Pouchitis - symptoms and what to do
It continues to amaze me how little information J-Pouch patients are given about pouchitis (inflammation of the pouch) given how common it is. I'm sharing this information below because I am seeing more and more of our patients with J pouches not being given the information about the symptoms of pouchitis or what to do if they get them and suffering for long periods of time unnecessarily.
What are the symptoms of pouchitis?
If you experience a change in your J Pouch function or new symptoms of:
diarrhea
increased number of bowel movements
pouch leaking at night
difficulty holding when you feel the need to empty your pouch
abdominal pain
joint pain, cramps and fever
These can be a sign of pouchitis.
What should I do if I experience pouchitis symptoms or a change in your pouch function?
Go to your GP or your surgical/IBD team, if you still have one, and ask for:
blood tests
a Faecal Calprotectin stool test.
This will look at whether or not there is inflammation in your pouch, if its raised (faecal calprotectin or CRP (a blood marker for inflammation in the body)) you should be referred to a gastroenterologist for further investigations and treatment.
What should I do next?
Don't panic if this happens, Pouchitis is common affecting 50% of people with J-pouches at some point in their life and its usually easily treated with a course of antibiotics.
There is also a lot we can do dietary wise to help support your pouch function and help reduce your symptoms as well as looking at ways we can support your longer term pouch health.
If you would like support with your J-Pouch we can help you.
We are a nutrition and dietetics clinic specialising providing exceptional care to improve the quality of life of people living with IBD. We bring clarity around food and IBD and remove uncertainty and fear around food.
Our IBD specialist Nutritionist (Clemmie) and specialist gastroenterology and IBD Dietician (Jess) both have IBD and live/have lived with J-Pouches too so ‘get it’ and are so passionate about helping others with IBD and J-Pouches.
If you would like support with your IBD please book a free initial call via the button below so we can find out more about you, discuss how we can help and take you through our appointment options.
Disclaimer: All content found on the nalmclinic.com website, including: text, video, or other formats have been created for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor, consultant or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
We are all wonderfully unique and what works for one person may not work for another so please seek help and advice before changing your diet to work out the right way forward for you.