Air travel

Nope. I don't understand it. It makes no sense to me. You are flying in a pressurized cabin, aren't you?

Jan

I am just short of two years takedown and haven't taken any extra special precautions because of my j pouch. I recently flew from Brisbane, Australia, to Europe, over 20hrs all up and I didnt take any extra precautions to my husband.

If you are concerned about potential blockages my advice is be careful with foods you haven't tried yet at home.

Have a nice flight!

Laura

I do long international flights; no special precautions for me either.

Sue

Same here. If I'm having any frequency or urgency I might take Lomotil beforehand in case the seat belt light is on at the wrong time, and I sure as heck stay hydrated, but these are pretty basic things for many environments.

I've also taken long, long flights and have taken no precautions. How is your pouch doing? Do you have something going on that would lead to blockages?

I guess that clear liquids before and during the flight couldn't hurt. But if you have a well-behaved pouch and you want 'unclear' liquids - like a bloody mary, then by all means go for it. The only caution I would offer is that you avoid anything that is known to cause diarrhea for you.

kathy

Thank you for all the replies! I think the surgeon's concern was the difference in the pressure that is maintained in an aircraft and what we are exposed to on land. I did have a partial blockage right after takedown which lasted a good 4 or 5 days, so perhaps he was being over cautious. This one is a short flight so I can stay of food before and during the flight. But, I have some intercontinental travel coming up in a couple of weeks that I was more concerned about.

My pouch has been behaving pretty well. I am going 4-6 times a day and I take a lomotil with breakfast and one before going to bed. The consistency of the output is still failry watery, so I am at my wit's ends to figure out what causes me diarrhea?? So, far none of the foods that I have tried make me go to the bathroom with an urgency. But, spicy food sure makes the process of emptying the pouch a very unpleasant experience!!

Overly cautious indeed! The pressure changes are pretty minimal. It is like telling you to go on clear liquids for a drive into the mountains...

It is not like you are skydiving, and even then I don't believe it is an issue. There are a number of members here who have gone skydiving and scuba diving with no issues. In those cases there may actually be some pressure changes.

I have been on many 9-12 hour flights with no problems at all (And yes, I have had the occasional partial obstructions and even a complete obstruction a week or so post op. just not during a flight).

Jan

I have gone from Washington to Hyderabad India, Washington to Beijing, also multiple times across the pond to Europe.

J pouch is now 9 years old and I am 54

1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate (have water with you on the plane
2. go light on alcohol and caffeine and fizzy drinks
3. stick to foods that agree with you,nibble instead of eating big meals
4. baby wipes (indispensible for cleaning up). Airport and airline TP is like sandpaper
5. I go to the can whether I need to or not every 4 hours on the plane. I also go about 30 mins prior to getting on the plane, and 30 mins prior to anticipated beginning of landing procedure. I don't know why, but I seem to feel more bloated when I fly
6. I take a pepto bismol tablet every 12 hours when flying. You may need to figure out what works for you to decrease number of bowel movements.

7. You may want to talk to your GI or surgeon about some cipro or flagyl to have with you in case you get pouchitis while travelling

8. A change of clothes or at least several underwear changes in your carry on baggage.

Good luck.

Agree with the above. I double up on my Imodium when I travel.

I also NEVER travel for long distances or more than a few days without bringing a course of Flagyl along with me. This is not because I expect to get sick, but because it can be nearly impossible to get what you need when you are away from home, especially in a foreign country. So far, I have never had pouchitis while traveling.

As a matter of fact, I bring a mini pharmacy with me for any sort of contingency. When I traveled to Prague a few years back, I caught a bad cold and did not have any decongestants or antihistamines. The only thing I could get without seeing a doctor was herbs and menthol cough drops, and I had to get those from a pharmacist. I had bronchitis by the time I got home...

Jan

UC,
I've had my pouch for many years (k pouch) and tended to try to eat very light or go onto clear fluids before a very long flight (over 8hrs plus layovers) if I anticipated problems...it is only the bathroom logistics that worry me, the need to use them and have to stand in line for 20 mins only to find a disaster once in there...I wouldn't worry too much about over-eating on flights now, seeing that their portions have shrunk down to munchkin sized meals...But, you can special order a meal that works for your pouch, bring something (non-liquid) onto the plane and ask for as much water as you want while on it...they are really good that way these days...
Other than that, my only go-to precaution during air travel is gravol (motion sickness meds) because it makes me sleepy, slows down my gut and allows me a peaceful flight...
Sharon

Wow... these are all very useful tips. Thank you so much!! The flight today is a short one and I am away from home only for a couple of days. But in a couple of weeks I go on a much longer flight and trip. I'll try to get my surgeon or GI to write me a script for flagyl.

Hi UC warrior.
I have done several long distance flights eg Sydney /London on a few different times and the best thing I have found is to stay with foods that you know on the aircraft menu.Drink lots water and try and book an asile seat near the toilet. This is also an advantage if you have the misfortune to be seated next to Sweaty Betty or Typhoid Mary or whatever the case may be as I have done on a couple of occasions and have been able to move to another seat.
Hope you find this info usefull but if think you will be ok.
Regards from Australia.
John.

One other thought: I briefly considered using Ambien during a red-eye, so I could get some rest, but decided that it would unacceptably increase the risk of an accident while sleeping (since the sensations might not wake me). I compromised on Benadryl.

When I'm going out of the country I start chewing Pepto Bismal about a week before leaving and all during the trip. Not because I think that other places are less 'clean' than here but because I just want to make sure that I don't miss out on anything because I'm sick.

I also get a prescription for an antibiotic and take extra imodium. Yes, ALWAYS have those extra undies in your carry-on.

I used to have a fear of flying (after many, many years of no fear) so I started taking Xanax. I could be on a 14-hour flight and sleep through the whole thing. However, DAMN BRIAN wasn't all that pleased that he was traveling a lump of coma. When food was delivered he'd nudge me to wake me up. I don't think those 'nudges' were all that gentle. (It was okay because the Xanax prevented me from feeling the nudges.) And if I slumped forward in a drooling mass he'd push me back in my seat. I don't recall that being gentle either. Anyway, for whatever reason, I am again not fearing plane travel. But if you'd like to snooze from here to there, Xanax is excellent.

kathy

I don't understand some of the posts in this section - why is it necessary to sit close to a bathroom? Isn't it true that once you have the pouch, the urgency is gone?

It all depends on the person and their pouch...some pouches are rather well behaved (most really) and have no special needs on land or in the air...others can be moody, reactive to foods and drink or changes in lifestyle or diet...airplanes can be a source of stress for the person and the pouch...fear of urgency, need to get up and go...they can all add stress to air travel and therefore make the pouch more nervous...plus it is essential to stay hydrated (airplanes are notortious for dehydrating you) so you need to drink more water and that can stimulate the pouch.
That said, some people do just great and are exactly the same in the air as on the ground.
Sharon

One of my favorite changes after J-Pouch surgery was a switch from feeling like I needed an aisle seat to preferring a window seat. I don't choose to sit close to the bathroom.

I try not to eat or eat very little before a flight because my pouch seems to build up with a lot of gas with the change of air pressure.

Hi there. I travel extensively by air. Up to 40 flights or even more most years. generally these are only an hour or so but in the last 4 years I have done 4 trips to Europe return from my home in New Zealand. Guess what - no problems at all. I had a J Pouch in 2004 and the first few months maybe even a year were a bit strange. Now it is not an issue. Having said that I don't gorge myself on food anytime but especially flying long haul. I limit myself to one beer because beer in quantity is an issue for me but I drink wine and have no problem with food up to and including the flight. Maybe I am lucky as I have never had any blockage or any other pouch problems. Good luck,
Frank

Hello everyone,
I am new to this forum. I found you all by searching for J-Pouch forums. I am 2 days away from having my take-down surgery and I am anticipating this with trepidation.
I travel a lot for business and this business of travel with the j-pouch was a deep concern for me. Your comments have given me a great sense of relief. All my questions and concerns have been addressed. So thank you.
I realize it will not be a cake-walk at first, but at least I can look forward to someday posting for someone else that travel is way better with the j-pouch than it was with UC (that was an adventure, for sure).
I hope to get back on the forum soon to let you all know that take-down went well.
Nancy