Output

Hi Kath,

          I spoke to my stoma nurse yesterday and she seemed to think that because I was never regular before the stoma, I've gone back to that routine again!  Because I've had no output for 4 days, she recommended that I take senna and a stool softener before bed! Its worked a bit but now what I'm passing is very soft! I think I'll try doing what you said, small meals but more often and also to try eating carefully in in the afternoon! I am eating a banana with my cereal every morning which sometimes helps! You're right, it's trial and error!

Moira x

hi Moira, good stuff. See how it goes. Kath

Giving me lots to think about, trouble is I an hungrier in the afternoon and evening than i am in the morning. Tried a chicken and chestnut pie the day before yesterday. Thinking it was a mistake now. Lots of twinges, but nothing much else happening.

I'm exactly the same, I don't know whether it's boredom or what. but I'm always hungrier on an evening than at any other time! We eat our main meal around 5-6pm, which doesn't help! Pies are a no no for me too, anything with pastry in fact,  but I cant resist them! I'm going to follow Kath's advice though, this is getting me down!

Moira x

Byes I  think it is boredom, started getting tubs of melon cubes to munch on slowly,  I have been known to wake up during the night because I am hungry. Cheese seems to stave of the worst pangs.

I'm addicted to Jelly Babies now and my weight is suffering! I love cheese but that makes me constipated! Melon cubes sound nice!

Moira x

Available from most supermarkets, varying sizes and prices. I say cubes, but they really are an assortment of shapes. Fortunately I like ripe bananas as I was told that the less ripe they are the more constipating they are.

Thanks for the tip, I didn't know that about the banana!

Moira x

Dear Jane - I kept a food diary religiously for a year - noting every output, everything I ate. Apart from salad and sushi (NOT good!) I can honestly say there was no rhyme or reason to it! So I stopped trying to work it out and just went with the flow (no pun intended!). Always have your bag of spares, wipes etc with you, eat little and often and go for it!!

Hi all,

 I am having problems with my output. I think I had a bowel obstruction on Wednesday night/Thursday morning and thankfully I went three times yesterday (the output was very thick) but nothing today, even though I have taken 2 Laxido and drank a lot of water. I am not in any pain or discomfort just extremely worried. Any help or suggestions, please? Please don’t tell me to contact the stoma nurses as I seem to be always ringing them for one thing or another.

I have a colostomy which I have had since 2016. It has gone from “all singing and dancing” in the early days, to gradually being very slow. I was diagnosed in April with radiation enteritis and in September I was diagnosed with a dropped pelvic floor. And also have an urostomy.

Thank you,

Lisa x