Lauren, yes I had pouchitis. Chronic pouchitis actually. However, this was more than a decade post j-pouch surgery and had zero to do with what I did in those early months, and I never actively held back on pouch empyting, except to avoid soiling myself.
Maybe what you are referring to is bacterial overgrowth which can result from pouch stasis, but that is more of an issue of not being able to empty well, not something you actively contribute to. If your doctor told you to never hold back on emptying your pouch, that is unique to you or your surgeon, not an overall caution.
But please, let’s not make this a debate. There are differences in opinion, and opinions are not fact. Again, I am asking people to NOT make “never/always” statements because they lead to pointless disagreements.
Jan 