Hopefully your GI will have some sense of what’s going on. Pushing on an empty pouch will just lead to problems. At 5 months in plenty of J-pouchers are still adjusting, What things are you doing besides Imodium? Have you tried psyllium fiber (Metamucil)? I used that from the very beginning, and it helps me. Have you tried gently delaying bathroom trips to gradually “stretch the pouch?” What ointment are you using? Even plain zinc oxide applied after every poop will begin to allow external healing, but some folks prefer Calmoseptine or Ilex. If you’re having spasming there are medications that can help, but I’d be careful about driving after taking those. Good luck!