Colostomy Output: Is Liquid or Solid Better?

Question: I wonder if people with a colostomy have a better time with more solid output or more liquid output? I have just rinsed my bag out for the 2nd day in a row because it just seems to stick to the bag instead of falling out. The only time my output is more solid is when I eat steak; nothing else seems to make any difference. I can load up on crackers, and it stays the same. If I eat a bunch of fruit, it stays the same - maybe I should add probiotics?

G-Day Dwild,

I have an ileostomy, and when I eat steak, my output is very runny. I prefer it that way.

IGGIE

How funny it's the exact opposite! I wonder if I just don't chew it very well. I'm thinking I like it a little more solid than liquid myself.

I prefer more solid. In my opinion, there is less chance of a leak. I rinse my bag out 99.9% of the time when I empty it. It takes about 30 seconds to add some warm water, swish it around, and let it out. Then, your bag is basically clean again.

It doesn't take much, but I have to add water, swish, and empty several times before it is basically clean, so my output must be very sticky. If I add any liquid at all in the form of deodorizer, I still end up needing to rinse it out to get it out of the top part of the bag. It probably doesn't help that I have an innie stoma. Next time I change, I will try the flow assist device to see if that makes any difference.

My Ostomy Journey: LeeAnne | Hollister

Hollister Adapt lubricating deodorant helps sticky output slide better. I mix that and hydrogen peroxide together. As I got liquid output, if it's too watery, eating marshmallows helps. It depends on your diet. If I eat too many raw fruits and vegetables, it's a disaster.

From what I gather, ileostomy optimal output is like toothpaste consistency, and colostomy should be a little firmer, which means your body is absorbing fluids effectively. Whereas ileostomy ostomates don't absorb a lot of fluid due to the lack of a large intestine, so they have to maintain hydration more. Hope that helps.

Mr B

Once in a while, I have to rinse twice, but not very often. Plus, rinsing saves a ton on toilet paper. I use like 4 squares each time: 2 and 2 to wipe the end of the bag out. I might go through a roll a week.

My colostomy is usually loose/watery, which I prefer. Sometimes it's thicker, but there isn't always a cause-effect reason. I, too, need several rinses to get the bag as clean as I prefer.

My colostomy output is nearly water all the time. Once in a great while, I will get sticky output that wants to pancake. That is always followed by more water.

I've tried everything to thicken it. Nothing works. The best I've found is potatoes, which give me some chunks in my water.

I'd be happy with toothpaste consistency and would love a drier solid output.

Liquid output stresses my seal.

Ileostomy here…my output is all of the above mentioned…solution…rinse with water, add a dab (say 1/2 teaspoon) of baby oil…

V-I-O-L-A….okay maybe not the exact French spelling but you get the drift…stuff seems to just slide right out….

This little applicator works swell - a picture for your viewing pleasure

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Further description (if needed): small plastic bottle is a travel size Johnson's baby oil bottle…the lid is from a disposable enema application (perfect fit - good example of Bill's DIY theme). The K-cup is to show size, and the little salt and pepper outhouses are just for laughs…compliments of Laurel and Hardy “Always Leave Them Laughing When You Say Goodbye” jb

More solid waste is easier for me to empty, but I really do not have control of the consistency unless I eat very little food; then the waste comes out solid and small. I have a colostomy. I do not rinse my bag; I just empty and clean the top. I wear my bags for 24 to 36 hours, trying to reach 48 hours to save money.

Mine is mostly solid, and I have a squeeze bottle to rinse every time. I use the lubricant deodorant, and it doesn't seem to help push it down. I'm new to this, so any tips are welcome. I have a colostomy.

Sounds like you're drinking too much fluid, or something in your diet is speeding up the function of your small intestine.

Coffee or fizzy drinks make my output watery; mashed potatoes are good to slow your digestive system down, and also jelly babies or jelly sweets like Haribo, lol.

Well, that won't help me lose weight, though I do love me some mashed potatoes! I do drink a lot of water; maybe that's the issue? I've always been a big water drinker and found out about 10 years ago that it was probably the thing that kept my gout asymptomatic or at bay because they want me drinking lots of water to help my kidneys. I'm trying the flow assist thing today, but I don't imagine it will make much difference. I left off the purple stuff even though I looked horribly raw. At least the back of the flow assist thing didn't hurt going on the raw skin….😞

My bloodwork shows dehydration. I am not drinking too much. I don't drink enough. Besides, with 90% of my colon left, that water really should be absorbed.

I actually have come to suspect bile acid malabsorption syndrome. I have always had a lot of diarrhea. For a while, I carried an IBS-D diagnosis. Then I just stopped mentioning it to doctors and ignored it. The colostomy has made me much more aware of how much and how bad the diarrhea is.

Now I just have to convince my doctor.

Had to look that up, and it does not sound like fun - but there is a medicine to treat it! And when they request a fecal sample, you can just give them a bag!

Mine is the same as you if watery and only changes when I eat potatoes a lot, and then it is too painful, so I don't xx

Are you sure we aren't sisters?