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Food and Your Ostomy
This article discusses the prevention of blockages, reducing odour and gas, relieving constipation and diarrhea, and maintaining healthy levels of potassium and sodium through the foods you eat. • Article added May 2, 2004
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Introduction
Eating is one of life’s great pleasures. Having an ostomy should not change your enjoyment of food. Most people with ostomies return to their normal diet 4-6 weeks after surgery. Many individuals with ostomies can enjoy a normal diet, but food tolerances can vary from person to person. The most important dietary concerns are preventing blockages and avoiding foods that produce unpleasant odours or gas. The following guidelines will help make caring for your ostomy easier. For the "seasoned" ostomates, this information will be a refresher course!
Preventing Blockages
There are no real restrictions to your diet unless you experience a problem with a particular food. The possibility of a blockage is usually a concern if you have an ileostomy. Certain foods, if eaten in large amounts or not chewed well, may cause a blockage at the stoma opening. You do not need to avoid these foods; just eat small amounts and be sure to chew them well.
Food You Are Unsure About
How do you try food that you are unsure about? Two day trial! It's the best way to find out what foods bother you. Eat a small amount of the food you're unsure of on the first day and wait that day and the entire next day to see if the food bothers you. Don’t try more than one experimental food at a time. If there are no signs of the food bothering you, then add a little more the next time you try it and see if the outcome changes. If not, then that food should be OK for you to eat. [Top]
Reducing Odour
If you experience a problem with odour, you may try making some changes in your diet. The following foods produce odour.
Do not eliminate these automatically. If you experience a problem after eating one of these foods, try a small amount again in a few weeks to be sure. Always experiment before cutting out your favourite foods. Buttermilk, parsley and yogurt help reduce odour. You can include one of them in your daily diet. Certain vitamins and drugs can cause odour, so remind your doctor that you have an ostomy when he is prescribing medication for you. [Top]
Reducing Gas
Everyone produces gas along with bowel movements. Some gas is normal, and it is always to be expected. If excess gas becomes a problem for you, it can be controlled to some degree by your diet. Factors such as when and how you eat certain foods can help reduce gas production.
- Eat regularly. Skipping meals is likely to produce gas.
- Avoid swallowing air while eating. You can do this by taking your time when eating. Sip rather than gulp liquids.
- Relax and don’t talk with your mouth full.
- Avoid chewing gum or drinking through a straw. These activities can also cause you to swallow air.
- Eat more at breakfast and lunch and less at supper and in the evening to lessen the filling of your pouch through the night.
The following foods and beverages are just a few that may cause excess gas. If you are bothered by gas, you can try eliminating these foods altogether. Or you can try to avoid having more than one of them at one meal. Do not eliminate these foods unless you are sure they are responsible for the unpleasant side effects.
Relieving Constipation
Constipation is a different problem from blockage. If you have a colostomy, a certain amount of fiber in your diet is needed to add bulk to your stools and make them easy to pass. Mild constipation can be treated by increasing the amount of liquids you drink, and adjusting your diet and eating more of the following foods. [Top]
Relieving Diarrhea
The consistency of your stool is determined to a certain extent by the location of your stoma in your gastrointestinal tract. Normally, when the stoma is higher up in the gastrointestinal tract, the stools tend to be looser. Any food that gave you loose stools before your ostomy may continue to do so. The following foods may help when you are experiencing diarrhea.
Loose stools can also result from emotional upset, traveling, and impure water (which can be a problem if you travel abroad). Diarrhea can also be caused by illnesses like the flu. If you are losing a lot of fluid through your ostomy because of the flu or other problems, be sure to drink plenty of liquids, such as tea, bouillon or broth, and ginger ale. If diarrhea continues for more than 48 hours, call your doctor.
A special note for ileostomy patients • It is very easy to quickly lose large amounts of water, minerals, and vitamins through an ileostomy when diarrhea occurs. Losing too much fluid can lead to a condition called dehydration, which can be dangerous. Your fluid and mineral losses need to be replaced so that you do not become dehydrated and ill.The following recipe is for a beverage that you can drink when you lose large amounts of fluid through your ileostomy. You can also drink Gatorade, which is available in most supermarkets. [Top]
Potassium and Sodium
These two minerals are lost daily with the fluids that leave your body through your ileostomy. They can be replaced by adding foods high in potassium and sodium to your daily diet. Talk with your doctor if you follow a diet that restricts potassium or sodium. He or she will advise you of any special instructions for your condition. Good dietary sources of potassium are listed below.
When used in cooking or at the table, salt is the most obvious source of dietary sodium. Other seasonings are also good sources of sodium.
Foods that have salt added during processing are also good sources of dietary sodium. [Top]
Red Stool or Output
Some ostomy patients have mistakenly thought they were bleeding when they noticed red spots in their stools. Certain foods may show up as red particles in your stools or change the colour of your output to red. These particles may be mistaken for blood. If you are unsure, call your doctor.
Disclaimer • This site and its contents are presented expressly for informational purposes only about London & District Ostomy Association (LDOA) and gastrointestinal and/or urinary diversions in general. In no way are any of the materials presented here meant to be a substitute for professional medical care or proper attention by a qualified physician, nor should they be construed as such. Always check with your doctor or ET if you have any questions or concerns about your condition or before starting a new program or treatment. The Webmaster and LDOA are not responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any form of damages whatsoever resulting from the use (or misuse) of information contained in or implied by this site.
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