Emptying bladder harder with J Pouch?

HI!  I have had the exact same problem.  I do find that if I drink larger quantities of water, peeing without emptying my pouch becomes easier.

I am 8 months post take-down and when my pouch is off (as if I was in a UC flare, straining horribly, spending  too much time on the toilet, etc) peeing is very difficult. When the straining is at it's worse, peeing is almost impossible.  It eventually becomes normal again but it can take a while.

Best of luck!!!!

Thanks Wendy, good to know it isn't just me.  I agree it is worse when I'm struggling with the pouch.  I do drink a lot of water, becuase so much goes out the pouch sometimes.  

I have had my j pouch almost 35 years and have this problem.  I thought it was because I used so many muscles to control my loose stools that I'm unable to fully empty my bladder. 

I had surgery for urethral diverticula about 10 years post OP and testing a few years ago that showed I was not emptying my bladder.

I just assumed it had to do with j pouch surgery just like all the other complications I've had. I've learned to live with it.🙂

Congratulations on 35 years together.  

Thanks!!👍

Girlunky, I had this for a little while after surgery, but it passed (certainly before 10 months). Many people report that they choose to pee *every* time they poop, but you’re clearly having a different experience. I do find it a useful challenge/exercise to pee when I could poop, but prefer to delay that, but that’s also not exactly what what you’re describing. I think ACCEPT IT is on to something with the idea that we may be prone to clenching more muscles than are needed to hold in the stool, and unclenching may get more difficult without carefully managed practice. If that’s the case then my approach (of peeing first, essentially) might help over time by better separating these sets of muscles. It can’t directly correct any structural issues, but it could be one way to better train the tools we have.

Scott that's an idea - do #1 first, and hold onto #2.   I do have less trouble when I only pee and don't need to #2.  Going to try this.  

Thanks everyone for your bladder info. I too have had problems in this area and am continually on antibiotics for UTI’s. Which I might add did not have before surgery . In reading some of your comments I think my problem is because I’m not emptying my bladder properly. So maybe it’s #1 first and then #2 second.  Drink more water, relax and “learn to live with it”. Thankyou for all your advice. This j-pouche Group is so helpful to me and has been a life saver helping me to know that I’m not alone with my bowel issues.  I wish you all a very Happy New Year in 2020. 🌷 And Thankyou. 

Folks, after you’ve done this for a while (might take weeks or months) please let us know if if helps. Other people with the same problem need your experience.

Will do!  

Thanks Scott. I’ll give it a try. I’ve been on holiday thinking hard and fast about the whole technique. 👍

I am at 16 years with my pouch and still have that problem.  Pretty much after sitting down and emptying I stand up and pee.  Other times I feel I have to pee and head to the bathroom only to have to sit down and empty my pouch first.  It also depends on how much water I drink throughout the day.

True. I’ve been trying out peeing first and then number 2. Plus drinking water before I go and it seems to be working for me. Keep trying. This is a good group to hear what others are doing with similar problems. 

There is always the possibility that a person is not able to fully empty the bladder.  We all have a certain amount of  urine retention after urinating .... some with relative large amounts like 200ml to 500ml.  To get an answer to this problem, see a urologist who  can measure volume of urine retention after urination  and thus provide guidance to coping with this problem.  Know quantitatively what you are dealing with.

Update on bladder training: 

I've been trying to empty my bladder first and then the pouch.  I also am working on consciously relaxing the bladder a second time after I empty the pouch, and usually manage to empty it a bit more.  

This has helped (maybe 50%) with my problem of urine retention.  It is just as hard to fully empty my bladder when I need to empty my pouch at the same time, but the conscious effort is working.  Hopefully it will become reflexive eventually.  When my pouch is empty, my bladder empties fine - so I suspect it is a matter of mixed messages rather than a true mechanical issue.  

Ahem. I had this problem right after my colon was removed, by I spent so much time on my back that it took awhile for me to notice it.  I had a "cystocele", or prolapsed vagina; that is, the connective tissue wall that holds the vagina up had deteriorated; the lapsing vagina meant the bladder was lapsing, too.  My gynecologist said it was from childbirth (30 years earlier?!) and age; I had surgery to correct, and it helped.  But I think someone accidently cut that connective tissue during surgery; I know the surgeon had a resident and an intern there, and I think the resident slipped.  Of course the doctors would never admit that.  But you might see your gynecologist.  It took a year to get the surgery, and it worked.  I was pretty miserable before that.  Good luck!

Glad you were able to fix that.  I have a retroverted vagina, but I'd think that would make it easier on the bladder not harder.  Anyway, if my vagina fell I think it would land where my colon used to be, not on the bladder.  

@girlunky posted:

Update on bladder training: 

I've been trying to empty my bladder first and then the pouch.  I also am working on consciously relaxing the bladder a second time after I empty the pouch, and usually manage to empty it a bit more.  

This has helped (maybe 50%) with my problem of urine retention.  It is just as hard to fully empty my bladder when I need to empty my pouch at the same time, but the conscious effort is working.  Hopefully it will become reflexive eventually.  When my pouch is empty, my bladder empties fine - so I suspect it is a matter of mixed messages rather than a true mechanical issue.  

I have the same problem since my j pouch was built, I can't empty my bladder while standing i don't have control to push and if i try to push its starting to leak a little from the pouch, i feel like I'm pushing #2  this is giving me a hard time using the urinals when I'm not in a urgency of #2 and can wait, when the pouch is empty i can empty my bladder, not sure if i can push but i wait it out till i'm done, will this get better overtime? Did i lose the muscle to push? But at the same time i can hold back not to leak #1 any help?

I had my reversal in June 16  6-8 BM a day i'm doing ok for now, getting used to it.

It took me a fair amount of practice to get comfortable peeing without pooping. I suspect I may have been strengthening certain muscles, or working out the combination of contractions and relaxations. I think it’s worth the effort, and at this point it’s pretty easy for me.

@Scott F posted:

It took me a fair amount of practice to get comfortable peeing without pooping. I suspect I may have been strengthening certain muscles, or working out the combination of contractions and relaxations. I think it’s worth the effort, and at this point it’s pretty easy for me.

Scott

thanks for the quick reply and thanks to all your answers on other topics it was a big help to me the first few weeks after my reversal i didn't have it easy and this support group gave me relief.

When you say you can pee without pooping is that standing or also seating position? that's when your bladder and pouch is full? 

Usually standing, but also seated. Even if my pouch is full I think it’s useful to me to maximize whatever skill I can develop in keeping the functions separate, but I’ll sit down at those times. More often my pouch is less than full and I’d prefer to delay pooping until it’s properly necessary. As a male I stand at those times, but the idea isn’t gender-specific.

I am a woman but for me its opposite, everything comes out much easier with everything working together and being relaxed. 

Maybe you should see a urologist before things get worse. Definitely do not wait until its too late. It could be nothing but having set answer gives a lot of peace.