometimes I'm constipated. Il have to check out fit for life diet. Did that help you? Another problem I had/have my rectem muscle tense up where I had to have Botox & now laying off the Botox to see how I go without. Also I'm getting a lot of cuts around the rectem as well, did you ever have that problem? Hope to hear your feedback soon. 

Roza 

Hi Roza,

First off, I have a k pouch and not a j pouch so nothing is left 'down there'...it was all removed. When I did have it (35+yrs ago) it was such a mess that I cannot remember it.

As for the diet...Well the first 10yrs were a disaster. I had no idea what I could or couldn't eat, no rules, no advice...just hit and miss...and many, many mistakes, tons of pouchitis, blockages and frustration.

Then, in my case, I discovered a method that worked...it happened to be Fit for Life but it could have been anything else...the separation of proteins and carbs, limiting dairy products, white flour, sugar and fats etc...it was mostly logical but I had not thought about it before....never put it together...so I followed it (I have been off the wagon for quite a while and I am hurting, gaining weight, bloated and uncomfortable)...did it seriously for 20 yrs and maintained optimum health for my body (no, it is not a cure for anything as far as I know, but a way of eating)...long before people were talking about eating 10 fruits and veggies/day I was doing it (often in juice, smoothie or soup form)...I had strength, energy and had pretty much gotten rid of the pouchitis (nothing hung around in my pouch very long so that may be why...little chance to fester and build up nasty bacteria).

It is worth a try, doesn't cost anything, is very health conscious and couldn't hurt...but, and here is a big but...be careful of overdoing the veggies, fibers etc...beware of your pouch running like water for a few days, do everything in moderation (including moderation)...and do not be afraid to stop if it is not going well.

You are just at the begining of your j pouch journey and need to write down what you eat, when and with what else (meds? Juice?) so that you know what works well for you...and it will change as your body adapts over time...so be patient and ask for advice from everyone.

And keep us posted on how it goes.

Sharon

I think twice about anything I have to "pick" out of my tube while intubating. I never eat corn as the clogging and picking and long night of multiple emptying are so annoying that to me they are not personally worth it. Never painful, just a pain in the neck! I like things that are low residue and break down in the stomach acid. I do like carbs for this reason, although they do increase output and make things thick so I drink copious amounts of grape/fruit juice with them. As long as I make sure my system is empty by bedtime, by flushing more juice and repeatedly emptying. I try to eat those "stuck" foods early in the day, so I can flush them out through out the rest of the day! Nuts, mushrooms, most raw veggies get stuck. The one rule I generally follow is no corn, no skins! (Especially potato skins!)

That is pretty much my routine although I do stray in the nuts and olive dept. For some reason ever since I got the K-pouch I can't eat mushrooms because they make me sick! When I just had the bag they would pass on thru no problem but now it's like an eruption of some sort, odd..