Immediately after the surgery is complete, the patient tends to pass liquid stool with frequent urgency, and he or she may have 8 to 15 bowel movements per day, but this eventually decreases with time. Because the ileo-anal pouch is a considerably smaller reservoir than the colon, patients tend to have more frequent bowel motions; typically 6-8 times a day. Also because the ileum does not absorb as much water as the colon, the stools tend to be less formed, and sometimes fluid. The normal pouch output is described to be of a consistency similar to porridge. People who find that the consistency remains loose or who experience bowel movements too frequently usually take loperamide or codeine phosphate to thicken the stool and slow the bowel movement.