New to Colostomy: Can I Eat Popcorn or Mango?

Hi everyone, I'm new to wearing a colostomy, and I'm glad I ran across this group. I'm still learning the do's and don'ts of living with a colostomy bag. I'm not sure what to eat or about a lot of things. The other day, I wanted some popcorn, so I Googled (been doing that a lot lately) and got a lot of conflicting answers. Just wondering, is it safe to eat popcorn or something like mango or dried mango slices? I'm just so confused.

Hello Newbie48204 and welcome to this group.
What you are describing is quite normal for new situations. There are some comprehensive guidance notes on diet for colostomies in the 'collections' section and also on the many ostomy support sites. Also, most device manufactures will send you a list if you ask.
However, we are all different in how things affect our bodies and sensible experimentation is probably the best way to go with regard to what you can and cannot eat.
I don't eat popcorn (chew gum & other such things) because it tends to encourage swallowing excessive air and that leads to lots of farting.
I also do not eat meat/ dairy/ or other similar things because I am vegetarian - absolutely nothing to do with having a stoma but more to do with not wanting to feel guilty about killing or harming other creatures !
If & when you experiment with food it is advisable to start with small amounts and always chew, chew and chew again.
I like Beetroot but it tends to colour my output in the same way that excessive bleeding might, so it's worth bearing in mind that food can have all sorts of after-effects.
Good luck with finding out what suits you!
Best wishes

Bill
   

Welcome from Oz 🇦🇺

Just introduce new food a little at a time and evaluate it yourself; don't let others scare you from doing what you wish to do. I have an ileo and eat everything, no problem, and I'm not alone. You will work it out.

I can't say if you can; you will just have to try it yourself. Just a small amount—see how it goes down and comes out. I always say bin those foods on avoid lists; they do more harm than good, giving people a fear of food for no reason. Just eat it! 😉

Colostomy here. Both are good with me.

How to Get Back to Fitness After Ostomy Surgery with Ryan | Hollister

Welcome… Stoma life is indeed a journey into the unknown, and lucky for you that you have landed here in the sanctuary and the school of process and progress for anyone sporting an ostomy. Knowledge is power, and you will find those sharing their on-the-job knowledge as a great resource of information, as well as total understanding, support, and some much-needed humor sprinkled among the posts. Again, WELCOME and hugs! jb

Hello and welcome!

I have had a colostomy for 17 months now. Yes, there are “lists” of foods you will see if you Google foods to avoid, but we are all different. Just try a little of anything you want and chew, chew, chew.

If you check under Forum and look at some threads, you will see this topic has been discussed many times. Have a little popcorn and see how you do. Many folks on here with a colostomy eat anything and everything and do just fine.

Ask anything you wish. It's a journey for sure, but we all started out not knowing squat, and through this site, you will see there is a wealth of knowledge and experience, and we are all here to help.

Let us know how you are getting along and know all questions are relevant, and we will do our best to answer them.

Welcome aboard.

IGGIE

I have a couple of general points I will share:

1. Persons with colostomies generally have fewer problems with blockages than those with ileostomies, although adhesions can alter that. Much of the confusion about food to avoid is because there is often no distinction made between colostomy and ileostomy. There is a longer post on this at the following link: https://www.meetanostomate.org/discussion-forum/viewtopic.php?t=34664#275184
2. All fiber is not the same. There is soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. The gastrointestinal tract cannot digest insoluble fiber. You should exercise more diligence (initially try with a small serving; when eating, chew until the food has turned mushy in your mouth) with insoluble fiber. Popcorn is mostly insoluble fiber, although it does contain some soluble fiber. When searching, you may have better luck determining if the food contains fiber and, if it does, which type.

Eat small amounts to see how it affects you.

Hi. I'm fairly new to this too. I have an ileostomy, which is a little different, but I agree with others that it's trial and error to find what works for you. You can also find substitutes for what doesn't (i.e., corn chips instead of popcorn, PB instead of peanuts, etc.). I have also found new ways to eat some of my favorite foods. For example, I puree beans so they are easier to digest, and I remove the seeds from tomatoes. Just keep trying the foods you like and tweaking your diet accordingly.

I have an ileostomy, but I have heard from others with a colostomy that popcorn can hurt coming out. That it can be eaten, but that there are complications such as the pain associated with expelling it. I think corn products are generally not good for ostomies. But colostomies are slightly different; I think you can eat more things with one. Eating mango should be okay. I don't know about dried mango. But I eat mango, and I don't have a problem with it. So I would assume you wouldn't have an issue eating regular mango. The thing about eating anything is chew, chew, chew. And eat only a small amount at first to see how it goes. Then, if it causes a problem, it won't be as big of a problem as if you ate a whole bowl of something. Maybe someone else can give you better advice. I think it also depends on how new your ostomy is. They say in the first 6 months, the diet is different than post that amount of time.

I won't repeat the excellent advice you've already received.

One thing to keep in mind is your healing. I'm not sure how far out from surgery you are, but I was told to avoid all fiber for 6 weeks, then add back normal foods slowly, one by one, to make sure I could tolerate them.

Re-try anything that doesn't go well a few months later. There's nothing magic about 6 weeks, and you may need more healing time.

You make a good point, Susan; I almost asked how recent the surgery was.

Immediately following surgery, and typically for about 6-8 weeks, a low-residue or low-fiber diet is often prescribed. It generally includes:
1. Refined grains: White bread, white rice, white pasta, refined cereals (e.g., cream of wheat, cornflakes).
2. Well-cooked, peeled, and seedless fruits: Canned peaches or pears, applesauce, ripe bananas.
3. Well-cooked, peeled, and seedless vegetables: Carrots, green beans, potatoes without skin.
4. Tender proteins: Fish, poultry, eggs, smooth nut butters, tofu. Individuals with Sjögren's often find softer, moister foods inherently easier to manage due to dry mouth.

Hi Susan, thanks for your reply. Sorry I forgot to include my surgery timeline. My emergency surgery was on June 11 of this year.

Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it! It's been about eight and a half weeks since my surgery. I changed most of my diet, and it seemed to help.

Dried mango works for me, but I've never tried popcorn since my original Crohn's attack. I tried asparagus, and boy, that was weird. Lucky for me, I have two openings in my loop colostomy stoma, so what looked like a hunk of wood got stuck in one of the openings, and I could pull it out. I worry about popcorn having those hard outer kernels that might cut our insides.

I've had my permanent colostomy for 27 years. There was a list the medical team gave me after my surgery, but over the years I've been able to eat almost anything. Some things I cut out because they cause mild blockages and constipation. Everyone is different, of course, but I haven't had any issues with popcorn. In all actuality, the extra fiber helps me go. I say try a little bit to see how well you tolerate it first.

Welcome to the site. We are all different. What may not bother one person may be something that another cannot eat without a problem. As others have said already, try what you want in small portions. Just try one at a time and chew, chew, chew. Stay hydrated.

Thank you.

Thanks so much for the advice.

Thank you for replying and helping me.

I'm on my second round with an ileostomy. My first was from age 9 to 30. They never told me back then to avoid any foods, so I pretty much ate anything, including corn and popcorn, and never had a blockage. This time around, I've had my ileostomy for a bit more than a year and am a bit more careful, but this summer I tried both and had no issues. As others said, start with a small amount and see how you do, but at only 8 weeks, I'd wait a bit.

I'm now a year out from colostomy and eat anything and everything I want. The caveat is, though, that so many things I love to eat (corn, granola, muesli, nuts and seeds, whole wheat stuff, and lots of fruit) cause my output to become very hard and dry, requiring real effort and stress to get it all out. But having discovered the magic of prunes for severe constipation I got from a year and a half of chemo, I started eating a few of those after every meal when I have food that doesn't digest so well, and they work quite well. I don't really like prunes and get tired of eating them, but it's a lot better than taking medicine, and they work well for me, so I've just accepted eating them every day as the price I have to pay to eat whatever I want while keeping my output working reasonably well.