Posted by: @granddayout

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Will nuts and mushrooms be forever a "no-no?"

With a colostomy, especially after three months, I don't think you'll have any/many "no-no" foods.

With an ileostomy, the stoma opening is more narrow, so there's a little more to worry about. This doesn't hold true with colostomies, which are generally easier to pass output through.

That said, I always recommend starting with small quantities and chewing well. Then up the volume of food until you are comfortable with how it passes through your system.

If possible, try a cooked version of the food before moving to raw. In the case of nuts/seeds, soak them for several hours, then try. Cashews soak wonderfully, so it should be quite creamy after soaking overnight.

Mushrooms will always be harder to digest, even when cooked, so chew them well. Cabbage is easier when cooked.

Caffeine shouldn't cause any problems with your stoma, but some people might experience looser output with something like coffee. This is very subjective. Coffee has no effect on my output, as an example.

Go ahead and enjoy your favorite food!

I can second all Eric has said. I eat and enjoy all the foods I did before. Some things like nuts I will eat in small quantities. But hey enjoy experimenting 🤗

I also eat nuts, just chew them well to get to "nut butter" consistency.  I have an ileostomy so I do stay away from mushrooms, although I love a fully pureed mushroom soup!

I"m puzzled here? why can't you eat raw carrots or cabbage?  are you sure this is related to the stoma?   i too have a colostomy and was never told I can not eat or shouldn't eat certain foods?  as ive recently said, a colostomy is NOT an ileostomy.   ask someone you know, what is their poop consistance? ask several people, if they say somewhat thick, then there needs to be more muscle groups pushing this thicker than ileostomy output down the intestine and out of the body.

@dogtalkerer thanks for your reply. I admit to confusion over the whole what foods to eat or not issue. In my research about colostomy prior to my surgery there was lots of talk about what not eat after surgery but not much about what to expect down the line. I'm only 3 1/2 months into this new journey but I have noticed some things. After month two my output did change to being thicker but I attributed that to my being strict with myself on eating only things that thicken, like cream of wheat and banana for breakfast, white bread, potato [without skin], stuff like that. But recently I've begun to branch out, experimenting. Last week I had a salad that had raw carrot and raw cabbage in with the lettuce. And my output changed the following day. Was it the raw veggies? I don't know. See I'd really like to eat coleslaw again but I'm hesitant. I don't know anyone else with a colostomy but my Ostomy nurse did tell me that eventually I'll be able to eat whatever I want. 

I have an ileostomy and I do eat mushrooms, i absolutely love them.  But i do find that if i don't chew well i can feel them popping out of my stoma.  As long as you chew your food well it should be fine.

I haven't come across anything yet that i can't eat.  However ive not had popcorn (just not got round to it), but i have heard that some people have problems with it.  I guess we're all different and what can affect one person may not necessarily be a problem for another.

Trial and error

sure , output changes , mine fluctuates quite a bit from different foods .   from too thick to rather runny.   i take this as normal.  mid thickness is nice.   you can eat tracer foods to get an idea of how long things take to come out, lots of beets or corn work.    as i said, i was never warned about anything,  and the cancer center did a fair amount of colostomies.  most things for me take 3-4days, age plays a big part, being 60yrs old, everything slows with age it seems. i'm bad about chewing some foods, fruits, chili, mash potatoes but carrots i chew well.   i've felt apple chunks in the bag, orange and apples seeds .   i can feel nut fragments in my bag even though i chew them pretty good.  figure out what makes the output thin when you find its getting too thick.  mashed potatoes with sour cream helps me, homemade cabbage soup seems to work too, something too old works very quickly but not reccommended.   

 eat a slightly smaller than normal portion and see what happens, if you try too small a portion you will not know if it causes trouble. 

  keep in mine some people could have troubles with foods like the ileostomy group,  but I have found little data on this topic and I see the over use of "ostomy" which is a vague term.  

so this is my experience, first hands.  i've read a lot in years past and I seem pretty typical .

@granddayout I have a colostomy (2015) and I can pretty much eat whatever I want, but I find that I do have to be careful about high fibre foods because I tend to suffer loose output if I eat too much fibre. So fruit, vegetables, whole grains - I have to watch my intake. I can generally manage things with Imodium, but sometimes I can’t, and then I have to double down on starchy foods.  The best way for you to know what you can tolerate, as others have suggested, is to try small amounts and see how you respond. Trial and error isn’t quick, but it is specific to you, which is what you want.

 Laurie 

@tigerlily I learned something new from your reply, that I can take Imodium if I need to. Before colostomy surgery I had to rely on Imodium just to have a day out of the house. Nice to know I can use it if needed if too much fiber causes too loose of output. I'm kind of discovering this as I go along: the balance of fiber and starchy foods.

@granddayout I am 6 weeks post op, so also a new colostomate. Nobody told me I couldn't have certain foods once I had my colostomy. In fact, the first meal I got after my surgery was mashed potatoes with cooked enchive (yuck...). I eat everything, from unpeeled apples to raw cabbage, nuts, tomatoes, berries, corn, mushrooms... I just make sure to take my time to chew well and to drink a lot (water, tea, coffee, and cranberry juice)

The only thing I haven't yet dared to eat is cacao nibs, which I used to add to my breakfast oatmeal. They don't digest really, so not keen on finding out how they exit my body... lol.

So if your digestion was fine before you became ill, you should be fine now. If you feel a bit anxious about eating certain foods, just do as Eric suggested and try a little bit first to see how you tolerate it.

If your output tends to be loose, you could put gel packs or strips in your pouch, to thicken it up. Keep a food log with the foods you eat and if your output is thick or runny. That way, you'll find out which foods are 'weekend foods' and which are safe to have if you need or want to go somewhere.

This what can I eat question is so intriguing and baffling. I suppose we all have different food tolerances before surgery, so it's realistic to expect the same post surgery! I was extremely lactose intolerant when my colon was doing the work, and now with the ileostomy I'm thoroughly enjoying milk again! 

For me, I think I have a good deal of anxiety about blockages because of my experiences with colon blocks that ultimately led to this ileostomy. They were quite traumatic. 

Also, much of the "introductory" information I've received about managing diet with an ileostomy is geared towards avoiding blockages. No fruit and veg skins, seeds, fibre, mushrooms.... 

My problem is the opposite, my output is extremely liquid. This has led to failed appliances, skin irritation, dehydration, electrolyte deficiencies... I'm taking an obscene amount of immodium, plenty of electrolyte drinks, potatoes, starchy things and peanut butter. All under strict advisement by my doctor and home-care nurse, don't worry. 

I've learned from reading y'alls posts that things change as the ostomies 'mature' so I'll keep my "ins and outs" journal going. And keep listening to your stories.

@kirsten Have you tried gelling agents? You simply put them in your bag and they're supposed to thicken your output when they come into contact with it. I believe they come as strips, packs or 'pearls'. I know Eric has an article or video about these things somewhere.

This might also help to solve your skin issues a little bit, because liquid output can get under your wafer much easier, than when it's a bit thicker.

You might also try one piece bags for a while if you have a colostomy. That was advised to me by the stoma nurse. Because you change them more often, there is less chance of your skin getting irritated.

I am still using one piece closed bags after about 2,5 months, even though I thought I'd want to change to two piece asap. I like the low profile of the one piece bags and I've gotten used to changing a few times a day. Takes me about 5 minutes per change.