Food, diet and eating habits with an Ostomy

What foods do you eat? Also I don't have a large intestine so that compounds the problem. What foods to stay away from that cause gas and how does the gas come out, does the pouch expand out, I know NOTHING about this. Consult is Fri-13th, yeah!!!! I dread this and also is anyone expericing acid..... I have alot of anal acid that keeps me raw and in pain, do you think or does anyone know if the acid will be like it is now with an ileo? Thanks to all.

Hello does anyone know what food to stay away from or what is good. I only had this done so I am all new to this.

Ileostomate with SBS here. I know some of you all chimed in missing sex but TODAY I miss so many damn foods I just want to honor them here and say hello to them. These are food items I have given up because they either caused blockages, dehydration, diarrhea, or hyper output. Cobb, Caesar, and especially Spinach salad with hot bacon dressing Sweet corn on the cobb dripping with butter and lightly salted Nuts, Sunflower seeds, protein bars with nuts and such. Oranges Potatoes, apples and grapes with skins on (I peel them now) Crispy ...

Piggybacking on Imperfects "Foods I miss" -- let's list the foods that really go down well. Might give others an idea of what to try. Most pureed things don't cause a problem, so maybe let's limit this to food that we eat non-pureed. Me (ileo): Potatoes (no skin), rice, cooked carrots, small amounts of chicken/ground beef/turkey/fish, avacado, pasta, cheese, cheesie puffs , white bread, cottage cheese, canned mandarin and peaches, plain muffins, Motts low sodium Garden Cocktail Juice, perogies, skim milk, coffee in small amou...

Hello, haven't been on here for awhile, so I will fill you in on what has been going on with me.  Since my diagnosis of cohrones and UC in 07, I have had several surgeries, colonoscopies, sigmoidoscomies, and medication adjustments and it got to the point where everything was affecting my job performance.  I had to resign from my job of 20 years.  On top of everything, I just had surgery done to remove my rectum, colon, and part of my large intestines.  With that in mind, I know that my diet needs to...

Hey....i am finding it very hard not to eat spicy foods..... Does anybody eat them and is it safe?   

hi guys, excuse the small letters in this post but i am dealing with a blockage and have my left hand applying even pressure on my wafer so it doesnt pop off. i cannot for the life of me know what i did wong tonight at dinner to cause this episode? i had some italian bread, cheese, pasta, and apple juice. could the apple juice do this? i prbably havent drank apple juice in years. thoughts?

One day last fall our daughter decided she would make us up a crock of homemade beans, damn but they were good, so good I had two (or three) helpings. You all know whats coming. Three O"clock in the morning, up to go to the bathroom but the pouch was three feet ahead of me laying on the floor, just like jet propulsion. So her I am at 3am changing pouches and cleaning up the mess. My wife and daughter still heckle me when the subject of beans come up. I now stick to one serving. It is now Dec. 3 and as I was reading the posts on her...

I'm just over 4 months out from surgery and have the new stoma just 7 weeks or so. I have a problem with food intake and need to know if anyone else suffers from this or help me find a way to fix it...I never use to be a big eater even though I'm a big girl. Before surgery I'd eat a bowl of soup and bowl of cereal and that would be it for the day. Well, that's all changed. I will eat a good meal, 30 minutes later its running in my bag, and a hour later I'm hungry. Not just hungry but usually starving!! I'm like what's going on?? I eat snac...

I am having the colon, rectum and anus removed.  After the surgery what is the best way to start on your food.  Maybe did you start out slowly and then add foods to it.  Did some foods bother you so you waited and tried the foods later after healing.  I know we are all different but just wondering!

I had an appt with my surgeon and I can finally eat soft food.  Still on TPN until I can get to normal diet.  It is good to have something that taste good.  I have been getting stronger each day. Some days worse than others.  I will start back to work very part time as a teacher two days a week for just a few hours each day.  I will miss having my mother in law here helping. She has been a God Send.  Any suggestions from those who have an ileostomy on how slow or what to eat/not t...

Hello! Have any of you ostomates eaten sushi, sashimi, oyster or any shells! I'm craving for Japanese food and havent eaten them f almost a year! Please advise! Thank you all!

Eating strewberriesEating.  Has anyone had experience with strawberries?  I know they are full of small seeds but they are at their peak and they look so lucious it is had to pass them.  Any reply would be appreciated.  Tks. Grandy

Just trying to understand how all this works, so if you eat a meal, how long does it take to reach the stoma? So if you eat a breakfast, is that what you see or are you seeing a previous meal waiting to leave? Been trying to figure out a diet that works consistantly , ...............one day it works great...the next not so good....colostomy for 2 months now

I know dealing with an ileostomy is largely trial and error, but after my 3rd blockage in 11 months, I finally realized that until I stop having output for 12-18 hours (with or without pain), I don't know a blockage is coming on--and I haven't a clue about how to link the problem to any particular food I might have eaten. For one, thing, I don't know how long it takes for food to "process" into the pouch. Nor do I know what to look for in the output, if there are any clues there. Is pain usually a sign of problems *before* a blockage? I'm ...

Hello there, everyone. Once again I'm compelled to ask a question about how some of you handle a particular situation, i.e swimming. My mother had irreversible illeostomy surgery almost 2 years ago.  Before she had the surgery, she enjoyed going to the local YMCA to swim.   During the first year, she had some accidents, in the form of the bag leaking, or falling off.  She now thinks she can no longer swim, and she actually started to cry about this, recently. Do any of you swim?  I'm sure that ma...

I am trying to find some sort of diet regimen that will result in weight loss that will work in harmony with my food limitations with my ileostomy. Most standard weight loss diets require a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. I have discovered (over the past 30 years when I had my ostomy surgery) that I am extremely limited in what I can eat in the fruits and vegetables department. Too much roughage causes blockages at the ileostomy site and results in leakage from around the wafer. Please help!

Is there such a thing as an ostomy diet? I am barely getting any output from my colostomy in at least a month, and I have absolutely no appetite. Last year I was in hospital with what they thought was a partial small bowel obstruction. My "diet" has been  small amount of baby oatmeal and some coffee at breakfast: maybe cup of soup for lunch. Small amount of yogurt, jars of baby fruit. I tried to eat small amounts of well-cooked green beans with the carrots today. I've tried to drink white grape juice. What are the "...

Hello everyone. I have recently been told that my bowel resection/reversal is likely to be in September this year which is earlier than I thought. Great news but less time to lose weight before surgery. surgeon says it will make things easier - want to lose weight gained recently in any event. In the past prior to ileostomy and gastro problems had a lot of success with Slimming World which essentially for those who don't know focuses on excluding fat, sugar and refined carbs eg white bread. Not necessarily low carb as can have rice, nood...

I have had a permanent ileostomy for 30 years now.  I have always had trouble with salad and fruits!  I love them, but lettuce and any fruits like oranges, or pineapple etc. lead to out put problems!  What can I do?

Before I got Maxine I loved Chinese food.  Since having her, I have shyed away from it as I was told chinese vegtables can cause a wicked blockage and I don't want another one of those.  However, that being said, what sort of chinese food can be eaten without the possiblility of blocking me up?  Do you folks eat it and if so, what do you eat that is ok for your ileostomy?  I just had a revision to remove a stricture so things are working much better but I don't want to topple the boat if you know what I mean.  I wo...

I gained a significant amount of weight since getting my ostomy placed. What are some safe foods that aren't going to cause weight gain but also won't cause a blockage? I have crohn's so fiber is a bit of an enemy and I need to be extra careful with any fruits, veggies or whole grains but I want some snacks during the day that won't add on pudge!

Hello  ty for clicking on my topic i am looking for a diet/recipe or any handy tips that people who have used or discovered when being underweight and have a ileostomy/stoma iam 6ft something since the last time i remember and 9st (126lbs)  can't wait to hear from you .  

Hey all you O-mate vets...wondering if folks like us can handle spicy foods, not to the point of sweating through your shorts and all that comes from that type of food but a decent tingle in the gullet. Does it bother the stomy? I've had mild stuff and all went well, so the next step is a little more heat. Anybody do nuts, I'm told in moderation. I don't want to take the chance yet? It'll be one tear 3-30-10 and I've eaten just about everything in front of me. The seafood diet, I see it, I eat it. ROCK ON FELOW OSTOMATES!!

Does anyone have a good website for printed Ileostomy diet? I have a non-compliant mother who won't eat correct foods and continues to get blockage/ileus. Would love to hand her something official.

I am new to the land of ostomy and I feel the Ostomy nurses don't share as much as I can read on here. So I have a few questions... Do I need to support the bag? i.e. Do I need to wear a belt or is it okay to let the bag hang freely? My stoma is situated such that I can wear my regular under garments, however I notice that there are garments which hold the bag. Is this necessary? Does the stoma have to be protected? I was only told that excessive rubbing would not be good. I was given a pamphlet on foods which produce gas, foods to avoi...

Hi all...first I want to mention what a great site this is!!  I'm just new and poking around, but everybody is so supportive and lovely...I wish I found you all earlier I have a brand new colostomy and some questions with respect to diet.  I had an ileostomy previously, but this is very different!  I'm about 8 weeks in now, and the output is liquid almost all of the time (my colostomy is behaving like an ileostomy, actually!!!).  I've added fiber, restricted fluids, taken immodium...any other sugg...

Hi Iam new here, had my ileostomy a yr ago, I'd like to know what we can really eat, does anyone have a good diet to follow. I love salads but afraid to try them, was wondering if anyone has, and how it worked out. thanks

Hi everyone, Just became a member. It has been four years since my ileostomy. I just have to learn to deal with it. Vanity is a terrible vice! I know sometimes I am paranoid about the bag. I am reading the tips and stories about diet.  It seems that what ever I eat affects the output. Am I correct in saying that an ileostomy is  different than a colostomy and there is more emptying of the bag? There seems to be no rhyme or reason with the diet. Are there any good suggestions with what to eat so the stool is not always ...

I have been experiencing challenges in trying to lose weight. Everything that's good for a diet revolves around fiber.  It's challenging and frustrating.  For some reason eating canned vegetables or fruit is not exciting to me. The better I eat, the more I have to empty my bag. Again frustrating. Have others experienced the same problem?

I've been considering getting a Nutri-Bullet or similar blender so that I can have a safe way to eat vegetables. I had my ileostomy surgery in November 2015, and I've been hospitalized 3 times since then with blockages. Two doctors told me the blockages were from scar tissue, not food. But one of the doctors on my latest hospital stay asked me what I'd been eating! I felt very offended by what seemed to me to be his almost accusatory tone, but then I realized that just about all the vegetables I eat could be suspect when it comes to blocka...

Hey, two part question about both bulking and cutting. I've recently been thinking about entering a bodybuilding contest, I don't expect to win or anything its just something I wanted to do before and am now well enough to do, so I'm trying to shed some fat whilst maintaining my muscle, I've followed the standard advice of slowly decreasing my intake of carbs whilst maintaining the amount of fats and protein I consume however I've noticed that my energy levels have plummeted whilst doing this, realistically I need to shed more weight to l...

Has anyone with an ileostomy tried the diet pill Alli? Or does it work in large colon which I do not have so would be useless or harmful? Just wondered if anyone has ever tried it? I quit smoking 11/2 years and 17# ago and would like to loose the 17#!! It is sooo hard older I get!! Thanks Sooziq

Hi all, I have an Ileostomy through Crohn's; which was originally a Colostomy, until it went wrong again - I've been an ostomate for five years anyway, and I still cannot digest vegetables except mashed potato (I can't even digest hash browns), and all fruit just goes through me, as well as all dairy except small amounts of block cheddar cheese. I am in remission, but this still goes on day after day, does anyone else have this problem? and if so what do you do please. I cannot take vitamin or Calcium pills, or have Iron supplements, as t...

Hi everyone' My question may seem strange to some of you all but here goes..... I had my take down surgery May 6 2010  and ever since I have this crazy craving for radishes!!! Im talking a lb a day.....haha Anyone else have crazy cravings??? LOve to hear it

(i'm posting on behalf of krimat) My father in law had a urostomy on 30th of jan and was discharged on 15th of feb. the delay in discharge was due to sluggish bowel movement. he is on a semi solid diet. What can be included in his diet(vegetarian only)? thanks in advance.

Imagine that you had won the following prize in a contest: Each morning your bank would deposit $ 86,400.00 in your private account for your use. However, this prize had rules just as any game has certain rules. The first set of rules would be: 1.    Everything that you didn’t spend during each day would be taken away from you. 2.    You may not simply transfer money into some other account. 3.    You may only spend it. Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your acco...

Hi. I have had my ostomy for 2 weeks now. Double Barrell diverting due to rectal tear from hyst. surgery. I have also now developed a bladder/vag. fistula causing constant urine leak despite a foley cath. My issue is that its hard to keep up the fluids and my output goes from thick to watery within the same day. Is it basically a guessing game when deciding on what to eat or not. I have lost alot of weight and am facing 2 more surgeries within the next month or so.....so easy to get down and depressed.

since I got my ileo 4 years ago I always had a problem with high liquid output from my stoma which resulted in dropping 10-15 pounds at a time and having to go back to the hospital and spending a day or two getting an IV to put the water back in.and this has happened at least a dozen times around the world,I always used the excuse it was the food I was eating in those places.after this last time 2 weeks ago and I spent 4 days this time my doc was asking me more questions about what I was eating.They served me breakfast one day and I notice...

hi all, Those of you who eat a low fiber high protein diet, could you give me a sample of what you eat on a typical day? I have been irrigating, and have been told to try limiting my fiber to get more time between irrigating.  Thanks in advance!!

I have an ileo and it seems like it is constantly a juggling on what to eat, potato, pasta etc makes my output To thick, which brings on pancaking which brings a nice blow out, so to combat that, I am drinking prune juice, grapejuice,,  and now I have a liquidy output, does anyone else juggle very day ?

Hi Everyone, I am one of the silent followers on the site and it is so great to read everyone's blogs even if we don't ever answer.  One thing that has been concerning me for a while is that lots of folks talk about eating or not eating certain foods.  After my surgery the colorectal nurse just said not to eat too many salted peanuts in one go!  But no other diet advise was given.  I don't think I have had too many issues (aside from unladylike amounts of wind in the first few months but my buddy see...

What are some good foods to eat that will fill you up, but not make you gassy? That is so embarassing, especially in quiet places?

Good Grief still trying to figure out the foods to eat. Eat something bad and have flare ups not cool. Still getting used to it. Can't eat pizza bo

Hey all! It's been a while since I've been active here. I had my ileostomy for over 10 years now and have gone through quite an ordeal at the beginning. Earlier this year I decided to lose weight and changed my diet. I eliminated yogurt, chips, crackers, cookies and switched to wheat bread. The issue I am having is that now I have episodes of gas for a while, especially at work. This makes me nervous to go into meetings, as you can imagine. I spend most of my time either in my office, on the production floor or in the maintenance shop. I ...

Interesting research... http://in.mobile.reuters.com/article/idINL1N0VY260 20150225?irpc=932

I have had an ileostomy for 15 months and still have tons of questions. I also have pancreatic cancer, am diabetic, and have a fistula which means I also have a bag on my back! In spite of this I have a very happy fulfilled life teaching two days a week, hiking, jogging, yoga and aerobics with a very supportive husband of 41 years. My questions: I get up 2-3 times a night with my pouch filled with gas; it will leak all over if I don't and becomes rock hard. Are there better pouches that release the gas? I have to eat as much as I can to ke...

I am a recent otsomate. Things did not go well at first and I ended up having three ileostomies done in less than five weeks. I have also been told by my consultant that I have a very narrow ileum. Not the best of starts. Before having this done I loved, loved, loved all vegetables (except kale yeuk) and pulses, and ate loads of them. There are one or two that I can live quite happily without, sweetcorn being one. However, and I know this may sound daft, can I eat my favourite veggies and lentils, cooked beans etc if I puree them, as in so...

been home 3mos, from hosp. tried popcorn and no problems...so far, i did eat caramel popcorn in hosp. now i remember gained 15lbs - really dont want to gain all weight i lost - 45 lbs gained a sweet tooth as well still waiting for AISH, financial income support will always wake 3x nite to drain, so continue w naps!

Just wondering if any of you have tried the Paleo diet and how your stomach has reacted?  I do cross-fit and have just started Paleo. So far my Colostomy has had nothing but soft unformed output.  Very messy. Changing the whole 2 piece system once a day and the bag at least 3x a day. I think I can irrigate but I wonder if on this diet my output would allow me.  I have been an ostomate for 4 years. It has been very traumatic and haven't dealt with it really well.  I'm sure no one does. I tried irrigat...

Hi guys, well I have six months til I may or may not be eligable for an end colostomy reversal. I am so desperate to heal my colon from the inflamation/ surgery etc and the chronic consitpation that caused the perf, and im desperate to try anyting that might help! I am shaking up my diet, no more junk food for me, and I'm trying the alkaline diet atm.. lotsa of fruits and veggies, no refind sugar, no dairy, ( i dont eat meat or fish anyway) and i've added fresh veggie and fruit juicing to the mix, along with some superfoods like spiruli...

Ok you knowledgeable people I need some help. pretty soon I will be able to start work as a security guard. Now this will mean not being able to run off to the dunny any time I need to. So what i need to find is a diet that creates as little residue as possible and is healthy.. Big ask i know but it's A definate need. Thanks peeps in advance,,

I've learnt a lot about what not to eat, but not enough, I'm aiming at the best diet I can identify, opposite to fibre I suppose, eventhough I know there will be some fibre anyway I'm just trying to summarize my objective. I read what one guy said regarding irrigation I think, and it has really put my understanding into a simpler bracket regarding diet, I think it was written by mild_mannered_super _hero, and he said keep away from fibre . . . Thats it, thats right, its that simple, thanks to him . . . I know to keep away from caffeine, cu...

What is a good diet for a colostomate?"?

Does anyone know if eating beets can cause diarrhea with colostomy stoma

I'm just three weeks out of surgery and only had two days to to get used to the idea of having an ileostomy before the operation so I'm very new to all that it means. Already I have a blockage due to something I ate. My question is mainly about onions. I love onions in my food, so many meals I cook have onions in them and they're probably responsible for my being bunged up. Does anybody know if I chop them into tiny pieces or even liquidize them would it help, even stop the blockage they can cause. And I suppose the same question goes for ...

Hi, I had an Illeostomy done a yr ago and have been very careful in eating and trying new foods, after reading a lot of threads I decided today to really try some new foods, I didn't eat much, but I tried everything that I cooked for the family so far all is going well.... had baked honey ham, mashed potatoes, yams, carrotts, a even a lil salad, stayed away from the string beans thou. I only took a tablespoon of each thu, was really afraid to take more, and a very sm. piece of ham. I had sm. portions of each, and chewed chewed chewe...

Hello all,  Im starting to recover from the op and looking forward to being able to play football again, hopefully. My question is, does anybody know any good foods for energy before a game/training but also foods that won't make me balloon and fill up as much whilst playing? Any help is appreciated. Thank you, Sam.

Hello Everyone!  I have had a colostomy due to acute diverticulitis for 5 years now.  For quite a while I have found that Ive had to change my diet to what it used to be before I had my colostomy.  My bowel can only tolerate very little: fat, oils, grease, gravy, sauces etc.  Also I find I cannot eat the quantities I used to eat.  I feel like I've had a kind of gastric band fitted!  Very often, if I do eat the above my bowel empties within 30 minutes, or I have accidents, often ov...

I would like to hear from other patients who have had there illeostomy reversed. What kind of foods were you allowed to eat after your surgery, recovery time etc. My doctor said to eat what ever I wanted, but I am not sure this is wise. I also take pancreatic enzyme replacement to digest my food due to having my pancrease removed.

Hello fellow ostomates, This is my first time starting a new topic so please bear with me if I did anything incorrectly. I came across this new product (or new to me anyway) that is geared toward people who for one reason or other cannot eat solid foods.  I know that from my own experiences with UC and frequently reading of others on this site having difficulty with solid foods that it can be a big problem trying to get sufficient nutrients without risking blockages or simply during the phases after surgery when we are just acc...

Hi,just wondering if anyone else has very loose output all the time?i had my ileostomy 5 years ago and have always been loose.i dont seem to put any weight on and have to  get up around 4 times a night to empty.i never seem to have any energy and wonder if all the goodness out of my food is not getting into my system?

I read and lost a lisst of foods not to eat from a fellow osteo today then lost before I had a chance to print it.  It was quite a comprehensive list and I would like to have it.  I know it was a lady. Please help.  Thank you.

Does anyone with Chrohns also have food allergy like to wheat, diary, or corn ?

Hi all, I had a subtotal colectomy in Feb 2011 due to UC and have recently had reversal surgery to have the j-pouch formed. Im now 7 weeks post op, had a problem with a couple of infections (a water infection caused by the catheter and one at the bottom of the incision) but these havent been too troublesome, although I think the water infection has reoccured. My main problem has been consistency of the output. Im finding it extremely hard to keep the output thick enough. Most days it seems that anything I drink goes straight through me int...

Evening all I'd like to try the 5:2 diet to get a bit lighter - anyone tried it and if so did it have more of an impact due the ileostomy?

Bikerboy and cockroach diet here, lol I eat the same foods now that I ate before.But whats really neat is meat comes out pure liquid.no blockage.nice. But no nuts ,no coconut,no pop-corn,nothing with a shell,no skin (damn),and carrots you better liquify these,and YEA!!!! no sprouts the problem with a diet is everybody has one.For me it was trial and error. greg

Hi all - just undergone an ileostomy 2.5 weeks ago, after only one severe bout of ulcerative colitis (diagnosed with proctitis initially 18 months ago) severe bout did not respond to any medications.   I am recovering at home but now have an infection in my incision (22 inches long) and I believe mucocutaneous separation of my stoma (not quite all the way around).  So although not major complications, just more things to worry about I have 2 questions for you all: 1) Mucocutaneous separation: my stoma nurse has sa...

Can A lot of fast food Have anything to do with a large output in your bag,?

Hey everyone. My mom has colon cancer with mets to peritoneum . In January she got a small bowel obstruction due to the mets.  Which wasn't relieved conservatively so she had a surgery and got an ileostomy on 22 Feb. She's been eating normally since thn but for the past one week she feels heaviness after eating. She feels really full even if she eats less. Can someone relate?

There are always so many questions here about what foods to eat, what to do about gas, etc that I copied a short list put out by my local ostomy support group: Foods that thicken stool <xml><o></o>  Bananas, rice, bread, potatoes, creamy peanut butter, applesauce, yogurt, pasta, pretzels, and marshmallows. <o></o> <o> </o> Foods that loosen stool <o></o>  Dried or string beans, chocolate, raw fruits, spiced foods, fried or greasy foods, leafy vegetables, alcoholic drinks, and pr...

This is for us poor  Obama subjects; American citizens to wit: ME! I just received notification that my food stamps, (EBT),  will be reduced by 10 per cent for the month of November.  That in itself is not such a big deal, if that were the end of  it, it would be acceptable,  BUT there was no assurance that the benefit would revert back to the existing level following the "temporary" decrease."  I wonder if this is just another case of Obama helping us out? Jack

A reader of our Digestive Disorders White Paper asks, "What are the pros and cons of relying on supplements to provide fiber in my diet?" Here's what we suggest. Fiber is a component of fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes (a category that includes peas, beans and lentils). Fiber can help prevent constipation, and a high-fiber diet may lower your risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer. The two main types of fiber are soluble and insoluble; many foods contain a combination. Soluble fiber, which dissolves in water, is foun...

Hi every1 Like to share this thought with you that I read, hope it helps. The bottom line is: We are alive!! In other times, in other countries, we might not be. Medicine and techniques today have given us an opportunity to experience this second chance. It is certainly an opportunity worth accepting and exploring. The most important part of you as a human being has not changed. You are still the SAME you. Never forget to actively celebrate LIFE and all it has to offer. Take Care Hugs JeanXX <!-- InstanceEndEditable -->

I thought there was a lot of good stuff here (except for the cats and birdlife bit!). Stress is a huge issue: http://bit.ly/HFUsRq

I'm scheduled for reversal of my colostomy next week. I know that post surgery a diet of low fiber is prescribed. How about pre-surgery? Should I eat high fiber as part of a "cleansing"? I'd welcome your opinion, experience.    Thanks Very Much!!

http://www.uoachicago.org/diet1.html I found this link to the Chicago area UOA and it is about the best and most complete set of suggestions I have ever seen - mostly for ileostomates, but some for the rest of us as well.  Happy reading!                 Pinky   :)