Can I Eat Poppy Seed Muffins with an Ileostomy?

I know whenever I ask here, people say they eat everything without any problems. That is not the way with me, though. I have an ileostomy, and it is very cranky. It spits out everything. It doesn't matter how much I chew. It just loves to act out. I have heard that seeds are not recommended for ileostomates, but I was just wondering, I mean, poppy seeds are very small. If I ate a poppy seed muffin, would that cause issues? I mean, those seeds are so tiny. I just keep seeing the muffin mix in the store, and it keeps calling to me. I haven't had a poppy seed muffin in years, but I used to really like them. Lemon poppy seed muffins.

Did we not go over this with your strawberry seed thread? Tiniest things you'll probably ever eat, so enjoy. You can deal with all the little hard bumpy things in your bag later.

I've sprinkled "everything seasoning" on food and never had a problem, and that's got all kinds of seeds and spices. I have an ileostomy also.

Hi there, not sure why spitting everything out is causing an issue. Is it causing a blockage? Is it painful? My stoma spits all kinds of things out, sometimes kind of whole, like pieces of mushroom. I assume it's doing its job and I'm good as long as everything is coming out as expected. Can you explain a little more? Thanks!

When you get the "call" for poppy seed muffins, don't answer it.

Watermelon seeds are pretty scary for me. Seeing them pass.

But it ain't stopping me from eating watermelon.

Handle it as you see fit.

How to Manage Ostomy Leaks with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

That's why you buy seedless watermelons, duh.

You won't know until you try. Just don't eat all at one time. 😂

I eat a whole grain bread that has lots of seeds, many of them bigger than poppy seeds, and I've never had a problem. I've also eaten poppy seeds with no issues. Yes, they come out whole, but as long as they come out and don't cause any problems, there is no need to worry.

Terry

...Alex, hey bro, not sure what Nebraska sells as seedless, but over here seedless watermelon has white seeds in them, pits? Not the black ones as you might be assuming. No, won't go there with those.

White seeds in seedless melons. There's your "duh" buddy.

Raise of hands for those who know WTFUDGE I'm talking about.

Your stoma will turn them out faster than a spitball.

Raising my hand. 🤚 It's the white seeds!!

Alex, you're bloody funny 🤣 xx

He's a blunt type of guy... 🤦‍♂️ ... too... Love you, bro...

Yep, white seeds, they are smaller than black ones. But there is an occasional black one in a seedless watermelon as well.

I've had my ileostomy for about 1 1/2 years. I think the problem with seeds is the potential for swelling of the seeds and blockage of our stoma. Seeds that have been cooked, canned, or perhaps toasted won't necessarily swell anymore. You could try a kitchen chemistry test (says the old nurse). Take the seeds from the type of food you want to eat, put them in a glass of body temp water for about 4 hours and see if they swell. If they don't, try a small amount, having that be the only new food of the day. Of course, most of us don't know the interior diameter of our stoma, so it won't be exact, but may add to your comfort level as to what foods you want to try and which ones you want to give a pass on. It's the work-to-fun ratio—is it worth the risk of blockage for the fun of eating a specific food? Good luck!

Hi,

I've had my ileostomy since I was 11 years old. I'm 54. I had a bowel obstruction that required surgery when I ate too many strawberries as a teenager. I think the seeds all clumped together and I couldn't pass them. I am very careful about too much fiber, seeds, and chew things well. Moderation is the key and over time I figured out what works for me.

I'm not a doctor, but my stoma is small. Maybe this has something to do with it, but when things pass out of it whole (like an unchewed mushroom) it is very uncomfortable.

I have a protein/spinach/etc. smoothie most mornings to make sure I get my greens.

Best of luck!

Reminds me of the time my husband spit out something soft and round. We jokingly said it looked like he gave birth to something.

My husband eats everything bagels with no problem and just recently tried cashews. He chews them well and did fine. To be honest, I'm happy to see his ileostomy spit things out.

In 50 years, the only thing that ever blocked me was fresh coconut.

I guess it depends upon the person. Poppyseed bagels used to be my favorite. Can't eat them anymore, too painful.

Other no-no's are coconut and cherries. I have a colostomy.

Regarding mushrooms is a no-no. They don't digest. Stop eating them; they gave me pains. Also, I'm a permanent ostomy for 4 years. Any foods that do not digest, don't eat them. Also, seeds of any kind, cabbage, celery, beans, sprouts. Hope this helps you! Take care.

I don't do small seeds at all. When I did, way back when (I've had my ostomy for 60 years), I had a lot of pain. I don't have a problem with larger seeds, but I don't eat very many, chew well, and I only eat a few per day.

I eat all kinds of seeds without a problem! Try small bites at first!

This post definitely caught my attention as it showed up right when I was questioning having eaten a poppy seed bagel two days in a row. I did experience some questionable symptoms that concerned me. I had also had another poppy seed bagel about a few weeks ago with no incident. This time I had some twinging going on in my upper small intestine which tells me that something isn't moving through as usual. I also found that when I changed my pouch later that day it was not as usual but instead a dark tar-like substance which is not a good sign at all. Never saw that before. I had my ileostomy in December 2022 and another surgery in June 2023 for a small bowel blockage due to extensive adhesions from the previous surgery. I tried to return to the more difficult foods to digest about 3 to 6 months after the second surgery and my body wasn't ready for it yet.

The poppy seeds were many on the bagel so maybe some got stuck together. Note taken! On the mushroom thing, I just tried them again about a week ago, cooked not too many, was ok. Had a bit more last night, so far so good. Also, I made dairy-free chocolate chip cookies last night for the first time in months because my last attempt didn't work out. I think that the chocolate (semi-sweet Enjoy Life chips) was too much to digest quite yet. It's worth it to wait and try something again, letting your body fully heal is what I think was needed. There will always be some things that are just off-limits. I accept that.