Swallowed a Small Gummy by Accident - Should I Be Worried?

I finally started eating a regular meal once a day. Well, today I decided to try one little sour gummy. I chewed but accidentally swallowed it. Mind you, it's the size of a pea, if not smaller, and I'm freaking out. I don't want a blockage, and I do drink plenty of fluids. Any advice? I'm 2 months out.

My stoma can handle a lot of unchewed food bigger than pea-sized (I am awaiting jaw surgery and can't chew that well at the moment), but then again, I've had my ileostomy for about a year and a half. I also pass certain undissolved pills almost intact, although my doctor says that at least I'm getting some of the medication.

At two months out, it would probably be best for your peace of mind to contact your stoma nurse or surgeon to be absolutely sure. If you did experience a blockage, you would have no doubts - the pain would likely be excruciating.

As far as gelatin-based candies, I've read that they can dissolve somewhat in the stomach, but after this type of surgery, it's best not to take any chances. Contact your medical team, and please let us know how you make out.

M

xo

Do not freak out…it's probably fine…and will bounce out in your bag in a few hours…..jb

If you need to worry, just remember 

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jb

Yup. So true.

@ wikoffjamie. I love gummies. Eat them all the time.

In fact, I can finish a bag of them in no time at all.

Yes, chewing helps. But sometimes a little one slips by.

I wouldn't worry about it. I'm an ileo- 8 yrs. Your stoma opening does expand. See how you feel later.

Oh, and welcome. Glad you found us. 👋

Unless you are experiencing pain, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

I regularly eat food (including candy of all kinds) that comes out the same way it went in. I figure if it makes it into the bag without discomfort, there is no problem.

Once, I had an apple and cinnamon muffin that had tiny pieces of dehydrated apple in it, and later that day, I had a "lumpy" bag. I soon realized what had caused the lumps; I swear the apple pieces had rehydrated to their original size, but as they managed to make it into the bag without a problem, I have continued to eat them (too yummy not to)!

Staying Hydrated with an Ostomy with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

I'd eat another one or three and enjoy.

Sit down, chill with a cold beer or a big bar of chocolate, and forget about it.

Hi all, I would think a hot cup of coffee or tea would take care of the problem.

I really think you are worrying about nothing, and two months is a long time regarding getting back to normal eating. Don't punish yourself; start getting back to normal eating.

No worries, you won't get a blockage from something the size of a pea. But do remember to chew, chew, chew. I take gummy magnesium and never have a problem.

😂 says the person who was worried about strawberry seeds. 😁

No beer, but I did forget about it.

Lol 😆 yes

Addressing your gummy problem now. I would probably drink some Coke. It may cause you to be a little bloated because of the carbonation. However, the carbonation should work on the gummy similar to what water does to Alka-Seltzer.

Going forward, 2 weeks out must be considered. I have had my ileostomy for 51 years, and I eat much differently now and over the years than I did weeks after surgery. Your digestive system has been traumatized. Without the colon, food discharges into your pouch almost as soon as you have eaten it. Avoid things like apples (you can have applesauce) and toppings on pizza. You get what I'm saying. The stoma will start to adjust to bigger foods, but you must initially eat softer foods and see how you feel. Just keep testing. Then continue trying different foods. I can eat almost anything, but it was a learning curve. I did have several blockages, and I avoid those foods. You definitely want to avoid having a blockage. Extremely painful. Again, Coke and time always worked for me. But I did have one for 2 days. I do want to depart with encouragement. In 51 years, my ileostomy has been 99.80% a good friend. He/She is part of you now. Mine is a she. That way, I always have a date. (Little humor) 😂

I once was sucking on a hard candy and decided to take my vitamins without removing it. Yeah, kind of dumb. I can swallow tons of pills at once, so I pushed the candy to one side of my mouth, took a swig of OJ, swallowed the pills…and the candy. I was nine years old when it happened, and I still freaked out a little. Hope by the time I'm posting this, your gummy is dissolved (you're really going to be okay!)

Alex, your teasing really makes me miss my brother. I don't get to see him enough. When we were little, he would tease me like there's no tomorrow, but he'd defend me to the ends of the earth.

That was fantastic! You're very witty.

I eat gummy bears all the time, but I don't chew as well as I should all the time; it's never an issue.

I'm still worried about strawberry seeds, not because of one seed, but because the seeds add up. And they could clump together. When I had my blockage, it was due to rice, broccoli, and cheese sauce. Any one of those things alone has never caused me a problem, but when I mixed them together, it caused a major problem, and I did not like the result. I never want to have that happen to me again. So it's not one seed; it's the accumulation of seeds.

I worry about tomato seeds.

I'm so bad at not eating gummy candy. I am 6 weeks out from my surgery and have had no issues. Hopefully, all is well. Don't panic just yet!

Same lol, they are hard to chew into minuscule pieces!

I am not sure what tomato pips are, but if you mean seeds, when I eat a tomato, I remove the skin and the seeds. Then I just eat the tomato. But it's been a while since I had a tomato because my stoma kept spitting them out.

I'd love to see a stoma spit a tomato out. 😮 😁

I think the gummy will melt before passing through.

I swallowed half of a black olive yesterday and panicked for a split second, then remembered about the whole piece of hard candy. I never saw the olive in my bag, but I'm fine. Whew!

Yep, it can be the accumulation. It was quinoa for me. I'll never eat it again!

I started peeling/coring apples, pears, and peaches. I make a big fruit salad that lasts a few days. It is easy to digest. Yes, lumpy bag. The more I chew, the smaller the pieces are. Even currants come out in pieces. Raisins are larger, so I avoid them. I chew my gummies and candy, too. "Mr. Owl, how many chews does it take to eat a Tootsie Roll Pop? 1-2-3-CRUNCH!

A few hours after my initial surgery, I was chewing gum because they want you to try to wake up your bowels. I swallowed it! The nurse said, "Don't worry." (Remember your parents saying your stomach will stick together!!??) Or maybe she was being kind! """OMG!! You didn't, did you??!!! Oh nooooooooo. ha

My doctor changed a lot of my medicines to gummies because the pills were too large and they were not dissolving. I had a loop ileostomy a while back. It sure has been a journey to see what works and what does not work for you.