Using imodium with a J-pouch
May 5, 2009I’ve made a video before about using Imodium, an anti-diarrheal, with an ileostomy, and I suppose using Imodium with a j-pouch is essentially the same. This video describes how I use the medicine. I certainly don’t use it as much as with my diverting loop ileostomy, and I don’t use it as much as some people use it with their j-pouch. In the end it comes down to what kind of frequency you want to live with, and how much medicine you want to take every day.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Question:For the j-pouchers, how often do you use Imodium? Reply to this post!
I am still living with my Ileostomy but also have my J Pouch constrcted inside me awaiting the second surgery. Trouble is, I’m trying to decide whether to go to J Pouch or spend the rest of my life (I’m 60) with the Ileostomy because 40& of the time my output is liquid and I don’t know how the J Pouch would handle that. I am takin a couple of prescriptions of anti-diarrheals, to no avail. For me eating chunks or slices of cheddar cheese helps a lot. Can your J Loop and anus hold it when it’s liquid during the day and at night?
thx,
john
Hi John,
Deciding whether to go ahead with the J-pouch or not can be a big decision. The short answer, though, is yes, the J-pouch can hold back liquid stool during the day. As you may know from reading other peoples’ stories, J-pouch frequency can be as high as six or seven times during the day, but there is almost always control with that. That frequency sounds like a lot but if your stool is very liquid right now, chances are you are emptying your pouch nearly that often today.
If the stool is very liquid sometimes a little can leak out at night, but you learn over time what kinds of foods to eat at night and when to stop eating to help prevent this.
Also over time, the J-pouch does learn to absorb water a little bit. The frequency might be higher the first few months but it does get better over time in most cases.
Dennis
If you have problems with constipation, as related to the j pouch, prune juice usully will work really well…