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How many bowel movements a day post-j pouch surgery?

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Posted 11/26/2009 6:23 AM (GMT 0)
I'm a 24 year old recent college graduate, always healthy until I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis exactly one year ago.  I'm considering j-pouch surgery at this point because standard drug treatment has been ineffective.

For those of you who have had j-pouch, how many bowel movements do you have per day?  I've heard everything from 1 bm per day (one guy told me he was 100 percent back to normal) to 15-20 bms a day.  This is my hesitation: right now, I have 3-5 bms a day on average (on some bad days, it's more), so I'm hesitant to have surgery if it increases the bms.  My biggest issue right now is urgency and the adjustments it causes to my daily life.  Don't know what to do right now...

CollegeGrad85

Posted 11/26/2009 1:44 PM (GMT 0)

How often do you urinate per day?

I ask that because frequency is one of the most misunderstood concepts for people contemplating surgery.  Yes, your frequency will be higher but there will be no urgency and you often don't know your pouch needs emptying until you go to pee.  To empty the pouch is a quick as urinating.

I have no idea what my frequency is but if I had to guess I would say in the 6-8 ranger per day; sometimes more depending upon what I eat.  I eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables so my frequency could be lower if I changed my diet but I am not about to do that.  If you are looking to go 1x per day that is not going to happen with any of the surgery choices.  It's highly unrealistic and I have a really hard time believing that anyone with a jpouch is going only 1x per day.  The jpouch is only 9-12" of storage capacity and that replaces 6ft. of colon. 

I am a long distance hiker (100-200 miles), I do international hikes, I backpack, and I work out daily at the gym.  If frequency was an issue I wouldn't be able to participate in these activities.  Really, my life is 150% better than when I had UC.

You can meet more jpouchers at www.j-pouch.org and get their feedback but I would not pursue this option unless you altered your expectations.

Sue

Posted 12/1/2009 2:26 AM (GMT 0)
I am awaiting my reversal in January so I can't personally answer your question since I still have my temporary ileostomy. However, I can tell you that my surgeon says the bm range is 5-10xday. I should expect 8-10xday for the first year or so and then things should settle in the 5-6 range. I have also heard that you simply "go" while you urinate so it shouldn't be an issue for me cuz I pee every hour, lol! Best of luck in your decision.
Posted 12/1/2009 7:34 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Grad,

I had my j-pouch surgery one year ago, and currently I have between 8 and 10 BMs a day; at least two of which are at night. For me there is sometimes slight urgency and often bad gas, but you learn to hold it until a convenient time to let loose haha. It's manageable, and far better than UC (which caused me to have 30+ BMs a day towards the end of my time with that disease). However, it is definitely NOT back to "normal" however - and probably never will be.

If I may say it, aside from the urgency, are you sure you have enough "reasons" for surgery? I can't and shouldn't judge your own personal situation and motives, obviously, but most people who have opted for surgery have lived with UC for a number of years, and have lived with severe symptoms (i.e. much more bowel movements than you are currently dealing with, plus usually other complications such as severe weight loss, blood loss, pain etc...). Surgery is a pretty big step, with a long recovery period, lots of potential complications, and therefore shouldn't be taken lightly. I'm sure you know this, but I thought I'd say it again :-)

Take care,

D
Posted 8/6/2013 4:40 AM (GMT 0)
I had my colonectomy July 2012, and my take down October 2012. It's August 2013, and I currently have 15-30 BM per day with 10-15 at night (or about half). I'm seeing my gastroenterologist again, and he is prescribing different meds, none of which work. I'm a bit envious of those people who have a successful surgery and don't suffer this sort of setback.

I like fitness, and not only can I not participate in century rides and ultramarathon cycling anymore, sitting on a bike is more than I can bear sometimes for even 15 minutes because I "have to go" when I attempt riding.

Having read a post above, I haven't heard about not having urgency. I don't personally know any j-pouchers but I know I get a sense of urgency all day long, but my doctors both seem relatively unconcerned about that. It's really not postive picture I'm painting here, but it's how it is.

There are a lot of good results though, but not everyone.

Post Edited (John in Tulsa) : 8/5/2013 10:44:09 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/6/2013 10:56 AM (GMT 0)
I want to second what Sue said about emptying your j pouch when you have to go pee. My average amount of times per day that I go is about 6. Sometimes less sometimes more. No urgency at all. My life has returned to normal as it was pre-UC.
Posted 8/6/2013 12:03 PM (GMT 0)
You need to be truly prepared going into this. First, there is always the possibility that you may not be able to have a j-pouch, and they won't know that until after you have your colon removed - so you could have an ostomy for life. Are you prepared for that possibility? And the surgeries can be tough. I am 2 weeks out from takedown, and right now, it's not much fun. I don't have urgency per se (I can hold it) but I do have pressure, am going 15+ times a day, and have terrible butt burn. This will get better, but it can take 3 months to a year to get more normal. For me, it was totally worth it. I don't think it's about how king you have suffered (although I had UC for more than 10 years), but about quality of life. At my worst, I was on massive doses of Prednisone plus Remicade - had tried fizens ifvither drugs too - and still flaring bad enough to keep sending me to the hospital. I had to wear adult diapers to get to and from work. I couldn't go anywhere without worrying about bathroom access. Exercising made it worse. In short, I was miserable. If you are not that sick or having your life significantly effected, I urge you to proceed with caution, because the surgeries are no picnic. They're only worthwhile if you really are out if other options.
Posted 8/6/2013 1:10 PM (GMT 0)
LOL - a bit off topic here, but I noticed how many views this thread has & looked at the original date - 11/26/09..... wonder if CollegGrad85 chose surgery?
Posted 8/6/2013 1:15 PM (GMT 0)
Haha ... sometimes these old threads pop up and nobody notices the date if the OP :)
Posted 8/6/2013 1:59 PM (GMT 0)

musicmaker516 said...
LOL - a bit off topic here, but I noticed how many views this thread has & looked at the original date - 11/26/09..... wonder if CollegGrad85 chose surgery?

Ha...didn't even notice that! I wonder too....
Posted 1/23/2018 6:14 PM (GMT 0)
Hey. I just thought I would pass on some of the things that have helped me adjust.
I have had my J-pouch for about a year and I was experiencing the 15 to 20 time a day bathroom trips.
I have found that drinking a mixture of 2 full tablespoons of Metamucil in a half a glass of cold water before breakfast and cutting back on the amount of food I eat (basically cutting out eating between meals) has gotten me down to 5 - 10 a day with usually only 1 or 2 movements at night.
A happy bonus of taking the Metamucil is that it has also cut down on the stomach acid that seeps out from time to time, so there is less burning and less rawness down there.
I know that drinking Metamucil may need to be an "acquired taste" but it is working for me right now. The only medication I am currently taking now is the occasional aspirin for those old age body aches.
After 30 plus years of all that other stuff, I count that as a blessing.
Good luck. I hope that this helps.
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