From what i have seen it can be used as an enema. I plan to trial it when i can get supplies. Please let us know if it helps.

It did not seem to help but it didn't make things worse either. So seems safe to do from my test. I may try again today just in case it takes a few rounds.

I do wonder if I have abscess because it feels like there's A Thing there. It's really sore, too, and stings when I poop. No bleeding thankfully which I am definitely on the lookout for because I still have an inch of my former colon.

That broken glass sensation is more often a sign of anal fissures than pouchitis. You might try adding sitz baths to your approach. There are also topical remedies that require a prescription, but everything requires patience if anal fissures are involved. Anal fissures can also be associated with spasm of the anal sphincter, which could explain why your enema solution isn’t coming back out. You did use plain warm tap water in the enema, right?

I’m less concerned about the enema route for Visbiome than I am about its inadequacy as an “emergency solution/hail mary” - it just isn’t likely to work quickly, and it’s not a particularly effective treatment for active pouchitis.  Nobody has a clue whether it’s effective in an enema, though some may have opinions. If you have pouchitis it would be *much* more comfortable to get that properly managed with antibiotics before becoming pregnant. Perhaps a pregnancy test today could be more timely than waiting for your period?

Unsolicited advice: You don’t say whether your medical bills are from being uninsured or just having insurance that isn’t quite adequate. If it’s the former then it’s probably worth biting the bullet and getting insured before becoming pregnant. I’d be happy to share what I know about subsidized ACA insurance.

Hi.

Scott F thanks for your concern but I am insured and prepared financially for a child. (And this is not a thread wherein I was seeking pregnancy or financial advice.) Your words did come across a bit patronizing and judgey so I feel a little on the defensive now. The implication that I'm irresponsible would immediately seem hilarious if you knew me in real life. I am just stressed out. The way I type on the internet makes me sound like a petulant child but usually I only come onto these forums when I am really upset, in pain, and scared that The Ulcerative Colitis Will Come Back and All My Plans Will Be Ruined, which could be the title of my autobiography.

"properly managed with antibiotics before becoming pregnant. "

Yes, 100%. BUT I have to wait to find out if I'm pregnant or not this round before i make that decision. Which I already explained.

My only option is the emergency room at this point which it's not bad enough for. I am taking fiber to slow things down so that I don't poop as much and eating soft bland foods, so if it's a fissure this will probably give my butt a bit of a break so it will heal. The acidic liquidy stuff constantly running over it was not the most comfortable so at least I can move forward with life for the next few days.

I'm not sure if you intended to leave a really judgmental comment with the implication that I am stupid, but that's how it came across. I am not, I am just emotional because my ass hurts.

I’m sorry, Gina - I intended no judgment. You expressed financial concerns, and misunderstandings about ACA insurance are quite common. I was just trying to help, in the event that help might have been useful. I hope you find some relief.

You first need to sort out if it is an anal fissure or cuffitis / pouchitis. When I had an anal fissure I believed for weeks that it was cuffitis because I couldn't locate the pain clear enough.

If the pain is mainly during or after a BM and like a permanent burning then it is likely to be a fissure. There is usually no blood. Using a bidet or water jet should help to clean the fissure.

Cuffitis on the other hand feels like a pressure pain that tells you to go to the toilet more often than usual.

Any idea why the enema with water only would hardly come out? Too much clenching as Scott supposed? I used to have some relief from an enema. When you say "it feels like there's a thing there", is that in the anal canal? Fissures have often skin creases at the outer end. They make it even harder to keep things clean.