Ileostomy Output Doubled After Starting Zithromax and Imodium

My ileostomy is suddenly having a waste party...My output has doubled. It's not diarrhea or anything but I also went on a regimen of one Imodium a day per dr. Orders as I would often have full liquid output every morning . Anyway, for the past 24 hours my output has doubled. I just emptied my bag 10 mins ago and it's 1/3 full. After eatinf, I get painful cramps and then gas and the I am ok (albeit tons of output). I have not changed my diet. I do, however, have a sinus infection and cold and fever...can that effect output? To add to it I just started zithronax the infection which causes diarrhea....like I needed even more output. Just trying to figure out by my output has doubled, what to do, etc.

Being sick and medication can mess with the output frequency and type but also I use to find that if I ate small multiple meals throughout the day my output frequency was more manageable. As I have healed and added more variety to my meals I start to complicate things on what mixes and what does not. I start to get back into my bad habit of eating big meals and not small spaced out ones during the day and started to see that increased the cramping, the ghost feeling need to sit on the toilet and the output hits and never lets up especially at night. Double check your eating habits, and what you eat also, I started to eat cucumbers and sugary frozen sorbet and found a increase in gas output. I read you love your vegatables but you have to experiment which ones cause more gas then the others. If you love the sweet tea or coffee be careful because it can turn your morning output straight to liquid if you over do it. Good luck and I hope this helps.

Aha....coffee must be the cause of morning liquid output. But I need the caffeine to function. I'm learning how to eat more frequent smaller meals and haven't figured it out yet without just snacking on junk foods, or having 3 small meals (as in, less calories in a day). Got to adjust a lifetime of eating habits. 

Ref using Imodium, my Dr says I can use up to eight per day, though I am not convinced they help so much. My problem has been that I like to drink a bottle of water all at once, and that much fluid just washes through.

Hi Weiirdnewlife:When I start to pancake,( which is not to often ) I usually just pour water into my pouch from the bottom and swish for a couple of times, and pour. I find that helps a lot. I used to use a bottle, but now I have a bedeigh. Sure does make things a lot easier.

My Ostomy Journey: LeeAnne | Hollister