Hi. I have an ileostomy. I have an almost nightly happening that is gross. Long after I have eaten anything, there is a thick green output in my bag. It is an excellent consistency for pancaking. It also happens when I go to bed. Has anyone else had this problem? It has nothing to do with what I eat!
BAW
I have a loop ileo and I have seen nearly every color of the rainbow since I have had the stoma. Does it hurt? Is there a problem with the bag? I'm one of those.... 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' people. We have a wound care / ostomy clinic downtown here. Get a hold of an ostomy nurse if it bothers you that much.
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It doesn't hurt and has happened with different brands of bags. By the way, what is a LOOP ileostomy!
BAW
Interesting post BAW... Welcome to the site. Hope we can accommodate ya.
Believe it or not, my surgeon told me output should be "like green pea soup". Ugh? Well, yes and no. It comes and goes like that sometimes, and yes, it does depend on what you eat if you're taking notes on what you eat vs. effects of it...
My ostomy nurse disagreed with the green color and said normal output is the same as you had before. So, in my last 3 years having this damn thing, I can see changes when I drink less water or eat more cake-like things... (muffins, bread, etc)
I don't think green output is a problem. The heavy thick semi-solid output can be. To me, that means more water is needed. You're not hydrated enough... I am also learning to stop eating after a certain hour. Some of us have posted about this to reduce the midnight travel to the toilet to empty... It is true. If you stop eating, say at 6 or 7 or 8 pm, you might get better sleep... I am trying by 8 pm to not eat anything.
Also, there are certain drinks that will help you go liquidy.... go right through you... which means liquid output... Carnation Instant Breakfast... the powder mix with milk? Whoa. That will loosen you up...
Always consult an ostomy nurse if you feel things aren't right or could be better.
Others will chime in to help... Warrior
Hello Baw. Thanks for sharing your concerns about the green output. I think that sometimes many of us have some concerns about what comes out of us through the stoma. However, for the most part, there is rarely anything to worry about and we adjust to the new situation remarkably quickly. Let's face it, when it came from the anus and plopped straight into the toilet, we didn't have a lot of oportuntiy to inspect, analyse or criticise the colour, or consistency, unless it caused us other problems besides.
Whenever I have concerns, (about almosrt anything!) I'm a firm believer in trying to find a different perspective, and that usually comes in the form of a rhyme.
I must thank you for mentioning the colour 'green' - as I can now add this to the list in the rhyme below:
Best wishes
Bill
IN MY COLOUR-FULL RAG-TAG BAG.
Right from the start
I sensed there was art
in my colour-full rag-tag-bag.
I’ve so often said
the cherries stay red
in my colour-full rag-tag-bag.
And to my delight
all nuts stay white
in my colour-full rag-tag-bag.
There in my sack
the currants stay black
in my colour-full rag-tag-bag.
I tell you my fellow
the sweet corn stays yellow
in my colour-full rag-tag-bag.
Blueberries too
will keep their dark hue
in my colour-full rag-tag-bag.
Those carrots stand out
bright orange they shout
in my colour-full rag-tag-bag.
I perplex and frown
as I ponder the brown
in my colour-full rag-tag-bag.
A vortex soup of colours blend,
a pot of gold at rainbows end
in my colour-full rag-tag-bag.
Were I an artist like Matisse
I would paint a masterpiece
from my colour-full rag-tag-bag.
But I am just a simple poet
rhyming words is how I show it
from my colour-full rag-tag bag.
I use the rhythms and the rhymes
to tell of smell and raw enzymes
from my colour-full rag-tag-bag.
The subject matter won’t get worse
by placing it within a verse.
The ostomate as graduand
will be the one to understand
my colour-full rag-tag-bag.
B. Withers 2011
You might see what I mean
when the colour turns green
in my colour-full rag-tag-bag.
B.Withers 2020
Hi BAW, have you ever eaten beets? It will scare you the first time as it comes out looking like blood. I've had my ileo for 35 years and have seen all the colors like others have said. It sounds to me like bile, and I've had that after a heavy meal like a thick hearty stew. If there's no pain or nauseous feeling, I wouldn't worry too much.
Hi BAW.
I have an ileostomy and sometimes my contents are green...and about the beets...Whoa!! I love pickled beets but haven't eaten them for years...scared the hell out of me...thought I was bleeding...I always loved fish but avoid that too because I can't stand the fishy smell for the next couple of days after...I think the oils in fish coat the inside of the bag...Lol. Take care BAW, we are here for ya...cheers.
Ange
Hi, try putting an eye dropper of oil into your bag when changing it.
Hey BAW. Others may be able to explain the medical difference better than I can... Similar to a colostomy, I have a stoma as well, but it has two holes instead of one. The hole on my left is the output hole. The other hole (closer to the center of my stoma) is just there. It doesn't do anything (although once I had white discharge come out of it, just like we sometimes have coming out of our butt). For the most part, that hole is dormant. The other difference is my output is liquid, so I don't have to deal with pancaking nor odor. Ileos have a stricter diet, although I'm lucky I can eat anything without blockages. I've decided to take a more conservative approach to food only because I have heard the horror stories from others, and I do not want to be a part of those statistics.