UOAA Discussion Board

I am looking for a good multivitamin that I will actually absorb and not end up whole in my ostomy bag.
My general doctor suggested I take a multivitamin and told me gummies are not a good option but didn't give me
any other advice. What vitamins do you take?

I take numerous vitamins and herbal supplements and I never noticed them ending up in my pouch....

With an ileostomy, you might need something to slow your bowel movements. Marshmallow or bananas?

Well, I have an ileostomy and never eat marshmallow or bananas...as far as slowing things down, it really never occurred to me....

I've been taking vitamin gummies and none have ended up in my bag, but I do chew them well.

Regular vitamins pills should dissolve in the stomach acid, it's the ones that are coated or something for late delivery in the intestines or colon are the ones that can cause a clog. Always double check with your doctor about the medicines your taking!

Now I tried a multivitamin multimineral thinking I'll cover all the bases and it didn't work out well. Something in that combination caused excessive diarrhea and I was just flushing everything out. ChatGPT says too much magnesium will act as a laxative. So now I've broken things up with vitamin gummies and spilt the daily into mornings and evenings as not to overload my system, watching out for anything that causes the diarrhea to occur. After all we have to absorb the vitamins not just have them flushed right out into the bag.

Also one has to watch olive oil, if it coats something like pasta it might come out chunky, but at least it's still soft and usually won't clog. But if it coats a pill it might not dissolve and maybe cause a clog.

If in doubt then soft gels or chewed up gummies seem to be fine.

And I'll tell you a trick, take pictures of your vitamin and fortified cereal labels and import them into ChatGPT to read and compare against the USDA recommended daily amounts. Add ones other daily food intake also. Makes it far easier to find where one is deficient.

Because I avoid veggies and leafy greens because of the diarrhea or clog hazzard, I'm deficient in Vitamin K. So I've got to get a chewable for that.

It's really important to maintain one's proper nutrients with an ileostomy, I've finally managed to figure that out.

Mara wrote: 2025-09-11 22:16:34 Well, I have an ileostomy and never eat marshmallow or bananas...as far as slowing things down, it really never occurred to me....

If you do go very slow with it at first or you'll pancake and blow your wafer clean off.

I'll usually eat my banana as part of a smoothie, so it's the same consistency as applesauce, which also thickens output, but won't pancake unlike raw bananas will.

Marshmallows I don't do because of the high sugar and I'm a prediabetic so the body just flushes it out with more water.

kristen11311 wrote: 2025-09-11 16:24:13 I am looking for a good multivitamin that I will actually absorb and not end up whole in my ostomy bag.
My general doctor suggested I take a multivitamin and told me gummies are not a good option but didn't give me
any other advice. What vitamins do you take?

Unless your general doc is pretty familiar with various ileostomies the advice is also as general as the doctor. I've had an ileo for over 40 years and have consistently taken Centrum multivitamins, formula has varied with my age. I have no problem with the magnesium gummies which I chew up. Magnesium causing soft stool isn't particular to ostomates but can affect any person depending on their body chemistry. I do avoid capsules for important meds to be safe. I don't take any of the vitamins or minerals on an empty stomach so it stays in the stomach a bit longer before passing on through. Passage time of anything can vary for a zillion of reasons starting with actual bowel length and then to individual body chemistry. As anyone who has tried a med that works for 'everyone' and gotten side effects, you've learned we are all chemistry experiments!

Mara wrote: 2025-09-11 22:16:34 Well, I have an ileostomy and never eat marshmallow or bananas...as far as slowing things down, it really never occurred to me....

Ditto! I have no day to day problems. The only time I slow things down, I take half an immodium pill. That tends to be days I'm sailboat racing for a lot of hours and can't easily get to the head whenever I want. Totally worth it!

Thanks, NEskier.....the next time I go sailboat racing I will remember that...probably not anytime soon but good info!!

Mara wrote: 2025-09-12 15:41:39 Thanks, NEskier.....the next time I go sailboat racing I will remember that...probably not anytime soon but good info!!

Yeah, I probably could have just said that one can slow things down with immodium and not when I do it!

I've taken to eating a small bowl of Total wheat fortified cereal just a little while before bedtime because I'll get a initial dump then it settles down to process the food overnight resulting in maximum vitamin uptake.

Total is a fortified cereal with I think about 12 vitamins. I also take daily vitamin gummies, a small iron pill and a small vitamin K gel spread out over the day.

Now I just have to get my protein up without causing gluten issues or excessive fat like from chicken because it causes a lot of watery bag dumps. My energy levels haven't been very good at all because of the excessive bag dumps reducing my protein intake but chicken has been very good for me for the energy, but not the fat.

Any suggestions?:Will a glutton free protein powder work?

Chewies are your best bet. The vitamin you should be most concerned about taking is B12, an essential vitamin. It normally reaches the blood circulation by being absorbed into the final part of the small intestine (the ilium), mostly at its end. People who have had the colon removed accompanied by an ileostomy often have had the last portion of the ilium removed, leading to a deficiency of B12. Years ago, people with ileostomies were advised to have periodic injections of B12. But is is simpler to place a dissoluble B12 tablet under the tongue (sublingual), which then releases B12 directly into the tiny blood vessels under the tongue. I use "Nature Made Vitamin B12 1000 mcg fast dissolve sublingual tablets" from Amazon.com) about 2-3 times a month. People with colostomies do not have to do this because the end of their small intestines are intact.

JerryNYC wrote: Yesterday 14:36:59 Chewies are your best bet. The vitamin you should be most concerned about taking is B12, an essential vitamin. It normally reaches the blood circulation by being absorbed into the final part of the small intestine (the ilium), mostly at its end. People who have had the colon removed accompanied by an ileostomy often have had the last portion of the ilium removed, leading to a deficiency of B12. Years ago, people with ileostomies were advised to have periodic injections of B12. But is is simpler to place a dissolvable B12 tablet under the tongue (sublingual), which then releases B12 directly into the tiny blood vessels under the tongue. I use "Nature Made Vitamin B12 1000 mcg fast dissolve sublingual tablets" from Amazon.com) about 2-3 times a month. People with colostomies do not have to do this because the end of their small intestines are intact.

Definitely good advice and to tell if one is having B12 deficiency is when they begin to feel neuropathy, pain or tingling in the hands, fingers or feet. This is a sign that the nerves are being damaged because the body doesn't have B12 to make the protection they require.