Hi to all
Im 9 weeks since takedown- i have approx 10- 12 bms per day since 3 weeks ago. ( was much more before) and i had 3-4 days where I had 5 bms.
However ive had odd days where i have more than 25 bms ( always alot at night)
can someone give me advice on how to slow down bms particularly at night?
Is this Normal?
When will all this finally stabilise?
thanks
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I take Lomotil at bedtime to help ensure a good night's sleep. Imodium might work equally well for you. I try not to eat much after dinner. Some people find that a fatty snack, like a small portion of peanut butter, helps quiet things down. As Richard said, there have been many postings on this topic, so a search would yield many more suggestions.
I think your body needs much more time than 9 weeks to adapt to your pouch. I do not eat after 5 that way my body has time to digest and it is out of my body by the time I do to sleep. I also take immodium but that sort of depends on how your stool is. Just because you have a lot of bowel movements does not mean you need the immodium. If you consider it diarrhea then take a immodium if you are not already doing that. But the best think is time and eating your last meal early in the day. Hope you continue to do better.
I agree with all above - I've had the j pouch for 29 years. You are really early in the process. What you are going through is not unusual. You have to experiment a lot to see what works for you. Immodium stopped me up - but that doesn't mean it will do so to you. I think it took me a full year to feel like myself - I was 23 at the time. I went back to work pretty quickly and somehow did it - I think it was youth and stubborn determination. I didn't eat much during the day so I wouldn't poop at work. It was really hard. As the years went on, it got easier. I would say still at around 10 poops a day. But, it really depends what I eat and I've never found a magic formula. Healthy foods that I know I need go right through me. Combining healthy fats - such as olive oil and some amount of bread with the veggies seems to help them stay in a bit longer. Do not panic and give yourself time and keep asking your doctor for help. If doc does not help, find another one or a nutritionist. But again, really, you are so early on in this game - it really does take a lot of time for your body to adjust. Hang in there.
You know I think like what most people have said everyone is different. I have found that eating too much sugar can cause you too have a lot more bms so I do not over due it on a lot of sugar. I like everyone else do not eat after dinner at all. You know as soon as you put food or drink in your mouth and you start to chew everything starts to move through your body. So the less you eat the better off you are in the evening. I generally do not eat after 7 in the evening. I do not eat a lot of friend foods or fast food either. Alcohol tends to make me have more bms also so I do not partake in it often. Your body does have to adjust to this new j pouch and it might take months for that to happen. If I was you right now I would stick to more bland foods and stay away from spicy foods also. I do use imodium almost every night but generally I only have to take two at night. Once in awhile depending on what I ate I might have to take more during the day. You will get through this and be much healthier than you were before! Good luck to you and if you need anything please do not hesitate to ask.
Yep - sugar is not so good. I still eat some sweet stuff as I have a sweet tooth - just do it when I know I'm home so I have RR nearby. Alcohol - I can drink it, but it's extremely dehydrating. When I was young, I could still drink a couple glasses of wine or a couple vodka gimlets socially. Now, I stick to one drink - and really, I just don't drink much at all. My sister - who also has the pouch - also cut way back on drinking. We laugh about it - as in, "oh, to have a glass of wine at the end of the day to take the edge off" - knowing for us it's not a great idea. Doesn't mean you can't ever drink - just have to drink tons and tons of water or other liquids. Hang in there and thanks for the post above. I've found laughter at the absurdity of this stuff to be extremely therapeutic through the years. I never did think "why we" or anything - everybody's dealing with something. If they aren't, as they get old, they will. It's life. No guarantees for any of us. To whoever created this wonderful forum years ago - thank you. I can't believe I didn't get on it sooner. So helpful.
