Hi. I have had my j-pouch for about 13 years and I hate to tell you this.. from time to time... and many times.. but not every day.. I get that feeling you are describing... like there's glass in my butt and needs to come out. It happens to me most of all when I have eaten a lot of food and not had a bowel movement and I notice sometimes, it happens when I am out and about and trying to rush through errands and just get home to use my own bathroom.
In fact, it happened last night at Target... I had left work around 5:45 and used the bathroom just before leaving and had a bowel movement... and done a few errands before Target. I knew as I was entering Target, I really should have stopped to use the bathroom, but I thought.. all I have to do is return something, get out of the store, and drop by the library and return some books and I'll be home before I know it. You know, here it is, cold weather.. I'd have to go into the bathroom at target, take off my sweater, my scarf, my down vest etc.. and the bathrooms there are never clean etc. etc. but the line for returns was sooo long. I left the line and went into the bathroom and just took care of going and the pain eased.
Certain foods I eat tend to bulk me up and I go more often than my normal going a lot and I just need to remember that and no matter how many times I feel the urge to go, just make the time to go. It is EXHUASTING and in fact, I am going to start a post on that. But in the meantime, yes, I often feel that glass like feeling.
Regarding straining, I am trying to eat more of this cereal with Psyliam... I like it with Yogurt but I don't eat yogurt every day. I can put it in soup and some other things but yeah, even then, I don't eat it every day. When I do, it really helps to puff up my poop and I don't strain as much. I have been eating some sweet potatoes my boyfriend made and that seems to do the same thing and I think I will buy sweet potatoes more often and just bake them and try and eat 1/2 baked sweet potatoe when I don't eat that cereal. I can write the name of the cereal down if you want.
I can't' stand Metamucil cause I used it for years when I had Ulcereative Colitis.. I swear, I get Post Traumatic Stress just thinking about it, but many here swear by it.
Regarding the "Butt cream"... my colorectal surgeon prescribes me some that is made in an apothecary. I swear by it... and use it every time after I take a shower. It heals and soothes. I put a little on my index finger and swirl it around my anus... I don't, per say, stick my finger in my anus but by swirling it around, I am sure a small bit gets in the edges of it and soothes it.
Certain foods really irritate that area and also, at night, if I am having a night where I am up and down and down and up going to the bathroom, I sometimes take another shower and do it again.
I take a lot of showers. I tried so many different types of WIPES but they never really cleaned my skin properly and left a film and then if I didn't take a towel or paper towel (but they can be rough!) the moist area would then get a rash... so I just take a lot of showers so that my anus area stays clean and every time I shower and dry off, I put some "butt cream" on.
Good luck!!!!