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Watery stools and leaking

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Posted 6/24/2015 10:46 PM (GMT 0)
Everything was going pretty well for me until about a few days ago. My pouch sounds like an ocean, seriously.

I don't leak during the day but this past week, I've been leaking a lot during the night and I usually never do. Also, My stools have been very watery and I feel a lot more tired. The urgency is not bad. I can hold it but you can hear the loud rumbling noise and you just know that water is going to come out. Could this be pouchitis?

I had pouchitis last summer but I remember it being worse. The urgency was definitely bad.
Posted 6/25/2015 6:56 AM (GMT 0)
These could be symptoms of pouchitis.
Posted 6/25/2015 9:17 AM (GMT 0)
I hope not....😟 I haven't been going often, but usually when I eat breads my stools are thick but it's been mostly watery and some clumps (sorry for the gross description...). If it doesn't get better by next Monday, I'm taking a trip to the hospital.
Posted 6/25/2015 2:38 PM (GMT 0)
Penny,

These symptoms might be treated easier and better by going to the GI than the hospital....ER docs can be useless and clueless about J-pouches.

You could have pouchitis or cuffitis. They can usually be treated with medications at home. The leakage could be cuffitis.
Posted 6/25/2015 2:53 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, ks 1905.

That's so true. Yes, I was thinking of going to my GI, but just not sure whether There's something going on there enough for me to go see my dr or what. I know the first thing he'll do is a blood test that's for sure.
Posted 6/25/2015 4:03 PM (GMT 0)
Penny,

It is mostly a guessing game based on the symptoms. They can do a digit check to check for cuffitis. Pouchitis doesn't always show up on scopes, which you should be going for once a year with a prior dx of colorectal cancer.

GIs usually will write a script for a round of antibiotics or suppositories to treat the symptoms and adjust as necessary.
Posted 6/26/2015 1:31 AM (GMT 0)
Some people have claimed pepto bismal tablets have helped with pouchitis as the bacteria do not like the heavy metal, so you could try a few weeks of them and see if your symptoms clear up.

I've actually had better results staying away from breads and what but to each their own.
Posted 6/26/2015 1:39 PM (GMT 0)
Ks1905,
Yes, I also prefer to be scoped once a year but for some reason my surgeons only do it when symptoms come up. They base it on blood tests and tumor marker and ct every six months. I'd actually prefer to also get scoped since we don't necessarily always have symptoms for cancer.

I've never had cuffitis before....kind of getting scared now but um for now, it seems I can hold my stools although there is a tiny bit of urgency after drinking water...and when I do go to the restroom, it's like I don't even have to try. It just comes out and mostly watery. Kind of reminds me of the time before getting diagnosed with UC when I didn't know what was going on. The way my stools were coming out was strange. It feels similar to that.

Virulent,
Thank you for your tips :)
Yes, I should stop eating breads.....I eat way too much and probably may be why I'm dealing with this now..
Posted 6/26/2015 6:31 PM (GMT 0)

penny471 said...
Ks1905,
Yes, I also prefer to be scoped once a year but for some reason my surgeons only do it when symptoms come up. They base it on blood tests and tumor marker and ct every six months. I'd actually prefer to also get scoped since we don't necessarily always have symptoms for cancer.

That's interesting because the last thing that my surgeon told me before he discharged me from his care was to get yearly scopes from my GI. Then my GI said that yearly scopes weren't necessary because I had my j-pouch because of UC but if I had my colon removed due to colon cancer then I'd need yearly scopes. But he agreed to scope me yearly if I wanted.
Posted 6/28/2015 6:35 AM (GMT 0)
I see. So, you're pretty fortunate then :) I'd definitely ask for the yearly scope.

I'm still under the surgeon's care for another 2 years because of the cancer - not sure what happens after, though. In my case, the surgeon's office is in a government-run hospital, so I think that may be why they won't do much unless it's a serious matter - probably to save funds. It makes things difficult, though, cause they're telling me that they want me under their care for 5 years (from when I was diagnosed with cancer in 2012), but sometimes I need a GI or something in case I need IV fluids, so I've kept in touch with my GI (the one I had before getting referred to the surgeon's). He's been a savior.

So I'm kind of afraid that nothing may show up when they do a blood test tomorrow and may just dismiss me. I'll see about that.
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