Hello

Hi and welcome to the online community and to the Stoma Support Group, we know you don't want to be here but I'm so glad you've reached out to us.

The first piece of advice I can you is not to rely too much on Dr Google the information can be misleading or out of date, you're best route for all things stoma is to put your problems to us with of course your stoma care nurse but we're easier to get hold of 7 days a week and almost 24 hours a day and we're here to support, help and support each other along this journey.

Back to the business on hand - can you tell me exactly what you are experiencing and the type of stoma you have.

A lot of runny stomas can be put down to diet and what we eat, even the size and how often you eat can affect your output as can medication.

I would suggest starting a food diary and record everything you eat and drink and your output and build up a picture. I recently found a very simple food diary in Google play store which may help you. 

If you can give me, and the others members, as much information as you can we will do all we can to help you, we've all been through it and have found ways to resolve problems by using the trial and error method and we will share everything we know with you.

Please come back to me (us) when you're ready we'll be here waiting for you ask your questions no matter how small or irrelevant you think it might be, if you thinking it ask it and get it out the way.

Ian 

This is the food diary I found which is quite a simple way of recording everything you eat and drink

I've been using it to record

• Food eaten even snacks, everything.
• liquids taken and how much
• Medications
• Stoma output and consistency
• My Blood sugar

You decide the information you input and it really does build up a good picture and helps any medic to try and understand your problems.

The one I use is Food Diary above and marked installed and is worth having a look.

Regards

Ian

Hi

Welcome to the group.

R&D phase... I love that term! Reminds me of sitting in hospital recovering from an emergency loop colostomy operation with a notebook, pen and my phone taking the place of a laptop, and researching all things stoma, making notes and asking lots of questions from the stoma nurses every time they came in!

All the best,

Yolande

Itsy Bitsy - that was me too! 

Hi Ian, 

So kind of you to take the time to message me in this way. I appreciate all your advice and I have already downloaded the food diary app so I will definitely take this forward. 

I know that everyone reacts differently to different foods at different times and my stoma has on the whole behaved very well. My issues with runny stoma are occassional but upsetting. I have in the 24 hrs I've been a member here, already read some great advice to help me overcome my stoma stigma. 

My complication lies with me currently being on a period of permanent bedrest at home as I continue long term recovery from surgical wounds to my thigh and sacral areas following life-endangering sepsis being, just in the nick of time, diagnosed following a pressure sore - I'm a wheelchair user - becoming infected.

Given the area of my wounds, when I experience a runny stoma, there also tends to be some excrement exiting from my back passage, and the risk of contamination is increased during these episodes. My District Nurse calls in 3 x a week to redress my wounds and there is some piece of mind there that she has a regular clinical eye on issues arising.

Given my disability and lack of control and stimulation over bowel movements, and that bedrest is necessary currently, I'm paranoid about food and drink intake and how each serving may affect me. So, all I'm really after is anything that will help alleviate the risks of soiling/contamination while promoting excellent stoma care and advice on learning to live in confidence while in possession of one.

Not so much to ask

Hi the short answer to your reply is certainly it is NOT to much to ask to obtain some comfort and peace of mind.

You mention that you have a district nurse three times a week and who keeps an eye on things but I wonder if you are still in contact with a stoma care nurse who would be a great go to person to discuss runny stoma but in the meantime we'll try and help and you are doing a grand job in being careful with your food output and drink and with the help of your food diary will certainly give you a better picture of what's going on and help your nurses help you.

It does take time to come to terms of being an ostomate and reading your story with all the other conditions you have been cursed with might take a bit longer than longer but you sound determined and I have every confidence that you will soon master being an Ostomate and enjoy good stoma management.

Normally I would list the following

The following foods are also known to thicken ostomy output:

Starchy foods like pasta, potatoes, rice, white bread

Crackers

Crisps (also replaces salt)

Applesauce

Bananas (especially when underripe and without spots)

Nut butters (peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, etc)

Oatmeal

Fish and Chips from the chippy

Most of these foods can be considered healthy, although don’t depend too much on the white bread, white pasta or chips if you don’t need to.

But I think you are probably on top of things and can only hope that you have been prescribed Imodium/Loperamide and your GP has prescribed the maximum dose permissible which is usually more than the packet warnings.

Regarding output from rectum this, believe it or not, is very usual and can come and go very quickly immediately after the operation and unfortunately at anytime in the future. My only suggestion is to cover your bed and wheelchair seat with disposable bed Pads (your supply company should supply these to you if you ask) another thing you might want to try is to wrap a disposable bed pad round your bottom over your skin and under night clothes but now I'm worried about the contamination of your other wounds, so maybe pick your stoma care nurse and district nurses brains and see if there is a solution to stop any contamination.

Although you drink a lot you may need to think about your hydration and replace the salts and minerals in your body you can buy sachets of the mixture or you can make your own by following this St Mark's Drink.

Do keep coming back to us we all want to hear about your progress and I hope my friend Lisa will be able to interact with you and give you some advice and personal tips.

We in poo corner talk about everything poo so please feel to express any concerns you have at anytime

Ian

LisaCardiff any thoughts please.