Output consistency

Normal consistency should be like applesauce. Watery stool could be consistent with pouchitis but you would also notice an increase in urgency and frequency as well as wateriness. If your frequency has decreased and there is no urgency I would look at and evaluate your diet and fiber intake. Have you used Metamucil to thicken stools? Does your diet lack fiber?

Thanks for your help!

I have tried metamucil and another type of fiber (I forget which one), both of which I did not notice an improvement with and only seemed to make gas/bloating worse. Would you notice an improvement with these immediately or or over time? I want to say I tried each one for 1-2 weeks.

Are you suggesting more or less fiber? Or just a different type, such as a bulking fiber.

Try different types. Metamucil thickens me up. Also certain foods like bananas and peanut butter. After 1.5 years you should be OK and having a normal stool like applesauce.

I eat those inconsistently, but I will try to be more consistent with them and see if it helps. My takedown was June 2019. So only about 1.5 years out.

Lynn, it could also be one food you habitually eat that makes you watery. For me, red wine of any kind turns all my stools into a watery diarrhea. Shrimp also makes me run watery. Ditto with certain other foods I have taken in isolation. Foods that thicken me are applesauce, bananas, eggs, potatoes, peanut butter. If you have a pattern of wateriness that is unaccompanied by the other hallmark symptoms of pouchitis, diet is the chief suspect. Although only a pouchscopy can really rule out pouchitis. Your symptoms would be unusual with no frequency, urgency, or lack of continence or nighttime spotting. Try changing up your diet and see what happens. Try other fiber. I would also try Raisin Bran. I love Raisin Bran, it's my favorite cereal.

Lynn, the effect of *soluble* fiber (like psyllium/Metamucil/Konsyl) should be relatively quick, since it’s just a mechanical effect. I take it just before breakfast and dinner, since I want it to mix with food, and I find the powder works much better than the capsules. Some people swear by it (I’m a fan), but others do experience bloating and gas (that sometimes diminishes over time). You might want to try the unsweetened stuff, like Konsyl, in case the sugar load is causing trouble, but it’s definitely less pleasant to take. I take a full dose, per the package directions, but some folks take it with less water.

Since you don’t have urgency maybe this doesn’t really matter. My stool varies a lot in consistency, and I don’t care very much.

I also experience variable consistency, but I would be concerned by 1.5 years of consistent watery stools. It's not appropriate and you could be experiencing more water loss than you need to. Dehydration and other issues could loom. It's a situation I would try to get a handle on one way or the other. Whether through dietary experiments, fiber experiments or a scope.

I go 13-20X a day, I have watery output sometimes too. I have anywhere from water to mashed potatoes to vegetarian popcorn chicken nuggets to all sorts of consistencies, all of my pouchoscopys were normal. I am not that experienced with pouchitis but maybe seek out a gastro and ask him.