Colostomy and Wine: Anyone Else Experience This?

Hello all,

I had my colostomy on the 7th of Oct, and since then have made great recovery from the operation.

Friday night, I decided to treat myself to some wine, I just wanted to take that next step to feeling more normal again.

But oh my goodness, my colon didn't like it at all. An hour after a couple of glasses, all it had in there kept coming out of Winnie (stoma) as runny as water. I had to change my bag 4 times in 2 hours. I'm glad I was at home alone as it would have been not too good if out with friends.

Xmas is coming, and I have always liked a few glasses of wine. It's like my special treat at the end of a week. I guess I should just pace myself a little.

Has anyone else had this kind of problem? I'm sure there must be loads who can relate to this.

Thanks,

Lydia (and a very grumpy stoma called Winnie, who had a good talking to by me the next morning. Think she is on strike now as she's done the odd fart, but nothing has come out of her since lol, maybe if I sing to her.... hmmmm)

Don't give up on wine yet! Try it a few more times at home. It can affect some people, but more likely it was just a coincidence. Stomas have a mind of their own; they like to show us who's the boss sometimes.

Hi there, I'm not 100% sure how it works with a colostomy (I have an ileostomy) but do you wear a closed pouch? If so, perhaps a way round it would be a drainable pouch. I have to wear drainable as I have high output but, if you wear a closed pouch and fancy a glass of wine perhaps a drainable pouch would work for you as you can just empty it in the loo rather than have to change the bag! Do keep trying though... I can't imagine life without the joy of a nice glass of wine at the end of a long week!

Yeah, don't give up on the wine. I drink it with no problems. As Panther said, it's more likely to be the stoma having an 'off day'. If things get too loose for me for any reason, I take Imodium.

Hi, after ileostomy I tried red wine - a disaster!! I suffered just the same. I overcame this by just drinking white wine and have suffered no after effects! Hope this helps - good luck. S.

You're talking less than two months since your surgery. It will take at least six months before things normalize. Right now, I would imagine pretty much anything is going to cause some upset to your GI tract. Also, I agree with other comments, a drainable pouch is probably best at least at this juncture in time.

Ha! I was just about to say one glass + 1 Imodium and Wend got to it first! You can also get little things to pop into the bottom of the bag to turn liquids into a more solid gel, e.g. Moreform sachets or Independence Absorbent Strips (order code for GP P100AS)
Good luck
Rach xx

I don't particularly care for red wine unless it is a hearty sweet wine.    I love the German whites and I've been drinking Bud Light with no problem at all.    I just had my ileostomy in August.

I hope this helps some!!

G'day Lydia,

I agree with Panther, don't give up on wine yet! It may be because it was your first time having a tipple after surgery.

I have an ileo too and have enjoyed red wine on many occasions. Usually just a glass or two with a meal and as yet no disasters. I know the days of drinking all and sundry under the table are long gone, but hopefully I've grown out of that *sigh*!

Remember a little bit of what you fancy does you good (whatever the output outcome!).

Cheers me dear,

Jo x

Hey Lydia;
I enjoy my coolers, but I have ileostomy, so drainage anytime. I still wake up 3xnite to drain. Been home 3mos now. Because I'm homebound, enjoy cooler 1/wk - lol
Can you change to pouch?
Lynsie

Hi Lydia - I also had troubles with wine and beer for the first six months or more of my colostomy - now I can drink red wine, white wine, champagne even without problems...but forget the beer, and GUINNESS EXTRA STOUT was my to-die-for beverage.

Now it is my I-feel-like-I-died beverage ;Pinky

Can you not even have half a glass? What happens when you drink Guinness?

I drink white wine now or a G&T - lager very rarely.

Don't do the same as me (Urostomate). I had 2 cans of lager with my dinner, then sat down for a night of TV - laptop - forgot!!

Couple of hours later, I did a quick bag check. I had a football on my belly. Well, I beat all speed records getting to the bathroom. I managed to get there before the Big Bang!!

Oh, how wonderful to read all the wine 'experiences'. I've always been a red wine drinker but think now perhaps it would be better to change to white in the hope of getting awful watery output and gas-filled pouch.

Sorry to change the subject, but having had my ileostomy in late March 2016, from time to time I get a rather thick greyish discharge from what used to be my back passage. Does anyone else experience this and is it normal? Advice would be really appreciated.

P.S. Meant to say "get rid of"!!

Marshmallows are the answer to all my problems