Hi all my husband had his takedown surgery last aug. His diarrhea is better than it was before surgery but he's still going 7-10x a day and he complains of awful burning in his rectum. To quote him "it feels like someone put a spark plug in his butt and it's constantly firing". Has anyone has this problem? He's had 3 rounds of antibotics and taken a dr. prescribed supplement. He's going to have a scope done in two weeks b/c the dr. wants to check why this burning persist. Thanks for any info you can give.
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If he has a j-pouch, then he doesn't have a rectum; the burning would be in his anal canal and/or around his anus.
But yes, this is normal. It's called "butt burn". Every body is built differently, so some get it more than others. It is usually easier to prevent than it is to treat. Typically the more frequently you go, the worse the butt burn. I get the same sensations on days when I go more frequently. Here are a few things to try if he hasn't already:
1) Diet experimentation - Keep a food journal to record everything you eat, and record when the frequency and butt burn are better or worse so you can figure out what foods trigger or worsen the situation. Adjust your diet accordingly. BRAT foods should help calm things down: banana, rice, applesauce, toast (or bread). Chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, and sugar all make it worse.
2) Try not to "push" or bear down when you go. I discovered that if I'm pushing too hard, I get that awful burning sensation inside my anal canal, which is difficult to reach for treatment with creams and such. I found if I keep the pushing to an absolute minimum, this helps greatly.
3) Water cleansing - Use either a bidet (people who own them swear by them) or a small squeeze bottle to rinse your bum with water after every time you go to the bathroom. Aside from the water being soothing, it's the stool/feces that causes the irritation, so if you don't clean the area completely, it will continue irritating. It also reduces the need for wiping with TP, which irritates the area further. Baby wipes also work much better and are easier on the bum than regular TP. (Great for going "on the go" - I keep a ziplock of wipes in my purse at all times.)
4) Creams & Ointments - Calmoseptine is the most common for butt burn (see link at top of screen), but there are many others out there. Some are specifically designed for adults with butt burn (B-Sure Bottom Balm), but I have heard that regular diaper cream works as well. I use A&D Ointment and/or Aquaphor. I also keep a chapstick-sized tube of Aquaphor in my purse at all times.
5) If things are really bad, and you are in an emergency pain/burn/itch situation and just need some immediate relief... Hop in the shower and take a finger-swipe of Noxema (face cleansing cream that comes in a blue tub), smear it down there right in between the butt cheeks, and leave it there for a few minutes (or for the rest of your shower). It might sting a tiny bit at first if you have any raw areas, but after a minute you will feel an intense cooling/soothing sensation, and it will also clean the area really well. Rinse off before you get out.
Let us know which of these he's doing already, and which ones seem to help. Hopefully the skin around his anus will start to adjust and become accustomed to the higher frequency, and it will be less of a problem... I think in most people that happens within the first few months, but maybe his body is just taking longer to adapt. Good luck, and keep us posted.
But yes, this is normal. It's called "butt burn". Every body is built differently, so some get it more than others. It is usually easier to prevent than it is to treat. Typically the more frequently you go, the worse the butt burn. I get the same sensations on days when I go more frequently. Here are a few things to try if he hasn't already:
1) Diet experimentation - Keep a food journal to record everything you eat, and record when the frequency and butt burn are better or worse so you can figure out what foods trigger or worsen the situation. Adjust your diet accordingly. BRAT foods should help calm things down: banana, rice, applesauce, toast (or bread). Chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, and sugar all make it worse.
2) Try not to "push" or bear down when you go. I discovered that if I'm pushing too hard, I get that awful burning sensation inside my anal canal, which is difficult to reach for treatment with creams and such. I found if I keep the pushing to an absolute minimum, this helps greatly.
3) Water cleansing - Use either a bidet (people who own them swear by them) or a small squeeze bottle to rinse your bum with water after every time you go to the bathroom. Aside from the water being soothing, it's the stool/feces that causes the irritation, so if you don't clean the area completely, it will continue irritating. It also reduces the need for wiping with TP, which irritates the area further. Baby wipes also work much better and are easier on the bum than regular TP. (Great for going "on the go" - I keep a ziplock of wipes in my purse at all times.)
4) Creams & Ointments - Calmoseptine is the most common for butt burn (see link at top of screen), but there are many others out there. Some are specifically designed for adults with butt burn (B-Sure Bottom Balm), but I have heard that regular diaper cream works as well. I use A&D Ointment and/or Aquaphor. I also keep a chapstick-sized tube of Aquaphor in my purse at all times.
5) If things are really bad, and you are in an emergency pain/burn/itch situation and just need some immediate relief... Hop in the shower and take a finger-swipe of Noxema (face cleansing cream that comes in a blue tub), smear it down there right in between the butt cheeks, and leave it there for a few minutes (or for the rest of your shower). It might sting a tiny bit at first if you have any raw areas, but after a minute you will feel an intense cooling/soothing sensation, and it will also clean the area really well. Rinse off before you get out.
Let us know which of these he's doing already, and which ones seem to help. Hopefully the skin around his anus will start to adjust and become accustomed to the higher frequency, and it will be less of a problem... I think in most people that happens within the first few months, but maybe his body is just taking longer to adapt. Good luck, and keep us posted.
Thank you for the suggestions. He uses baby wipes almost always to wipe with. The gentle/natural kind, and he uses the diaper rash ointment all day, everyday. He has got in the shower sometimes. These things help some but your right it's more of an internal/canal kinda burning that he describes. Thank you for the reply, I hope to get him to log on and maybe talk to some people his age that deal with UC and j-pouches and all the issues that go along with it. He's 35 and we just don't have anyone in our area with these problems that is under 65 and he feels alone dealing with this sometimes to. Because he's still young and trying to work and be a daddy and all.
do u have a problem with depression.i am currently down in the dumps and have been for a while.i try and work to keep my mind busy but it seems to get the best of me.all i think about is the butt burn and tryin to make it stop.
I have been cruising topics here on j-pouch.org for the last couple hours and read that there is an antidepressant that can help slow bowel movements, which would in turn help with the butt burn. You might want to look into it if your depression is very bad.
The antibiotics can also mess with things. Diarrhea can be a lot worse during or after antibiotic treatment, which of course makes the butt burn worse. It may take a couple weeks for things to return to normal after antibiotics... in the meantime try some probiotic supplements. (What is the supplement the doctor prescribed?)
Also, if the pain is internal and doesn't go away, you may be dealing with an internal hemorrhoid. It's good that you've contacted your doctor - if that's what it is, he should be able to identify it. Let us know what the results of the scope are.
The antibiotics can also mess with things. Diarrhea can be a lot worse during or after antibiotic treatment, which of course makes the butt burn worse. It may take a couple weeks for things to return to normal after antibiotics... in the meantime try some probiotic supplements. (What is the supplement the doctor prescribed?)
Also, if the pain is internal and doesn't go away, you may be dealing with an internal hemorrhoid. It's good that you've contacted your doctor - if that's what it is, he should be able to identify it. Let us know what the results of the scope are.
It can definitely be frustrating and depressing to deal with these things for so long. It might seem small to someone else, but when you're dealing with it all day every day for months on end, it gets old quick and can even be debilitating.
Find a member on here called "chasingtime" a.k.a. Tom. He has been struggling with depression related to his j-pouch symptoms for quite a while as well... He might have some advice.
I know it can take up to a year or more for a j-pouch to get fully adjusted and settle in. This whole process teaches us patience if nothing else.
Hopefully your doctor will have some answers.
Find a member on here called "chasingtime" a.k.a. Tom. He has been struggling with depression related to his j-pouch symptoms for quite a while as well... He might have some advice.
I know it can take up to a year or more for a j-pouch to get fully adjusted and settle in. This whole process teaches us patience if nothing else.
Hopefully your doctor will have some answers.