Has anyone else had issues with having chronic pouchitis? It’s okay, raise your hands. You’re not alone! I swear you’re not. I am in the chronic pouchitis club. Over the past year, I started to lose a little bit of hope because even with the Remicade, I was still getting some pouchitis flare ups. But, I have found a couple of soldiers to help with combating the pouchitis war!
I’ve always been a probiotic advocate. I don’t like the consistency of yogurt, so I’ve always taken the actual probiotic pill or supplement. Sometimes you can do a few yogurt bites, but it really isn’t enough bacteria for us to combat all that we need to combat with our grown diseased guts. The best probiotics are the live ones you find in the refrigerated section at Whole Foods. But recently my GI doctor suggested I try a probiotic that is used directly for Crohn’s & Colitis patients. It’s a medical food used for patients like us with specific digestive diseases and complications. I would ask your doctor about it if he/she hasn’t already brought it up. Be warned that Medicare does NOT cover Medical Foods. There is a bill that was presented before, that needs congressional support that I went to DC to advocate for. Check out my blog post on my trip to DC for more info. So, maybe while you are talking to your doctor about this medical food, you can write to your local Congress person & Senator(s) about the importance of Medicare covering this medical food. I am just getting on the VSL #3 train, but so far so good. I’m hoping that it will alleviate this chronic pouchitis issue. Time will tell, but the reviews from patients and doctors have been amazing. So, here we go!
Another soldier I use in during my pouchitis battle is alkaline water. Specifically, Essentia Water . I really love the way I 
feel after drinking alkaline water. I used Kangen Water from a friend of mine who has a filter system in her house, after my Ileostomy take down surgery. And I swear it helped me get through the days of pain, fatigue and the scaring of my skin. It can turn dehydration and the pain associated, right around. Literally! Check out Essentia. It is my favorite bottled Alkaline Water. You can buy it by the case on Amazon or you can just run into Ralph’s (which is where I buy it often) and grab some bottles for the house. Alkaline water is something that I don’t do exclusively because of some of the medications I take. But I do drink it often. Especially after a round of pouchitis when I’m dehydrated and drained from the antibiotics. It’s definitely something to look into.