J-pouch spasms
October 19, 2009For the first month or so after my takedown surgery, my J-pouch frequently had spasms that reminded me very much of the intense urges I used to have with colitis. While the feeling may be the same, what’s happening is very different. This video explains my experience with this unexpected phenomenon.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Question: Have you experienced these spasms? Answer below!
8 years post-surgery, I continue to see these spasms. However, they are *always* attributed to full pouch. I didn’t have these at all until I started to eat regular diets months after surgery. Now, I realize they’re a sign of a full-pouch. As you said, they may be attributed to having stool stagnant where they wasn’t any prior to surgery. But as I’ve aged, they’ve become a normal thing that I just accept.
Sudden changes of position often trigger them. There are some food triggers for me as well, such as honey-nut cheerios, pepperoni, and other greasy substances. After consuming a good amount of these, I often have more than if I eat pasta or meat.
I tolerate them. Sometimes, they’re annoying and painful. I call them ‘cramps’ and just call it a day.
To whom it may concern. I have fought UC for about 30 years. It is now getting the best of me. I am desperatly trying to find relief or a cure through natural herbs. I am on to some herbs that are helping and may eventually get rid of this terrible disease. I am trying to get this all worked out and take it to the market through a web site and youtube and blogs. What is your opinion? I am working with a natural path and have done quite a bit of research on my own. I feel there has to be another way than to have to have surgery. Greg
Greg,
Certainly natural healing is one way to go. I have no specific opinion on it since there are so many natural remedies and I don’t know what herb does what. There are probably some natural medicines that work for some people, but there doesn’t seem to be anything definitive that helps all people in all cases.
Personally, I can say from experience and from talking to many, many other people that surgery is a good option if other treatment methods do not work out.
Dennis
Good video. Have had these spasms since my op 10 days ago. Wish they’d warned me as I felt like it was gonna burst.
As u suggest, let’s hope they clear up in a few weeks. Been getting them every 10mins or so.
How has your pouch performed thus far?
Ian (UK)
I’m post 15 days after takedown and spasms come frequently. Some time I can fight them off and others run to the WC. I hope mine decrease. One thing for sure I know- thank God for this website. I wonder how your pouch is performing 2 years later. Mine 15 days in does not seem to really fill up alot. I hope it gets better control. Best Bobby
I’m 11 days post takedown and have these spasms frequently. I take lomotil and tincture of opium to slow my GI tract, both of which help ease the spasms, which then come back as the drugs wear off. I hate to say it but I’m starting to miss my ileostomy. [Insert little "grrrrr" face here.]
Well, I’m 11 weeks post takedown and now have these spasms rarely. Things do get better! My output remains ridiculously high, but I’ll take any improvement I can get (though I still miss my ostomy). Thanks again for providing this site.
Dennis,
Thank you so much for this information. I had been having these spasms after my takedown surgery yet didn’t know how to describe them and my surgeon just thought I had pouchitis. I ended up still having them so he set me back on cipro and ordered a pouchoscopy. My pouch ended up looking fine on the scope and didn’t even have pouchitis. I was relieved until they kept happening. I felt almost silly trying to describe the pain, yet when I heard you describing the pain and symptoms I could 100% relate. What a relief to know it’s normal and now I can show my surgeon this and at least explain it better. I do still have them more than 3 months after my takedown, but I think my jpouch is still catching up. I had to have 3 surgeries since my UC was toxic so the first was 3months apart from the 2nd which is when I had the jpouch made, and only 5 (yup) weeks later I had my takedown. Again thanks! God bless you for your work and helping others.