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9 replies

digestion problems, stomach pain, gas, belching...help!

fqfqMember
hi fellow pouchers.... I need help.
It's almost been 1 year since I had my j-pouch built...crazy huh? Time's flying too fast.

Anyway in the past 2 months I have had these symptoms:

1. major belly aches after eating dinner (goes away after several hours). I think I maybe go to bed too soon after eating?? Or eat too much in one sitting? My digestion feels like it is way too slow or almost "shut off".
2. major belching and gas pains. stomach feels bloated and like a volcano going to erupt. This subsides after several hours. I am pretty sure it's not pouchitis....
3. Feel acidic burps, nausea, and incomplete digestion. My j-pouch is not digesting properly????
4. pain is relieved somewhat after walking around and so gas can escape by burping.

Do you think it is diet related? I eat a lot of sushi, drink ginger ale, bagels, cream cheese, ice cream, chicken, eat out mostly...try to avoid red meats and fried foods. I don't eat enough fruits. I drink 2 glasses of water a day. No meds, supplements, nor fiber, nor probiotics.

What can I do differently to help my tummy feel better?

thanks all.
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rachelravenrachelravenMember
Sounds more like stomach issues vs. J pouch issues, honestly. Could be GERD. My grandfather and aunt both had some of those symptoms and had a hiatal hernia. Sometimes I think I have one, too, but I think I just have mild GERD issues myself.

I'm lactose intolerant, so lots of milk products give me bloating and gas symptoms. You can develop intolerance at any time (I was a child and tested for it when I had UC; hubby developed it in his 20's). You could try Lactaid tablets with dairy, or just cut out dairy to see if it helps... you could also try Pre-Relief, an antacid you take before you eat.

Sodas with the carbonation can affect you, too.
R RocketMember
Hi fq,

Out diet has a lot to do with how are bodies react to what we eat. What affects one person one way may not affect someone else so there are no rules on what you should and should not eat.

I drink Rice Milk and I drink Vanilla flavor. The orignal has no tast to it. You can also try Soy Milk. I did but it affected me in develping Kidney Stones.

As rachelraven said, avoid sodas with the carbonation. Also, do not drink threw a straw or chew gum as that can alse create gas. Drinking threw a straw is actually sucking air into your body.

I can not eat fresh fruit with the exception of Watermelon as that also gives me a bad reaction. Same thing with raw veggies.

Hope I was able to help you out.

I read somewhere where Bagels are not good for you either and after I ate one, with butter, I had terrible gas pains and severe cramps where I was unable to pass the gas.

I am surprised you eat Cream Chees and Ice Cream. You could also purchase Rice Dream Ice Cream. Its very tasty and not made of milk. When I am having problems, I also tend to stick to a Glueten Free Diet.
Jan DollarJan DollarModerator, RN, retired
I agree that your symptoms sound more like upper GI than pouch related. Remember, your pouch is at the very end of your GI tract, so very little digestion goes on there, if any.

Besides issues related to the stomach and esophagus (GERD, peptic ulcer disease, hiatal hernia, gastroparesis, etc),another common cause of the symptoms you mention could be partial obstruction due to adhesions. even though the adhesions form in the first couple of weeks after surgery, the problems they cause can be delayed by years, even decades, and the problems can come and go. the most common site of problems is the old ostomy site, which is pretty distant from the pouch.

Another possibility is gallbladder disease, which frequently causes upper GI symptoms. dietary choices can affect the degree of symptoms too, particularly fatty foods.

Still, the easiest thing to do is first eliminate common dietary intolerances, like lactose, wheat, spicy, and fatty foods. If that does not help, then you need evaluation from your GI.

Bottom line, this does not sound j-pouch related to me.

Jan Smiler
Jan DollarJan DollarModerator, RN, retired
I just read your posts about your recent scar revision surgery, and I bet these symptoms are related to that. Even if the scar revision was largely superficial, there can be some manipulation inside (if he had to release some adhesions, etc.).

So go easy on yourself and give it some time. But, if it persists, follow up with your plastic surgeon first, then your GI.

Jan Smiler
L liz11Member
look up small intestine bacterial overgrowth. could be caused from adhesions from surgeries allowing food to hang out too long in the small intestine and bad bacteria to go crazy.

for a start - cut out ALL sugar and reduce carbohydrates- this is the stuff the bad bacteria feeds on.

and you can speak to you GI about it. Generally they start with a course of xifaxan.
N NikinoMember
I had jpouch surgery in 2011. I noticed you mentioned ginger ale... I could not tolerate carbonated (soda) beverages for a long time & recently gave up on milk. I can have a little soda maybe 4 ounces but a whole can 12 oz or bottle goes right through me foam like stool & bloated gut. Unless I let the soda get flat then I can tolerate more. I like to use GasX or chemical name Simethicone suggested by my primary care doctor, that helps when I experience extreme bloat & gas like pain from certain foods.
nikikinikikiMember

Your description is how I'd respond after both carbonation or processed foods.  I can't tolerate much carbonation at all, and I REALLY can't tolerate processed foods.  I have to look at ingredient lists.   If it's processed and there are a lot of crazy ingredients, forget it.  It puts me in digestive hell.   It's been years since I've eaten in this way, but my first experience of this was when I was visiting a friends parents 12 years ago, and his mom put on a frozen Tombstone Pizza, which was a type of food that was out of my regular repetoire.  I quickly learned with this experience and and over time with other things, my gut can no longer tolerate processed foods that have lots of ingredients in them I can not identify.  The benefit is that it pushed me pretty hardcore into eating an organic, whole foods based diet.    Important to note, however, is that I have not only had my colon removed (w/ jpouch) but I've also lost most of my large intestine as well and have short bowel syndrome, so this may be a big contributing factor to this.  Regardless, if someone eats this way and has big issues, its worth experimenting with even if you have all of your small intestine.

I've also learned over time that my gut functions better without a lot of breads and pastas, etc, and very minimal dairy.  I tolerate goats milk better than cows milk.  

Last edited by nikiki

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