Holding in gas

Dear Rafael

I'm sorry to hear that you are having this gas issue! Not too sure how to help you as I do not have the gas issue but my diarrhea smells terrible and know it is embarrassing when out to friends and family homes! .  I apologize but then they know what I went through. Had the total colectomy and jpouch done in one day on June 12 2009. Went through lots of obstructions and then Dec 2011 septecemia and hospitalized for 3 months . Here discovered I had an abscess near the jpouch . For next 2 years had tubes through the buttock into the pelvic are to drain the abscess. Saw a surgeon in Toronto who was able to redo the jpouch in 2013. October 2014 did the reversal and was supposed to be hospitalized 2-5 days ended up 5 months with ileus. The small intestine paralyzed! Had TPN for nutrition then developed cdifficil twice within the 5 months obstructions with Ng tube , blood transfusions , as vomiting blood and stool, Finalky opened me up in Feb 2015 to see  what was going on and removed lots of Adhesions! One week later had to do emergency Surgery as I was spiking fevers and lots of abdominal pains! Did not find anything so did a washout of small intestine! By then things were improving was almost ready to go home when in Narch developed cdifficil again! So another set of antibiotics! I finally got to go home and feel like a baby have to wear diapers at night as have diarrhea anywhere from 4 -10 times per night ! My sleep is completely interfered! The strangest thing is ill sit on toilet for over 30 minutes and nothing comes out! I go back to bed and there it starts seeping out. Big nuisance I also wish I could go back to before all this surgery. They found polyps on colon and high risk because of UC! My question to you is How often do you use Metamucil and when do you use it. Does it help you as now I am having the butt burn and using Calmoseptine! Thanks for hearing me out and love  to know how you are doing!

Mariiuccia

Just a couple of suggestions......sit on the toilet for about 10-15 minutes and if nothing or very little comes out, stand up for a few minutes and then sit back down on the toilet.  If nothing comes out, do it again.  (Once I sat back down on the toilet, I'd cough really hard a couple of times.)  Sometimes just a change in position gets things moving....probably why you experience leakage once you go back to lying down in bed.  I discovered the coughing hard strategy by accident!  Secondly, this strategy only works if you have a hand held showerhead.  Get in the shower and spray fairly warm water right up your "rectum".  Sometimes this will relax the anal sphincters enough to create a bowel movement.  Cleaning up is easy......just use the showerhead to wash the effluent down the drain.  Both of these techniques worked for me early on.  Then,  I didn't need to use them anymore.  Things just started working.  Good luck!

High levels of gas and foul odors may mean bacterial overgrowth. Ask your doctor for a course of antibiotics to get this under control. 

Another issue might be your choice of fiber supplement. Many people are sensitive to psylium and it can cause excess gas. I was one of those. It thickened well,  but increased gas to a crazy level. You may want to try Citucel or Benefiber instead.

Jan

When sitting on the toilet, try to sit up straight as this seems to straighten the pouch and gravity takes over. Or, try to lean backward slightly, as if you want to rest your back against the toilet tank (just be careful not to put your full weight against the tank!). Wait a few minutes to see if things start happening. Hold this position for maybe 20 to 30 seconds. There is a slight curve to the j pouch so sitting up tall and straight, or leaning back, gives room inside for the stool to get past that curve. I know it's exhausting going so many times a day and it is easy to sit on the toilet and slump over, but if you do that you are folding your mid-section even more and squishing the j pouch contents. If you google side view pictures or diagrams of the j pouch you will see it is curved. Straightening up while on the toilet might help. I hope it does.