@jillian.  Hello Jillian and Welcome to VO!!   Telling us what kind of Ostomy you have & for how long will get you answers from others relating to your Ostomy type more quickly.   I have an Ileostomy for over 13 years now so I'll give you Ileostomy related suggestions. 

Try keeping a journal or spread sheet of all you eat & drink for about a month to help rule out foods or liquids that can be causing issues for you. Write down approximate amounts too.  Take that  journal to any Doctor appointments related to your issues.  It'll be handy for those questions they ask that you weren't expecting them to ask! Lol! 

Check with your GP especially if you notice any blood or blood clots in your output or have trouble staying hydrated.  Telling your GP everything your taking,  even what he doesn't prescribe can help,  including hard, soft or liquid supplements.  Side affects often have a wide range so its pretty important to be honest about this even if its vitamins.  Some nutrtional drinks gave me horrid runs but it wasn't until I wrote things down that I saw the connection. 

I hope this is helpful & you can figure things out soon.  It's not fun being in the washroom more then already needed. 

Linda

Jillian, I have had a similar problem. It has improved since my hernia repair, so I wonder if that’s part of the issue for you. It’s possible that the hernia prevents normal output until it becomes so much that it forces its way out, in larger amounts. I have also found that my fibre intake greatly affects my output; this is a new problem since having an ostomy. I kept a food diary for over a month, and was able to see that high fibre, particularly oatmeal porridge in the morning, contributes to my output problems. Now I eat muesli, which doesn’t seem to have the same effect, even though there is a lot of oatmeal in it. 

Laurie

Had a strong output about 3 days ago....diarrhea. The following day, inside and outside of Stoma started to bleed....spotty blood. However stools were normal. ER doctor said possibly the hard output irritated the lining of inside of Stoma. But said Stoma was very healthy looking. The bleeding has let up, less spotting. I am to return to ER if heavy bleeding occurs or black stools. Stressed necessity of having a Stoma Nurse on standby for future evaluations, which I will set up. This whole episode really stressed me out terribly. 

Hi Jillian, Am sorry to hear that. A stoma has a lot of blood vessels which can bleed. If on the outside not a big issue, but from the inside you have done right going to ER. Sending you best wishes 🙏 You will get back on track 👍

@tigerlily Thanks for the suggestion that my Hernia may play a part in my output. I am going to mention it to my doctor on Thursday. It's just very strange to me that the outputs seem to have a 'schedule' of doing so....every 3 to 4 days. It happened again last night...on 'schedule.' I have been really exhausted since my Colostomy surgery in March. Stress is part of it, I think. I have switched Surgeons. I was not comfortable with the one I had. So the new one I am seeing Thursday is phenomenal and is wonderful with his patients. I am still wrestling with the idea of a Reversal. The original Surgeon was too anxious for me to have it done, not really considering my medical background that I have and have developed since my Surgery in March.

@jillian glad that you have a doctor you feel confident in. That makes a huge difference. It might be good for you to keep a food diary for awhile - it might show you a pattern that you might not otherwise see. Keep track of medications too, especially Imodium - how much, how frequently - that might show you some patterns too. Even the type of Imodium can make a difference; I take the kind that dissolves under the tongue, which is faster acting than the kind that is swallowed. We really have to be detectives sometimes, trying to figure things out! Good luck when you see your doctor next.

Laurie

@tigerlily Thanks Laurie for your response! Appreciate it. I will post after Doctor visit tomorrow. Jillian

I also have a hernia, and I have found that if I have no output for a couple of days, it's weird, but sleeping on my left side for a night clears it up. I normally only sleep on my right side. My stoma is on the left, my ostomy mid-transverse.

@goatherder If I have bad output,  for me, it's not unusual for me to go 2 to 3 days with no output. It gives me a break and normal output starts again. Sometimes have to take imodium, but only if too much occurs.