Advice on Avoiding Bathroom Breaks During an 8-Hour Workday

I enjoy reading all the questions on here, but as I try to read the many comments so I can learn too, I'm unable to unless I'm a premium member. Does that make sense? Anyway, I'm wondering if you are planning on an 8-hour workday, what would you eat or not eat to avoid using the bathroom at all during the workday, since you are keeping your personal life private? Can anyone help me? I'm still very self-conscious and struggling.

Colostomy or ileostomy? Personally, I have a colostomy and really pay no attention to what/when I eat to avoid having to empty at any certain time. I get a little output here/there and then usually a lot 2-3 times per week. Everyone uses a bathroom, ostomy or not, why stress over it. 🤷‍♂️

Yes, it depends on what type of ostomy you have.

Basically, less food in... less poop out.

I eat little during the day at work, so I don't have much trouble with gas or poop surges.

Hello unstoppable.
Thanks for the question.
It is like others have said in their replies. We need to know what type of ostomy you have in order to give informed replies.
If yours is a colostomy, then you may be fortunate enough to be able to irrigate. This is by far the best solution to the problem you present as it will allow you to have almost no output during the day. Irrigation needs to be discussed with a stoma nurse to make sure there are no contra-indications and to receive instructions. However, there are also some great videos on you tube. 
Ileostomies are different and do not allow for irrigation, so the solutions lie in diet and other management techniques which will be better explained by those who need to deal with it on a daily basis. 
There are some great previous posts that can be read in the 'collections' section at the top of the page.
Best wishes

Bill

I have an ileostomy. When I worked in an office, I just ate and drank as normal (in an 8-hour day, you can't function on fresh air; to be fed and watered is how humans are able to do stuff - and personally, my brain synapses don't fire on all cylinders without at least one cup of coffee!).

When I needed to pee is when I emptied the bag (a couple of times a day). Believe me, in the staff toilets, whatever came out of me didn't reek as much as some of my bowel-intact workmates - and no one in my office knew I had an ostomy.

Stories of Living Life to the Fullest from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

8 hours? You have to eat and drink. And yes, poop. Especially drink to stay hydrated. You'd rather pass out at work and have coworkers find out that way?

G-Day Unstoppable, if I were you, I would talk just to your supervisor and let them know you have a stoma and may need to use the restroom a little more than others. So eat, drink, and be merry, and when you gotta go, you gotta go. Make sure you drink plenty to keep hydrated. Ask anything on here and someone will answer. Regards, IGGIE

😂 I was using the bathroom the other day while a co-worker was in the other stall. All I said to myself was... glad I don't stink or sound like that anymore. 😁

If you have an ileostomy, you probably can't avoid going to the bathroom. With a colostomy, you have a better chance. Before you return to work, you should observe when you are having bowel movements. In my case, I have to go at ~10:30 am and ~5:30 pm. If I have a large dinner, then I will have to go again at ~2:00 am. Colostomies can be fairly predictable. Keep a diary in an app like mySymptoms to monitor your diet to see if certain foods cause more frequent bowel movements or more gas. Too much gas can cause your bag to balloon, requiring you to go to the bathroom and burp the bag. Eating usually triggers the digestive tract into action, leading to a bowel movement. Therefore, you may want to consider eating something at lunchtime, since it should be okay to go to the bathroom at lunchtime.

• One major issue to watch out for with a stoma is the laxative effect of some chocolates.

• The caffeine and fiber within the chocolate can increase the rate of motility (which is the contraction of the muscles in the digestive tract that encourage bowel movements). Ideal for constipation, but not good for those ostomates who may have a loose output already.

Finally, you could consider wearing an ostomy vest. Usually, if I am going on a social outing or during intimate moments, I wear an ostomy vest which tends to inhibit bowel movements.

These are some of the things you should consider. If you want to avoid the bathroom because of smells, then there are deodorants you can add to your pouch along with avoiding odor-causing food.

Just eat as normal and buy Hollister M9 ostomy deodorant drops. You'll figure out what's best for your situation as we are all different. I worked 12 and 15 hour days throughout and then recently I just went to part-time but now sick and can't work.

Hello! Great advice from the others here. I had a colostomy for 8 months and like AlexT, I did not have to pay attention to what/when I ate - but I did try to avoid things like beans so I wasn't making gas noises. I normally only had to change my bag once during the day at work, and my break times were adequate to do that.

I wasn't feeling 100% when I went back to work after my emergency surgery, so I did let my manager know my situation just in case something happened. In fact, I did pass out 2 months after surgery, but I was at the store when it happened - not work. Could have easily happened at work though, so do stay hydrated!

It is a personal decision whether or not to disclose it - I felt comfortable enough to do so, but I understand others may not. I also got a note from my surgeon for work stating that I may need to use the bathroom more often/for longer to allow bag changes during the day should I need it. I'm sorry you are struggling. I hope things get easier for you! :)

I'm unable to unless I'm a premium member. Does that make sense? No. I used my wife's ID and she can see all comments. Just go to alerts and select the ones you want to follow. Funny thing though, she had posts that I did not.

I have an ileostomy and use M9 ostomy odor drops in my bag. They are a game changer. Unless I eat fish, they almost eliminate any odor coming from my bag.

They work great under litter boxes too! No odor!

I totally agree! Ileostomies require more emptying. In an 8-hour workday, you need to eat and drink. Ileostomates require more fluids. When you eat/drink, your small intestine needs to empty the previous meal. Starvation all day should not be an option. Smaller meals 5 times a day, or when you are at work, can help with the amount you expel, such as a banana or Greek yogurt. I carry small pouches of baby wipes to aid with quick cleaning. Hoping this helps some. Best wishes, Deb.