Does anyone on here have any theories to suggest what exactly causes Pouchitis? And does anyone have any evidence to support their theories? It really baffles me and I’m struggling to understand why it occurs, is inflammation of the pouch due to bacterial overgrowth? or is it just simply due to the immune system? IBD occurring in the Pouch? Some people would say diet plays a part but I believe diet has no role in Pouchitis what so ever, I recently attended a hospital appointment for the first time in quite a while, I’m usually meant to attend appointments twice a year but I had stopped going to them because I felt I was cured, and I still do feel curred for the most part, and I felt so great I didn’t think it was necessary for me to go, I thought I was finished with hospitals as having sufferered with Ulcerative Colitis i developed a kind of phobia of them, but after a recent bout of Pouchitis I had decided it was best for me to attend the appointment, I was asked at the appointment if I had developed Chrohns? Which I thought was a strange question, but after thinking about it later on in the day, it made sense, is it possible that Pouchitis could be a form of Chrohns disease?
The reason there is no clear answer is because there are multiple forms of pouchitis with different etiologies and disease courses. The most common one is related to bacteria, but it is not an infection. It is an inflammatory response to the presence of normal bacteria. This response is why pouchitis is relatively rare in those without IBD.
Other types of pouchitis include Crohn’s pouchitis, ischemic pouchitis (from poor blood supply), and infectious (like C. difficile and CTM infections).
There also is pouchitis-like syndromes, such as SIBO and irritable pouch. In these cases you have all the symptoms of pouchitis without the inflammation. You can also have dietary intolerances or cuffitis that can be confused with pouchitis.
Did you read the article posted in the “sticky” at the top of this forum? Lots of info there.
Jan 