Hi! I have had my pouch for 18 years and have Crohns diagnosis as well. I struggle with daily inconsistencies. I'm always one BM away from a bad day. One minute, I'm fine and the BM is ok, still explosive diarrhea but no pain, no burning. Then the next time it burns like hell and I have to sit on a heat pad to help soothe my bottom. The pain is pulsing/throbbing. I use a lidocaine med and desitin too when this happens. Recently, I have been getting constipated too pretty badly which causes severe cramps. I always have to strain to go to the bathroom no matter what. Any suggestions on how to regulate my daily BM's a little better?? Is it diet related? Thanks everyone!
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Of course is diet related, how shouldn't it be?
I would keep a diary of the things you eat, you will notice some path in my opinion. Moreover a excluding diet could be useful, you start with:
- ripe bananas
- carrot/chicken soups
- zucchini
- potatoes
- olive oil and salt for seasoning and cooking
- white rice
- psyllium to clean
- just water to drink
and follow it for a week (you will notice improvements) then add all the other foods, one at a time.
I know is no easy (I don't follow any particular diet, but when I'm sick I notice that diet plus antibiotics make a great difference instead of only antibiotics).
Yes, most likely it's what you are eating. This happens with me sometimes too. Keep a food journal and write down what things set you off. That way you will see a pattern.
Well, it might be food sensitivity, or it might not. It's always worthwhile to identify (or exclude) foods as consistent triggers, but often no consistent triggers can be identified. You could try a thickener (psyllium or Citrucel, for example) to see if it makes things better or worse (or at least more consistent). What does your doctor say? Are you on any medications for Crohn's? Have you been scoped recently?
I take Humira and Imuran combo. I have a doc appt next week with a new dr. so we'll see. My old doc always told me that food/diet doesn't really matter anymore since I don't have a colon. So I've never done a food journal since my surgery. I eat pretty healthy by society standards though; salads, fruit, whole grains, dairy. I definitely dont "watch" what I eat though, so I'll still eat fried foods, corn, etc every now and then.
Salads are bad for the pouch, this is something my surgeon STRONGLY advise adversely.
Better steamed / well cooked vegetables.
Hmmm. I eat raw salad every day, and have done so since my pouch surgery in 1995. Never had a problem with them.
Jan 
hey, i would not say salads are bad for the pouch. I eat a salad atleast once a week or twice a week. While, a salad is considered roughage for like a newbie j-poucher. No literature or doctor on the planet will tell you "salads are bad for the pouch" because that isn't true. What works for some of us, eating wise, isn't the case for everyone with a pouch. Some can eat what others can't and visa versa.
Eating ANYTHING with a pouch is TRIAL and ERROR. But i would'nt go as far as making a blanket statement saying "salads are bad for the pouch".
I Just wanted to chime in toward the poster who posted about salad's being bad. Chocolate is bad for diabetes but it doesnt mean you CAN'T eat a piece of chocolate because you are diabetic, its just that their are consequences with glucose and haemoglobin a1c.
just my $.02 and im a poucher for 14 years!
ty,
len
everyones food suggestions should just be suggestions because what works for some doesn't work for others . I am like 10 months out and I'm still having difficulty and figuring out foods. I don't eat a lot of salads because it doesn't break down well enough for me because of a very narrow " exit" . Lots of people day things like " well I didn't baby mine and just ate what I wanted right out of the hospital" well that didn't work for me unfortunately and I'm sure some things I eat you all eat just fine. The suggestions about keeping a log is a great idea. You will eventually find consistencies. Good luck!