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Hi Everybody!

This is my first post here to this discussion forum. I've had a j-pouch since 2011 and very few problems with it. I've had two emergency surgeries to fix twisted intestine due to adhesion with scar tissue. I have had some issues with fatigue, which I was attributing to getting older (I'm 51). Recently I had routine full blood work done which included a metabolic panel. The local hospital now has an online portal where you can look at all of your results and compare them to previous tests. My results showed a "low anion gap" and high chloride, which is related to electrolyte levels. Does anyone else have experience with something like this related to having a j-pouch? Could this be due to me not staying hydrated enough because of the pouch? Everything I can find online about a low anion gap just says that it is very rare... and has something to do with blood pH and electrolytes. I still need to schedule an appointment with Dr. to discuss results, they usually don't contact me when anything is abnormal on blood work. Anyway, I might be trying to live as if I'm "normal" when I should be more conscious of the limitations and special considerations needed with my J-pouch. I was able to compare the recent blood work with past results and saw that I always have a "low anion gap".

Thanks for any feedback or advice!

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Are the abnormal values significantly out of range, or just a bit? The fact that this isn’t a new finding makes it likely that all is well - the exact normal range limits aren’t as meaningful as we sometimes think. If you are peeing several times per day and your urine is light colored then you are probably hydrated enough, but most J-pouchers do have to treat fluid intake as daily medicine.

Hi Scott,

Thanks for your reply! It's good to remember that the "normal" range for many of these tests isn't always what most of us function within. The normal range for the anion gap is 3-9 mmol/L  and mine is at a 2. The anion gap is the difference between positively and negatively charged electrolytes in your blood. I will discuss this with Dr. on next appoint and share any info on here. I should also refrain from Google searches about it because that is a rabbit hole.

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