Hi. I have had my j-pouch for about 13 years and I hate to tell you this.. from time to time... and many times.. but not every day.. I get that feeling you are describing... like there's glass in my butt and needs to come out. It happens to me most of all when I have eaten a lot of food and not had a bowel movement and I notice sometimes, it happens when I am out and about and trying to rush through errands and just get home to use my own bathroom.

In fact, it happened last night at Target... I had left work around 5:45 and used the bathroom just before leaving and had a bowel movement... and done a few errands before Target. I knew as I was entering Target, I really should have stopped to use the bathroom, but I thought.. all I have to do is return something, get out of the store, and drop by the library and return some books and I'll be home before I know it. You know, here it is, cold weather.. I'd have to go into the bathroom at target, take off my sweater, my scarf, my down vest etc.. and the bathrooms there are never clean etc. etc. but the line for returns was sooo long. I left the line and went into the bathroom and just took care of going and the pain eased.

Certain foods I eat tend to bulk me up and I go more often than my normal going a lot and I just need to remember that and no matter how many times I feel the urge to go, just make the time to go. It is EXHUASTING and in fact, I am going to start a post on that. But in the meantime, yes, I often feel that glass like feeling.

Regarding straining, I am trying to eat more of this cereal with Psyliam... I like it with Yogurt but I don't eat yogurt every day. I can put it in soup and some other things but yeah, even then, I don't eat it every day. When I do, it really helps to puff up my poop and I don't strain as much. I have been eating some sweet potatoes my boyfriend made and that seems to do the same thing and I think I will buy sweet potatoes more often and just bake them and try and eat 1/2 baked sweet potatoe when I don't eat that cereal. I can write the name of the cereal down if you want.

I can't' stand Metamucil cause I used it for years when I had Ulcereative Colitis.. I swear, I get Post Traumatic Stress just thinking about it, but many here swear by it.

Regarding the "Butt cream"... my colorectal surgeon prescribes me some that is made in an apothecary. I swear by it... and use it every time after I take a shower. It heals and soothes. I put a little on my index finger and swirl it around my anus... I don't, per say, stick my finger in my anus but by swirling it around, I am sure a small bit gets in the edges of it and soothes it.

Certain foods really irritate that area and also, at night, if I am having a night where I am up and down and down and up going to the bathroom, I sometimes take another shower and do it again.

I take a lot of showers. I tried so many different types of WIPES but they never really cleaned my skin properly and left a film and then if I didn't take a towel or paper towel (but they can be rough!) the moist area would then get a rash... so I just take a lot of showers so that my anus area stays clean and every time I shower and dry off, I put some "butt cream" on.

Good luck!!!!

Oh, beware of using antibiotics over and over again. They cause their own issues. Try metamucial, sweet potatoes, psylium cereal and perhaps others will give some advice. Try and bulk up your poop and go to the bathroom more often.

Wow!

Thank you so much for taking the time for your detailed response.  You are right about feeling like there is glass in your butt.  That's how I described it to my Dr.  I had a feeling that this pain would be with me forever and I will have to find creative ways to manage the pain.  Your experience sounds exactly like mine!  Selfishly, I am glad that I am not the only one but am sad that other people experience it as well.

I will take your advice and add psyllium cereal and sweet potatoes to my food list (Metamucial is nasty for me!  LOL).

Stay strong, it sounds like you manage your pouch and daily living like a champ!!

Thanks again.

-Wendy

A feeling of glass in the anus is often how anal fissures are described. If that’s what you’ve got, nifedipine or nitroglycerin ointment might help. Heck, maybe that’s what Dancing Girl is using.

Anal fissures are very sensitive to stool consistency, so that could be what the antibiotic helped with, and psyllium might similarly help. I’ve used psyllium every day for 17 years, and most people don’t hate it as much as Dancing Girl.

Thank you so much!  I will research anal fissures and definitely add psyllium to my food. I'm surprised that my Dr hadn't mentioned the fissures, I will ask her about them.  Stool definitely makes the pain worse!!!!  Great info!!

I have never been told I have an anal fissure.. so I am going to just think I don't have one,. I don't feel like there is glass in my butt all the time!!! But I could relate with that feeling.. I do get it from time to time... and I don't dislike psylium.. I dislike METAMUCIL and BENEFIBER. Just shoot me!!!

     Have you looked up Cuffitis?  That is what I have.    I use  Canasa Suppository ever night.   I also have to stay away from sugar.  I hope this helps you out.  

Wendy Hunter posted:

Hello!

I had my takedown in May, 2019 and ever since then have had intense, sharp pain in the lowest part of my rectum.  My dr assures me that the pain will go away but it keeps getting worse.  There is a narrowing of my rectum and the dr said that she stretched it back in June but it has not helped.  The pain (like glass in my butt!!!!) gets worse upon bending over, squatting and during bowel movements.  When I try to have a bowel movement the straining is massive, I'm always straining.

I did two rounds of antibiotics and that seemed to help but as soon as I stopped the symptoms came back.

Any thoughts/suggestions as to what I can do to alleviate the pain and straining would be appreciated.

Also, (and I will be graphic LOL), where do you put the barrier cream?????  Do you actually insert it into the lower part of the rectum/anal canal or just the exterior of the opening?  Sounds silly to ask but these are the things that the dr. never discusses.

Thank you!!!

-Wendy

Ur diet is KEY so there for u have to be MENTALLY FIT  to realize ur in the toughest fight if ur life and this  opponent wants to take urs... mentally fit is huge I. Order TO stay CONSISTENTLY DILIGENT on this LIFESTYLE of eating disciplined.... after all only ur quality of life and ur life depend on it... the lifestyle choice I’ve used for so many years without fail is ALMOST all veggies. THE GREENER THE VEGGIE THE BETTER .. chicken,fish and turkey PORTION CONTROL ANDOF CORSE OATMEAL NO DAIRY.. good luck truly

Dancing Girl posted:

Hi. I have had my j-pouch for about 13 years and I hate to tell you this.. from time to time... and many times.. but not every day.. I get that feeling you are describing... like there's glass in my butt and needs to come out. It happens to me most of all when I have eaten a lot of food and not had a bowel movement and I notice sometimes, it happens when I am out and about and trying to rush through errands and just get home to use my own bathroom.

 

In fact, it happened last night at Target... I had left work around 5:45 and used the bathroom just before leaving and had a bowel movement... and done a few errands before Target. I knew as I was entering Target, I really should have stopped to use the bathroom, but I thought.. all I have to do is return something, get out of the store, and drop by the library and return some books and I'll be home before I know it. You know, here it is, cold weather.. I'd have to go into the bathroom at target, take off my sweater, my scarf, my down vest etc.. and the bathrooms there are never clean etc. etc. but the line for returns was sooo long. I left the line and went into the bathroom and just took care of going and the pain eased.

Certain foods I eat tend to bulk me up and I go more often than my normal going a lot and I just need to remember that and no matter how many times I feel the urge to go, just make the time to go. It is EXHUASTING and in fact, I am going to start a post on that. But in the meantime, yes, I often feel that glass like feeling.

 

Regarding straining, I am trying to eat more of this cereal with Psyliam... I like it with Yogurt but I don't eat yogurt every day. I can put it in soup and some other things but yeah, even then, I don't eat it every day. When I do, it really helps to puff up my poop and I don't strain as much. I have been eating some sweet potatoes my boyfriend made and that seems to do the same thing and I think I will buy sweet potatoes more often and just bake them and try and eat 1/2 baked sweet potatoe when I don't eat that cereal. I can write the name of the cereal down if you want.

 

I can't' stand Metamucil cause I used it for years when I had Ulcereative Colitis.. I swear, I get Post Traumatic Stress just thinking about it, but many here swear by it.

 

Regarding the "Butt cream"... my colorectal surgeon prescribes me some that is made in an apothecary. I swear by it... and use it every time after I take a shower. It heals and soothes. I put a little on my index finger and swirl it around my anus... I don't, per say, stick my finger in my anus but by swirling it around, I am sure a small bit gets in the edges of it and soothes it.

Certain foods really irritate that area and also, at night, if I am having a night where I am up and down and down and up going to the bathroom, I sometimes take another shower and do it again.

I take a lot of showers. I tried so many different types of WIPES but they never really cleaned my skin properly and left a film and then if I didn't take a towel or paper towel (but they can be rough!) the moist area would then get a rash... so I just take a lot of showers so that my anus area stays clean and every time I shower and dry off, I put some "butt cream" on.

Good luck!!!!

 

 

 

Well said!  Def a remedy Ive found to work!  I use Dibucaine (generic) AKA: NUPERCAINAL as my choice. Milk kills me in that regard!  Itch, burn and oftentimes bleeding. These creams are in every gove box of my cars, and I buy those empty (lip gel type) containers and fill them up with Nupercainal so i have them everywhere!  Hot baths also work for me but caution the overuse of wetwipes as they can chafe. For a barrier cream to help prevent that nasty gastric acid from burning the anus, I use CALMOSEPTINE cream. Its not an anesthetic but does well with prev drying out and most importantly, from gastric acid touching that area. If your BMs are liquid and have any yellow color to it, thats the gastric acid. It hurts BAD but can be avoided. Glad you have found your “magic bullet”

Sometimes the gastric acid comes out of NOWHERE. Like, I could have had the exact same meal, and coffee and no gastric acid and then it just comes out of nowhere another day!  So random. Thank goodness it doesn't happen to often. I am glad yuou found a cream to help you too.. Yeah, I rarely use wipes.. Rarely. Once in a great while, like if I am on a little hike with a friend and know I might have to use the woods or filthy outhouses without toilet paper.. or if I am in a situation where there's going to be tons of people and very few bathrooms...

 and you mentioned itch.. ahh.. that itch.. can drive a person insane...

Yea ALL that is part an parcel to this craziness we have. A badet is crucial in the quality of life I would say  especially for a woman forsure.. a lot of fruit has had a MAJOR effect on this for me MAJOR...

Thank you all so much for your responses.  Each of us has our own unique spins on similar experiences.

I am finding that diet is playing a key role for me.  Still stumbling with butt and gut-friendly foods and learning that moving slowly with new foods is smart!!!!

Aside from all of the physical pains, having a solid and positive mind is SOOOO key!!!  I must admit that after all of the meds, surgeries, and set-backs staying positive is one of the hardest things to do.   This mess will soon pass and one day I won't even think of my pouch until I have to sit on the toilet!!  LOL.

Thank you all again!

I hope you are correct. But be prepared to always have a bit of issues with your rectum.... that is felt far beyond just using the toilet!!!

But that being said, the alternatives are much much worse and it IS good to have a positive attitude.

Good luck to you.