Blowouts and Juice - Any Connection?

Greetings fellow ostimates, here's wishing you all the best or the best you can expect, I've had my ileostomy for ten years and just lately I've started having blowouts and lucky for me they didn't cause much damage,. except for changing the flange more often. My question has to do with hydration and I always make sure I have plenty to drink, but my drinks are mostly apple juice and mostly in the winter, during the hot summer I will consume plenty of ice water. What really nags me is my doctor tells me to cut out the apple juice which I have been drinking for the last five years or so and find it hard to believe its only now affecting me and causing the blowouts. Now I'd just like to know if others are into drinking juice and having any problems, so here's thanking you in advance, Ed

Hi Ed... I had my colostomy in April 2012, so everything is new to me, but I am interested in what others have to say. Right now, I only drink cold green teas like peach tea, raspberry tea, etc. I haven't even tried any carbonated drinks yet. Good luck.

I drink juice, including apple juice...no problem that I have been aware of. I don't quite understand how that would cause a blowout.

Hi Ed...I doubt very much it's the apple juice. Sometimes it's just a run of bad luck. I've had my ileostomy for over 30 years, and liquids are never the issue. More often than not, it's been a combination of dense foods, and being stuck somewhere in a sitting position for long periods of time (like a movie...or a bus ride).

I'm presently in Jamaica, vacationing with my kids, and had a blowout yesterday because I was sitting for a long period of time in a taxi. Plus, we had just eaten breakfast. I was glad to get back to our cottage, obviously....but it all went ok.

I'd look for other changes in your routine...apple juice isn't going to be the cause. If nothing's changed, I'd just chalk it up to bad luck. Nice thing about luck though: it's always changing.

Hope that helps.

Apple juice often causes diarrhea in babies, so maybe it's doing the same for you. I've heard of others having problems with apple juice as well...

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

I guess I am one of the lucky ones. I eat and drink whatever I want, including nuts, fruits, soda, Starbucks, cheese, and an assortment of veggies, meats, wine, and liquor. Just like the Post Office slogan: If it fits, it ships. All of my output is consistently liquid and flows smoothly into a large bag for about 90 minutes after I eat. Then everything can be quiet for up to 4 hours. Now, any mishap I ever had was caused by equipment malfunction and not dietary content. The seal is changed regularly and monitored hourly. If you feel chocolate or apple juice can cause a systems failure, please take a few minutes out and explain just how and why this happens. I have my doubts, but your thoughts would be most appreciated and will help us minimize annoying blowouts. I am becoming more and more an advocate of data-driven decision making, particularly in a field not getting a lot of scientific attention. Thanks. PB

First I'd like to thank everybody for their replies. Since I made that post I just couldn't believe it could be the apple juice, of course with an ileostomy its always pretty liquid and I try to make sure I empty when I get about a third full and these blowouts always appeared at about the 9'oclock position. So I went to my stash and started using the newest ones and voila! no more blowouts and like PB there is nothing I can't eat or drink and when I read about people who have problems when they eat certain foods, I really feel for them 'cause when I was having blockages I tried so many things and all the time it was a kink in the ilium and so one more surgery and everything became as it should. Apple juice, my ass!
Have a good one folks and thanks for the replies, Ed

Hey PB, I know that in infants it's usually the amylopectin from the apple that causes this reaction even in adults. By the way, "if it fits it shits" doesn't apply to international mail.

X_

Now I think I know why kids used to bring apples for their teachers. It gives a curious nuance to the old song, "School Days.

For me, it's orange juice or apple juice, as well as a soda and 2 cups of coffee in the morning, and neither has caused me a blowout....only time if I let the bag overfill or gas up and learned real fast not to do that again.....I poop, aka dump, every time I pee, whether it's needed or not. LOL