Hello! I have had my pouch for 10 years (all good!), never had pouchitis, or any real complications, and I'm incredibly grateful for that. However, about 2 months ago, I started getting red, itchy patches around my lips, dry skin, and painful swollen bumps that resembled hives. After some trial and error, my doctor thinks it's perioral dermatitis, which can be caused by a number of things (fungus, hormonal fluctuations, stress, certain foods, etc.), and as I recently found out, one of the causes is small intestine bacteria overgrowth. Anyone who has had previous bowel surgery is apparently at risk for small intestine bacteria overgrowth, and I would think J-pouchers would be high risk. I'm wondering if this is my problem as I haven't introduced any new products or foods to my life, and due to the pandemic, I have barely worn make-up at all in months. I also have mild rosacea, so my skin is sensitive to begin with so I have to be super diligent about washing face masks and so on. Has anyone else experienced this? I'm on antibiotics right now to try to fix this skin problem but it hasn't really improved and I'm thinking about going to a naturopath for dietary advice to see if that makes a difference. If anyone has any experience with this, I would love to hear about it! Thanks.
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I've had recurring perioral dermatitis since my j-pouch surgery 9 years ago. I have been prescribed Metronidazole topical gel. It helps for a while, clears almost completely and then returns. I hadn't heard about the link to small intestine bacteria overgrowth. No make-up, gentle cleansing and moisturizing have helped, but not cured. I'll have to check into the link to small intestine bacteria overgrowth.
Have you experienced any form of constipation in the past??? Sometimes that can cause overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. I would definitely suggest probiotics. I definitely think you ought to talk to your gastro about this as well. Hope you get better.
Hi there, Thank you for responding. I have never experienced any kind of constipation or any problems at all with my pouch, and I haven't been diagnosed with small intestine bacteria overgrowth - at least not yet. I've seen 2 doctors and they don't know what is going on with my skin, but I was told that the small intestine thing was a possibility, so I was wondering if anyone else had any experience with it. This weekend I had a dermatology consult online and the derm said he thought it was a form of eczema, likely aggravated by mask wearing, which is what the pharmacist thought, too, when I showed her my face. Never had it before. Hopefully, this third treatment is the charm!
@BridgetB posted:Hi there, Thank you for responding. I have never experienced any kind of constipation or any problems at all with my pouch, and I haven't been diagnosed with small intestine bacteria overgrowth - at least not yet. I've seen 2 doctors and they don't know what is going on with my skin, but I was told that the small intestine thing was a possibility, so I was wondering if anyone else had any experience with it. This weekend I had a dermatology consult online and the derm said he thought it was a form of eczema, likely aggravated by mask wearing, which is what the pharmacist thought, too, when I showed her my face. Never had it before. Hopefully, this third treatment is the charm!
You are welcome! And yeah hopefully third time is the charm! Keep us updated dear 
Hi, I have been dx with siob & was put on Rifaximin: is a broad-spectrum nonabsorbed rifamycin antibiotic with an excellent safety profile, a lack of drug interactions, and minimal effect on the intestinal microbiome. This gut-selective antimicrobial is currently approved. It's very expensive & tried a few times. I tried a herbal formula of this for over a yr. (Can't remember the name). It did help. When I get a lot of gas & bloating I can tell it's back. Diet is key. Also, I take a probiotic with a prebiotic. Definitely seek help thru your GI dr & a nutritionist.
UPDATE: Thank you to everyone for replying. I finally got a dermatological diagnosis and it is, in fact, a form of eczema (caused by friction and moisture due to mask-wearing). I saw 2 other clinic doctors prior to the dermatologist and perioral dermatitis was on the differential, but it turns out, it's not that, and 2 days on the correct topical treatment has pretty much cleared it up - there's some discoloration but that will fade over time. I have been advised to wear barrier cream under my masks from now on - good thing I have a bunch of it around the house since my surgery! Only person I know with no kids, but lots of diaper cream lying around.
@BridgetB posted:UPDATE: Thank you to everyone for replying. I finally got a dermatological diagnosis and it is, in fact, a form of eczema (caused by friction and moisture due to mask-wearing). I saw 2 other clinic doctors prior to the dermatologist and perioral dermatitis was on the differential, but it turns out, it's not that, and 2 days on the correct topical treatment has pretty much cleared it up - there's some discoloration but that will fade over time. I have been advised to wear barrier cream under my masks from now on - good thing I have a bunch of it around the house since my surgery! Only person I know with no kids, but lots of diaper cream lying around.
Glad you are okay honey!!! Maybe you should not use masks at all, just a opinionated suggestion.