Small Bowel Obstructions after J-Pouch

I have had my jpouch for 19 years and have experienced more partial obstructions than I can count.  A few have been so bad that they only open up with surgery.  The doctors and nurses at the hospital I go to are wonderful and know me and my health issues.  I just have to be careful with what I eat. Sometimes go to the ER.  I have issues with nausea.  I have both the gel phenergan and zophran pills on hand when needed.  After years of dealing with this, I believe the scar tissue pinches in on the small intestine and causes difficulty for food to move through.  A few of the operations due to obstructions, my small intestine was in a ball of scar tissue.

What I like to do to prevent it is drinking water: before, during, and after ever meal. Walking around after I eat/ exercise, and not overeating, fasting sometimes helps too. I never got a blockage since takedown. Hope my tips help you hon

Thank you both for the reply.  KSR sorry to hear as yours seem a lot worse than mine.  I know some people don't have scar tissue issues at all and some really bad.  You mention being careful what you eat and I know there are all sorts of opinions on that just curious what you avoid or what your safe foods are?

Your welcome

My story is exactly like yours. BO every couple of months ER, hospital for a few days and then back out. I had a revision surgery to remove adhesions a couple years ago. Helped a little but not a lot. Finally I just figured out how to manage them on my own. When I first feel them it's three Cokes to increase acid, then Gatorade with Percocet and zofran until they get better. I'm allowed to stay home for the first 48 hours as long as there is not uncontrollable vomiting or uncontrollable pain fever or other things.

Wow interesting thanks for sharing…my doctor always says that Percocet will make it worse but I have never really increased fluids like that.  How long does it take to clear when you do that?

I had 2 obstructions in the past 17 years.

Caused by eating asparagus, the first could be resolved by a contrast agent for a scan in hospital, but I had cramps for several weeks afterwards.

The second was because of a shift of a small intestine's loop, it required a surgery.

I think diet can help to avoid obstructions. We tend to eat too little fiber and too much highly processed food. Even then fiber supplements like psyllium husk can help. Certain undigestible kinds of fiber, like asparagus or corn husk, can promote bowel's obstruction though.

@rod1 posted:

Wow interesting thanks for sharing…my doctor always says that Percocet will make it worse but I have never really increased fluids like that.  How long does it take to clear when you do that?

Usually 6-8 hours. Percocet slows digestion which in some cases is actually good because some of that hard chunky stuff will actually get digested. Also without the pain meds I would never make it through any of them. They have decided that this routine is definitely better than me having to go to the ER all the time.

I forgot to mention, one obstruction was caused by my small intestine wrapped around my stomach strangling it.  I almost lost 1/2 my stomach.  The doctor said if they waited any longer to operate, I would have died.  That was a rare rare issue.

All the other issues have been caused by scar tissue pinching in or strangling my small intestine.  When I have been cut open, you can't see any organs.  Everything is covered in scar tissue.  The doctors have said my issues are due to the scar tissue.

@ksr posted:

I forgot to mention, one obstruction was caused by my small intestine wrapped around my stomach strangling it.  I almost lost 1/2 my stomach.  The doctor said if they waited any longer to operate, I would have died.  That was a rare rare issue.

All the other issues have been caused by scar tissue pinching in or strangling my small intestine.  When I have been cut open, you can't see any organs.  Everything is covered in scar tissue.  The doctors have said my issues are due to the scar tissue.

DAMN!!!! i am sorry to hear that, I wonder how that happened??? Your resilient