My internist is worried about the number of times I poop (average more than 12-15 per day) and wants me to see a different gastro-expert and possibly find a new medicine. I think I'm about normal for a j-pouch person but to verify this.....
Question: How many toilet trips/accidents do you have a day?
Question: What meds work best for you?
Replies sorted oldest to newest
A well-functioning J-pouch will average 4-6 poops per day, with zero accidents and no urgency. It does sound like you need a better-informed gastroenterologist.
Medications for J-pouchers who aren’t ill (e.g. with pouchitis or cuffitis) can include soluble fiber (like psyllium/Metamucil) and a bowel slower (like Imodium or Lomotil). People vary in how much/little of these serves them best. If you do have pouchitis, which sounds quite possible, a short course of Cipro or Flagyl often clears it right up. Have you had a pouchoscopy? A good gastroenterologist will want to take a look, perhaps yearly or perhaps less frequently, depending on your history.
Good luck!
I go to the bathroom 14-20X a day. 9 percent of Jpouchers have 14bms or up per day. We are rare but we are here. I have no interest in changing my lifestyle because I am just happy I can poop and everything is working fine.
I do not take anything for my Pouch 
Jpouches need to get checked every 1-3 years. I have confirmed that with about 5 doctors.
Foods: I eat oatmeal and Greek yogurt for probiotics and prebiotics
Can typically go 10+ times a day; evenings and nights seem worse, as I can go and then five minutes later have to go again, and this can repeat itself several times before I’m finally empty I guess! 😳
On average for myself I usually go about 5 to 8 times on a bad day and 3 to 5 on good days. Like @Scott F I also take Psyllium fiber capsules and Imodium(only when I need to) to slow things down. After my surgery I was going around 10 to 15 times a day but things got better over time. I have only had my JPouch for a year and 2 months. Never had accidents.
I'm about 10+. Let's put it this way... I never go to the bathroom without pooping! My GI says that I have had a "less than desirable" outcome to my surgery. I don't have chronic pouchitis or cuffitis. Just had my pouch-oscopy this month and everything looked great! Don't need to have another one for 3 years!
Totally agree with Scott, 4-6x a day for a well pouch, lucky if you go less. In my younger days I went about 2-4x a day with no meds, that was over 30yrs ago lol.
finding a gastro that specializes in the pouch is a big help, but hard to find. I would travel the country (which I did) if it meant finding the right help for my pouch.
