I had a total colectomy and j-pouch done in 1987. At the time I was diagnosed with UC. The pouch was never very successful, I had chronic pouchitis and was on daily antibiotics for most of the 15 years, and still suffered from anal abscesses, fistulas, and pain.

In 2002 I decided to have the j-pouch excised and go with a permanent ileostomy. It was a really tough decision, because I *really* didn't want an ileostomy. But my quality of life was not what I wanted; I couldn't do the things I wanted to do, I had to wear pads because of leakage and my skin was not in great shape, and I was going to the ER with blockages pretty often.

Have you been to a GI doctor with your symptoms? A scope might be a good idea to see what is going on.

It might not be the solution that you are looking for, and I wasn't exactly jumping for joy when I first got the ileostomy, but I now have a healthy life and it has been worth it.