A reminder for a good guides for new Ileostomy types

[Shamrock4806]

Ileostomy types need to know what foods and drinks can cause diarrhea, gas (ballooning), constipation (pancaking) and clogs/blockages.

There is two guides I'm familiar with

Ileostomy Nutrition Therapy from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Only seems available from an otosmy nutritionist or dietitian. It has a lot more depth of what foods and drinks can do what to one's Ileostomy.

And are ones here published on this site:

https://www.ostomy.org/wp-content/uploa ... 022-02.pdf

https://www.ostomy.org/wp-content/uploa ... 022-02.pdf

https://www.ostomy.org/wp-content/uploa ... e_2020.pdf

https://www.ostomy.org/wp-content/uploa ... 024-04.pdf


Many people getting Ileostomies are not always getting the follow up care they need because they are either in recovery or just not informed they need to see an otosmy nutritionist/dietitian and a stoma nurse.

There are many tips and tricks fellow Illeistomy sufferers know that can make your life easier and better with less trouble.

For instance if your leak burns are insane like you want to rip the thing off, avoid drinking coffee, caffeine anything causes diarrhea usually and with coffee the acid levels make the leak wounds far more severe.

If your always having blowouts at night, eat only a nutritious breakfast and lunch, only having small tiny snacks after 3 pm. This way your bag doesn't overfill and you miss it while sleeping. Sleep only on your back using a pillow under each arm to train yourself.

Another thing is carbonated drinks can cause the bag to fill up with air which can make the wafer detach.

Dehydration can occur, if your not urinating normally a lite or yellow, unlike nothing or dark colored urine, combined with other symptoms, may signal you may be dehydrated. Drink plenty of water nearly all the time with an occasional electrolyte drink, milk, fruit or veggie juices etc. Remember Illeistomy means no or bypassed colon is no longer extracting fluids back out of stool.

Diarrhea can cause dehydration as well, why it's important to not eat big meals, or meals containing a lot of fast carbs like pasta, bread, potatoes and rice. Or salty (brined) or seasoned or fatty or deep fat fried or leafy greens. Why the guides are very important.

Seafood and asparagus can make your bag stink to high heaven or even clog with lobster or shrimp. However I've found I can tolerate unsalted, unseasoned cooked salmon and raw tuna or salmon just fine. So there are some exceptions here and there.

Many foods, especially solid veggies and fruit, nuts, tough parts of meats and skins on anything (even sausages and deli meats), leafy greens, may not digest and potentially clog which can cause a painful ER visit. For instance whole beans are not good while but as refried beans are fine. Tomatoes are not good but a Mariana or meat sauce without veggie chunks is fine. Pea soup is good but not the whole peas. Corn anything doesn't seem to digest at all regardless if it's whole, as grits or as tortilla chips and may clog or cause pancaking issues.

Regardless always chew your food thoroughly until it's mush. Some pills designed to dissolve in the lower intestine or colon may cause a clog, so be sure to watch out for this one.

Some foods or even dehydration can cause the output to thicken and cause a condition called pancaking where output is so thick it actually pushes the adhesive sideways where it weak and leaks.

In cold climates the heating or forced air used to warm a home may introduce more dehydration and cause pancaking.

It's okay to rinse ones bag after each dump with a water bottle as to keep the smell of rotten food from being so overwhelming. Just don't squeeze the bag as that may cause the wafer to detach. Go lay down instead to get it up around the stoma area and to massage pancaking material loose instead of pushing it physically. Avoid putting anything else not otosmy approved in the bag, although it seems, in my experience, antacid water or a tiny bit of antibacterial soap may not hurt as long as it's not irritating the stoma.

Another trick is if you have vacuum pancaking, where there isn't any air in the bag and causes the bag to stick to the stoma area causing a block. It's just a simple matter of opening the bag and allowing some air in or using a stick to separate the bag some and then sealing and rolling the trapped air up around the stoma to separate the plastic.

So there is plenty to learn for new Ileostomy folks please take the effort to ask and learn for your own sake. I've only touched the surface.

Not to be considered medical advice.

Good luck..

[Bob Webtech]

Shamrock,

The link you found for the Nutrition Guide on this site was an extremely old document. It's been replaced by a much newer version titled "Eating with an Ostomy". I've tweaked the link you found so it redirects now to the new version, or you can go directly to the new version at:
https://www.ostomy.org/wp-content/uploa ... 022-02.pdf

[Shamrock4806]

Thanks Bob!

[Shamrock4806]

Note:

I do have a disagreement with the older guide and the newer one concerning those with an Ileostomy.

Namely even chewing indigestible foods well doesn't necessarily mean it's going to avoid a clog. And the reasons are as follows:

1: People often are in a hurry to eat or miss some and may swallow enough smaller items like beans whole which may cause a clog. This can occur more often with the more they eat these things as they tend to get more careless and due to higher volumes of these foods.

2: That harder bits, like nuts and corn, despite being chewed well, may clump up and clog regardless. Also a lot of fiberous food like onions, just keep their consistency regardless.

3: The guides recommend trying and see with a small amount, but doesn't give any amount of what is considered small. A small bag of nuts could be devastating as it did for me just eating a few of them. For others a small amount may be a small bag of carrots and not a large one.

Anyway I think the guides in this regard are being a bit too risky, like they were based upon no actual physical experience and should be revised to be more cautious. To have some of these potentially clogging foods err more on the mushy and very small state BEFORE being consumed or some avoided completely.

Plus there doesn't seem to be enough detail of the many foods or drinks that can cause serious issues with an Ileostomy unlike the list available from the

Ileostomy Nutrition Therapy from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Which is unfortunately not available online and only via an otosmy dietitian.

Well not everyone has access, knowledge, proper aftercare or the means to attend such a visit, relying upon guides given over the internet. Not saying to copy their list verbatim, but somehow work something out that more detail can be transmitted about these potentially harmful foods and drinks without resorting to a try it and see what happens approach as the guides outline.

There is other things as well, nothing is mentioned about coffee and it's potential to make Illeistomy leak wounds much more severe. Coffee is a very largely consumed item, I was even served it in the hospital!

Another factor is food portion control, eating too much food of any kind at one time can cause diarrhea as the body just flushes out what it doesn't need.

Nothing about reducing ones food intake levels later in the day to avoid gas and overfilled bags during the night.

Nothing about sleeping on ones back only (using pillows under each arm to train oneself) to avoid rupturing the bag when one sleeps.

So unless this is all covered in another Ileostomy specific guide I haven't been exposed too someplace?