Too Hungry with a Stoma: Anyone Else?

That's it really. I am just too hungry. Anyone else experienced this with a stoma?

If you mean you are eating too much, I can relate. You don't say how new your stoma is or whether it is a colostomy or ileostomy. My ileostomy was put in on 12/29/2022. I had a particularly bad time in the hospital and was there for 3 months. I weighed 138 upon discharge, and I can tell you that is a bit light for a 6'2" male of the species! I was on a high-calorie diet for the first couple of months of "freedom" and managed to gain 30 pounds, and I am where I need to be weight-wise, if not muscle-wise. But, I have had to learn to slow down again, lest I get back to my COVID weight. :-)

If you are looking for help or info on how your experience relates to others here, it would be helpful to know if you have an ileostomy or a colostomy. Did they have to take the colon? If so, is your rectum still intact? You will find that people here have a wide range when it comes to ostomies and the reasons they got there, and how long it has been. There are people like me who are relative rookies and others that have had their bags for as much as 60 years. No one has exactly the same story, and it helps to provide as much info as possible.

--Daniel

Well, eat, duh. 😁

Are you losing weight or just hungry? I have the opposite problem with no appetite. When I first had my ileostomy, I had to get salt in me when I first woke up, or I'd get sick. Do things like steel-cut oatmeal or adding peanut butter to whatever you feel like give you a more full feeling?

Not that I can remember, but I have had my ileostomy a long time.

I do know it can be a 'real problem for some.'

There are a few reasons for comfort eating. It might be worth having your blood tested for B12 deficiency and a few other things. I've got my foggy brain today, so I can't remember the other deficiencies to look for. You haven't said what surgery you've had. If you've had your colon removed, there's a section in it that sends signals to your brain to tell you that you're full and to stop eating. This usually resolves itself over time as your brain retrains itself.

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister