Itchy rectum. Still....

Hi Have you tried hydrocortisone cream? You can get it over the counter! Hope it helps!  Also maybe see what’s causing it! Spices in your food! I’ve eliminated the spiced watch what I eat and it is much better! At times I cheat and suffer the consequence! Hope it will help you till you see your doctor!

I checked the back of the hydrocortisone cream and it says donor use on anus. But I did give it a shot tonight. No instant relief but I’ll keep doing it for now. Any cortisone ointment or cream can thin the skin so i prob won’t do it for long. 

I have considered it might be my diet but I don’t eat any spicy food. Literally had an Ensure for breakfast, pj sandwich on white break for lunch with a glass of milk (yep I’m a 6 year old at heart), crackers as a snack, and cereal for dinner bc I wanted to keep it bland. 

Sometimes I endure an itchy anus and I came to the conclusions that on occassions, after a BM, there's an acidic residue, which with normal wiping & cleansing, still remains within the anus.

My solution, is to wrap the tip of a finger within a wet wipe and insert just the tip & wet wipe into the anus.

I repeat this, re-wrapping a finger within a clean area of the wet wipe and inserting until the wet comes out looking clean; I only have to do this twice, maybe three times just after a BM and only when the itching occurs.

Sounds rather uncomfortable and unpleasant I know but I can assure you, it isn't; also, it's preferable to the discomfort of an itchy anus throught out the day.

I also apply a small amount of ilex paste.

If you've not already tried ilex to alleviate your butt burn; I suggest you give it a try, in my opinion, it's by far the best solution.

The makers of ilex provide free sample sachets prior to purchase, although I managed to aquire a free tube from them.

In the UK, ilex Paste is also available on NHS prescription.

Bubba,

do you eat crunchy or creamy peanut butter? Any nuts, such as crunchy peanut causes me to have the itching symptoms youre describing. Creamy is fine though. 

Also, if i eat cereal (doesn’t matter which kind) i terrible itching as well. I feel like the graininess comes out rougher. 

I am 4 years post j-pouch and I still occasionally get horrific itchiness.  I have to find a bathroom stat just so I can relieve the itch.  I generally associate it with what I eat (tomato soup and blueberry will cause it for sure).  I also notice that when I am away on vacation and swimming lots it happens.  All that being said, my pouch functions perfectly and I am very happy.  Hope you find a solution fast.

Balmex helped my husband..

Could it be a fungal irritation because of the dark moist environment?  Could something like an anti fungal cream work?  

thanks everyone. strange- I did try that. It does help a little. If anythintit relieves the itch for a few min! 

I eat creamy PB, Jmoon. I try to avoid peanuts and nuts in general. I know that can be rough too. 

Im almost at the point where Id rather not eat bc I don’t want to go to the bathroom. Many times have when I had UC did I feel like that. Just don’t eat bc it will result in pain. This time it’s not pain but just annoying itchiness. 

Havent teied Balmex but did order Ilex on Amazon. Should be here by Monday. Idk if I can buy that in the store? I feel like I’ve spent $100 on stuff and none of it works. No exaggeration. 

Doc through it could be a fungal and suggested I have try yeast infection cream (the Miconazole nitrate) in cream and powder form. When I use the powder it makes my skin raw. Neither have given me much relief.  

Ughhh. 

How long have you tried the fungal cream? It can take a couple of weeks to get fungus under control. You’ll never get immediate relief, even when it’s exactly what you need. You also need to work hard to kee the area dry (I know, easier said than done). Good luck!

Bubba, try using a hair dryer on low or cool to dry the area before applying anti fungal cream. Difficult to do if you are away from home, I know. Toilet paper can fall apart and remain behind, irritating your skin even more. Maybe try small pieces of soft paper towel to pat dry. 

You may have tried Calmoseptine and it worked for me.  Try not to rub your behind too much as maybe that is the itchy.  Drink plenty water and exercise

THANKS everyone. I actually ordered the Ilex and have been using that for a two days. I’ve also been cleaning better- trying to wipe really well using the technique Strange mentioned.

I’m using the yeast infection cream on the inside EVERY time I go. That has been helping significantly. I think part of the problem was I wasn’t sticking with any one type of cream so I wasn’t seeing any difference. 

Question about the Ilex, I’m reading stuff online that says to use Vaseline or another ointment over the Ilex. Why is that? I didn’t see that written on the directions on the cream. Just curious since I haven’t done that step yet. 

On a different note I went 13 times today. Seems like a lot for being almost 5 months post takedown. Maybe I’ll start taking Metemucil again. I’m only having 4 lomotil a day, but I’d rather increase Metemucil than increase lomotil. Had a salad last week and that went right through me and did not help my butt burn at all! Lol 

The Vaseline...... I guess it depends on the type/level of butt burn you're suffering from.

If the affected area is weeping, oozing, red raw and of similar in appearance to a baby's diaper rash; then the ilex paste is best applied heavily and smeared over the affected area; when applied in such a manner, some will apply a layer of Vaseline on top and over the ilex to prevent the butt cheeks from sticking together or from sticking to underwear.

I've never experienced that kind of butt burn, so I've never applied the ilex so liberally.

When suffering from anal itching, fissures or a burning sensation, only a small pea size amount of ilex paste is required and applied; yeah the butt cheeks will stick together and the affected area will feel a little crusty but you'll only notice after a BM and during cleansing, which is easily overcome by use of a wet wipe to cleanse (wipe).

ilex is easily removed with wet wipes & no need to use baby oil.

It's best to use wet wipes, as toilet paper will drag and rip.

As you're experiencing 13 BM during a day, rather than wipe both cheeks together, front to back; try wiping (with a wet wipe) each cheek separately, one side at time, changing hands. to wipe side to side from the middle outward; this will make all the difference.

Has it been confirmed you're NOT actually suffering from Pouchitis ?

Passing any blood with BM?  Maybe it is pouchitis

Bubba, I read one of your posts above where you list the foods you eat. Could it be you are eating a lot of carbs and it's contributing to frequency and burn?  The Ensure drink is high carb and sugar; white bread is pure carb; jelly is pure sugar; and milk, crackers and cereal are very high in carbs. Anything made with white flour or uses starch as a food thickener is high carb. Check the ingredients' label on each product. A good guideline might be 5 grams of carbs per serving.

If you need to keep your food bland for now while you resolve the frequency and burn, try peeling a zucchini, slicing it and broiling with olive oil and salt. The flesh of the zucchini is soluble fibre, will help thicken your output, and has nutrients. Switch your white bread for sourdough bread or rye bread spread with peanut butter?  Scrambled eggs for breakfast for the protein?  Maybe make steel cut oatmeal in a slow cooker for breakfast instead of cereal. You can make a few days worth.  Oatmeal is a carb, but it's a different type of carb, it's low glycemic and has good fibre so the sugar spike is not so extreme.  Chicken or tuna salad, open faced, for lunch with peeled cucumber sticks?  Brown rice cooked in lots of store bought broth, enough to last a week?  Whole wheat pasta tossed with soft cooked vegetables and chicken or beef?

Every Sunday I cook a week's worth of meals for my family and we add as we go to keep it interesting. Try to avoid raw vegetables or fruit skins for now, eat the flesh because soluble fibre will help your output, as opposed to insoluble fibre that can hurt coming out. When you are healed and need to maintain your skin try a small jar of Zincofax, a gentle cream made for baby bums. 

Both soluble and insoluble fiber are “good” fiber, but they do have different effects in the gut. Thinking of either as bad can lead to misunderstandings, and even errors about what sort of fiber is found in various foods. Zucchini, for example, has plenty of insoluble fiber (more than soluble), though the ratio would probably change if it were peeled. It is true that some folks with J-pouches need to limit their intake of insoluble fiber, but everyone’s different. 

Haven’t been seen by a doc yet to see if I have pouchitis. My appt with my gastro is April 9. I guess I could call my surgeons office but I got the feeling I’m supposed to go to my gastro doc from here on out. No blood in stool or on the paper. It’s not weeping or bloody when I wipe. It was last week but I seemed to have cleared that up. 

Min terms of diet, I don’t like eggs or chicken or any meat, really. I’m super picky. The Ensure I drink in the am is only 19 g carbs and 4 g sugar, which I don’t think is too high given that I get a huge doze of protein. I wonder if a protein shake might help. I have some squash I was going to cook up in pasta form tonight. Good idea, thank you. I’ve been considering going to a nutritionist but I can’t get myself to go to another doc. I’m so so tired out. 

Bubba, if you want to see a nutritionist or a dietician without committing to many, many sessions, try to find a single session class at a hospital or school or learning annex. I found a class for diabetics and we learned about nutrition, reading labels, fibre, sugar, everything. The class was suited to everyone interested in nutrition, not only for people with diabetes. It was an eye opener for me.

Diabetes education is wonderful.  I learned so much about portions, labels, etc.  I highly recommend it.

Have you tried sitz baths for the itching?

Try staying away from any acidic food or drinks i.e. orange juice, coffee, tomato based sauces.  I also use a non residual toilet paper (Cottonelle Clean Ripple)   This made a huge difference for me.  Other toilet paper can leave filaments behind and cause severe irritation.  Hope this helps 😩😊