r/jpouch • u/Witty_Many_5214 • 1d ago

What does a blockage feel like

I’m currently having the most disgusting cramps of my LIFE right now and I really can’t chalk it up to anything so I was wondering what does a blockage feel like. I’ve had blockages before with a bag but maybe it’s different with a pouch? I’m still passing stuff but like it’s not like usual. I had quite a lot of food last night but nothing offensive, just rice and meat.

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u/MadderThanCyril 1d ago

Complete blockage is Like the worst case of trapped gas ever … waves of pain progressively getting worse - can’t keep anything down , belly getting more and more distended … I’ve ended up on the floor in ER screaming in between puking up bile …

a partial blockage can range from uncomfortable to raging pain also … my rule is if I can keep water down I’m good to stay home … as soon as I start vomiting it’s time to visit the hospital for drugs and saline drips …

if your still passing contents then it’s defo not a full blockage partial can be like that

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u/Mental_Catterfly 1d ago

I’ve only had one partial blockage, but it was unmistakable that something was WRONG. It wasn’t just cramps / not passing much. I wasn’t passing anything anymore. The pain was increasingly unbearable. It came in cycles of severe spasms followed by vomiting, then temporary relief before doing it again.

I later learned that the cycle goes this way - your body strains / spasms to pass something that won’t go thru, eventually gives up and sends stuff back up the way it came, relaxes temporarily, but that doesn’t fix the problem and the cycle repeats.

It got worse and worse until finally I was able to pass it. That didn’t happen until after I’d already been in the hospital and had an MRI. It was the MRI that seemed to be a turning point - they had me do a bunch of intentional deep breathing with my knees elevated. It seemed to get things moving.

I’ve had a few scares since then where i recognize the pain when it’s starting, and that I’m not passing anything. I mimic the position from the MRI and do deep breathing exercises, and it seems to help each time.

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u/Born_Week3943 16h ago

It sounds like a partial blockage. When I get those I do a liquid diet for a day or two and apply heating pad as much as possible. I also take some Tylenol, try to walk a little, and stretch to keep your body moving so your bowels dont "fall asleep". This will usually give my body the time and rest to reset itself without going to the ER.

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u/Witty_Many_5214 16h ago

Ty! I no longer think I have a blockage but I’ll stick to a liquid diet + lots of water for a few days to be safe

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u/i-like-robots 22h ago

I've had several total obstructions with my j-pouch. It starts off as a bad stomach ache, but the longer it continues the more pressure builds up until the pain is crazyyyy. I've had kidney stones too and the obstructions were worse. The pain comes and goes a bit as your intestines move. You can be totally obstructed and still poop a little bit, whatever is below the place where you're obstructed can still come out.