I am wondering if anyone else has experienced these symptoms. Mine started back at the end of December and have changed little. I have a scope due next week but I'm looking for any information from others with any similar experience to carry in with me to my appointment. I have had pouchitis in the past so I know all about the 20 to 30 visits to the bathroom with little or no success but this is a bit different. It started with the main symptom of pain and tenderness around the rectal area to the point is was painful to sit. I was at work and couldn't wait to get home to sit in the tub. To try and pass anything required a lot of straining and the soreness down below felt as though I might damage something or push out something I shouldn't so I did not force it. I had a prescription of cortenema which I jumped on right away when I got home. Even inserting that felt painful (no burning) and trying to get a good flow for the enema was difficult as it felt like something was "plugging" the route. I really had to take my time... in the past for inflammation for pouchitis I was able to squirt the enema in with no restriction. I also started a course of cipro/flagyl which I had to stop 4 days in due to neuropathy, and since then I have been on Rifaximin, which I don't thing is doing very much.
I still have the same symptoms along with soreness in the lower back (especially at night in bed) and my legs ache from time to time. I think at times a bit of a fever as I get chills time to time. The GOOD thing is that I am not running to the washroom all the time. In fact my BMs are down to about 4 a day. I'm on the paleo diet for the last couple months. Been very religious in what goes in my pie hole... no grains, no sugar, no dairy, no caffeine, very low on the carbs. I'm not starving myself but I can tell the diet has brought my cravings way down in fact I have lost weight (I am definitely eating less at mealtime but feel nourished). I'm 6' and 3 months ago weighed around 203... today I'm 185 back to my marathon running days weight.
Although I'm thankful for less trips to the can, when I do have a need to go, it is very hard to get anything out. I give it time... sometimes I will sit for 15 minutes and strain too much but there still is that pain around the rectal/anus area. Some will pass... then a few minutes later a bit more... then if is works out okay finally what feels like the rest comes followed by some gas which generally tells me I'm done and I feel relief. In the night I am only getting up once and sometimes not at all. And I feel as though I'm eating enough that even in my healthy j pouch days, I would be going twice as much.
Also, no blood in stools... just when I feel full like I need to go, this soreness and a need to strain. I am thinking there has to be some inflammation somewhere downline. I thought perhaps I am suffering from cuffitis but after reading the symptoms, I'm not so sure. I am thinking today, I might start back on the cortenema to see if I get results. I have been off them for 2 weeks but I know the pain of going was much less severe when I was on them... but I can't live on them.
And one other thing, as I have my scope coming up, if there is a restriction down below, what can I expect from the examination? I'm feeling uncomfortable with the thoughts of the scope being done when things are not passing... can damage be done during this?
Thanks all,
Mark
