good all day rougher nights

I'd think that if you're doing so very well during the day that maybe you're still in the adjustment period. Hopefully the nights will start behaving like the days soon.

Do you take Imodium/Loperamide/Lomotil/Metamucil? If so, when do you take them? If you take them in the morning, you could start taking them before bedtime to see if that helps.

kathy

This is more typical than you think, and logical if you think about it.

We assume that are gut transit is really fast, based on the fact we often have to empty our pouch following a meal. But, that is more to do with the gastrocolic reflex of stimulation of peristalsis when you eat, not because what is in your stomach immediately zips right through you.

When you have been fasting all night, things are on the empty side (especially if you have frequent night time stools). Once you start eating during the day, things build up and by the afternoon and evening, things are really coming through.

If you are taking bowel slowers, it is better to try to stay on a regular daily schedule and dose, and wait 4-5 days before fiddling with it. That is because it takes time for a blood level to be reached and the body to acclimate to it. Imodium peaks around 4-5 hours for capsules, and 2-3 hours for liquid. But, its half life is 10-12 hours. So, if you take it regularly, there is a build up over time, until it levels off.

If you are taking fiber supplements or eating a high soluble fiber diet (such as rice), that tends to thicken things, that too can have effects that last longer than you'd think.

So, I guess the main point is to make changes gradually and with one thing at a time. That is the only way you can tell what is working and what is not. If you change things up every day, then it is pretty much shooting blind.

Hope that makes some sort of sense.

Jan

quote:

but some of my nigh time bms can be a struggle and can definitely exhaust and rattle me. i dont mind the nigh time bms if they were all easy and really hope eventually they will be.

Yeah I just love getting up at 2 or 3 in the freaking morning, if you can call that "easy."

thanks kathy and jan, im eating rice products, almond milk and chicken broth. i just added wheat products back in today because they were causing too much gas earlier. im going to give the wheat a few days then add peanut butter. i was taking one imodium every 6 hours so 4 a day. i stopped them yesterday on someone heres advice and what you said about needing to build up might explain why my anus is spasming like crazy tonight even though i started them back up this morning. does that make sense? because my anus is probably the most uncomfy it been in a couple weeks.

Tom,

That is a lot of Imodium to take in one day. Glad you stopped taking them so much. I only take when I have watery, frequent stools. Your body needs to adjust and that takes time.

Once we have a J-Pouch, we have to train our bodies in a way. Much like an infant begins to crawl before he/she walks.

You will get there so be patient. I have had my pouch since 1994 so it does get better over time.

I have learned a lot from this site and wish I knew about it years ago instead of wasting so much energy struggling.

Don't know if you are on antibiotics now, but many here take Probiotics. You might want to check that out. Many doctors don't agree with it. Mine doesn't. However, I take them anyway and have been feeling better.

I had to stop taking them because my pouchitis returned but this time its not so bad. I don't think I ever got rid of it the first time.

Rocket

I'm two years since takedown and I still get up once or twice a night. I have gotten used to it and at least I fall back to sleep easily. I bet that your nights will calm down in the coming months. My days are pretty quiet...I go when I get up then not again til about 3 or 4pm. Gosh, I remember the UC days I would be up litterally every hour of the night going. What a nightmare that was. I will happily take the way things are now!

4 imodium is alot? really? thats not the impression i got from knowledgeable people on here. ive begun the 4 again. i cant tolerate the spasms without them. now what?

Tom,

I'm sorry you were having spasms.

I guess it must be me then. Because in the past, when I took them ofter during the day to slow things down, I became constipated then I couldn't go and the pain in my gut became unbearable so I would rather not have that problem.

With all drugs, moderation is the key I think.

Now that I think about it, after my surgery when I no longer had the Illeo, my surgeon had me on Lotimol. But I had a lot of problems and was going, no joke, 30 times a day. And the toilet paper in the hospital felt like sand paper. My 5 day hospital stay turned into 24 days as I had to be in isolation with a high grade 14 (15 is the highes) staff infection. I am certainly glad that is not the norm for most of us.

I hope I didn't offend you in any way, and if I did, I am sorry.
Rocket

no problem at all im not offended at all. im afraid to take them now though. am i doing damage? any advice is welcome...

I took 8 Imodium a day for years and had no problems with it. I really needed that much. I now take 4 a day, and that is 17 years later. So, you see, we are all different. The main thing is not to be afraid to change things if hey are not working.

Give it time, just not too much time, before reevaluating.

Jan

Thanks Tom

Rocket

Wow, very impressive Tom. I wish I was going as little as you are. I do not count them but if I had to guess I have gone 9-12 times in the last 24 hours. Actually that doesn't sound too bad...

Hmm, funny how things look typed out.

im happy with the number of bms. just wish they were all easy like my morning one. i think i may have just stumbled on something. my morning bm is always easy cause my butt is well rest and relaxed but as the night goes on and the pressure builds my butt is stressed and flexed from holding in the pressure. im sure you guys figured that out but it just hit me. the trick is to teach my butt to relax even under built up pressure...