I am 4 months post op from ileostomy takedown. My bowels are formed 90% of the time. I’m averaging 8-9 bm a day. I take 7 Imodium a day and take questran 3 times a day. I also take 2 Metamucil wafers at breakfast and dinner. I tried to take Vsl 3 capsules but after first capsule I had a lot of gas. Is this normal at startup and will it go away I know at 4 months I still have a long recovery ahead. I just don’t won’t to go backwards. Thanks for any help
Some people do get gassy for a while after starting VSL. It’s usually transient, but if it continued more than a week or two I’d be tempted to abandon the VSL, especially if I were just taking it to prevent a problem I might never (or rarely) have.
I had more luck in the early days with stretching my pouch (gradually delaying bathroom trips longer) than pounding lots of Imodium and Questran. When I did try Questran for a particular problem it was no help at all in my case. Also, be sure to space any medications well away from the Questran.
Formed stools are generally not a helpful goal for a J-poucher. They tend to lead to straining, which can in turn cause a variety of problems. I’d suggest aiming for something more like pudding or applesauce consistency.
