Can I Resume a Regular Diet Post-Ileostomy?

Need some real-life info. 16+ weeks after ileostomy. Can I go back to a regular diet (with caution), including veggies, lentils, salad, and tomatoes? I'm sure real people have real-life answers and experiences. Thanks.

I was told at 8 weeks I could eat whatever I wanted. I was not quite that ambitious, but by the time I was post op where you are now, I was fine. Of course, the famous or infamous mantra is everyone is different.  I have a colostomy which is different from you as well. 

The best thing to do is to try small amounts and make sure you drink a lot of fluids. 

TY, my surgeon said I can eat everything. Just be careful with thick-skinned foods. I'll stay away from them. Guess it's time to take a shot.

Be careful with insoluble fiber, such as legumes and whole kernel corn. Also nuts. A lot depends on the condition of your small bowel and ileum. If you are like me and have the entire small bowel with no lesions, you may be able to eat most anything. Experimentation with small amounts is advised. Personally, I stay away from legumes and whole kernel corn. I also have given up on salads and am on a mostly carnivore diet. But, I do eat a lot of root crops. I also eat a lot of fruit, but stay away from unpeeled apples and overly fibrous stuff like pineapple and mango. I do mostly berries in my morning smoothies. Bananas are good for flow, but I have issues when getting too much potassium.

Anyway, listen to the turtle. Slow and steady wins the taste. :-)

Daniel

The rule I follow is to peel things like potatoes, zucchini, apples, etc. Try small amounts of things. Look out for popcorn, corn in general, and things like nuts. Look out for seeds. When in doubt, pulverize things in your blender or food processor. I have more limits than most, so maybe I'm not a good example to follow. I have a very sensitive ostomy. I ate mango (peeled) and I got a small blockage. Then in the morning, my ostomy exploded out the mango. Oh yeah, that reminds me, chew chew chew. That is so important.

How to Manage Ostomy Leaks with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

One of the reasons that everyone is different is that we all became ostomates for different reasons.  If you had multiple previous surgeries, and/or suffered from crohn's or ulcerative colitis, you could have lesions and/or scar tissue that can cause blockages.  Otherwise, you may well be able to eat pretty much anything, but as others have said, proceed cautiously and slowly.  I wouldn't assume anything and it would be a drag to deprive yourself of certain foods you really like needlessly, so try everything, but in small amounts, chewing really well, and drinking lots of fluids. There are certain foods that are really fibrous, like pineapple, which I still eat, but I just spit out the part I can't chew well enough.

Terry

All good advice. We've all been there, done it, suffered from it, and, like beachboy, still eat the foods on the no-no list because they are so good! Chew, chew, chew... another mantra we abide by.

Hey, we are neighbors, friend.

My advice is to wait a bit longer before you start eating stuff like that and get your ostomy used to eating more solid, easily digestible foods. Things work a bit differently now with an ileo. And those foods you asked about, some can eat and some can't; everyone is different. But seeds, nuts, and hard-to-digest foods, like raw veggies or anything with skin on it, won't break down and are told to be avoided. I know some do. Just saying, take it slow and easy and try one thing at a time. Chew chew chew chew chew chew lol and chew some more. If you cramp, then back off.

I had to give up cashews. My poor colostomy stoma blows up like a mushroom. I can eat small amounts of peanuts and walnuts. Also, a little popcorn at the movies. Surprisingly, beans don't cause me too much grief. Which is great... can't have a taco without rice and refried beans. Sneak in some hot sauce too.

But like we all say...

Chew, chew, chew. Then chew, chew, chew some more. Swish it around, chomp it down. When your jaws are tight, you've done it right.

These others members are way too complicated, I just eat whatever and avoid too much of a few things. Go enjoy some food, just start with small amounts and your body will tell you yes or no. 

I agree with  the mantra chew, chew, chew; and chew some more. I think  you should  introduce one food at a time and see how your body handles it. What you can handle may not work for others. 

You can Google to find a list of foods that are safe to eat with an ileostomy. High fiber foods are not recommended! I know from experience that some foods will stop up your ostomy's stomach opening in your tummy where it attaches to your bag. You do not want that. I ate a steak plate that came with roasted onions and roasted red and yellow bell peppers. It was too much fiber, and the bulk of that fibrous meal caused the sticky base stuck to my tummy for attaching my bag was literally ripped off when the fibrous meal tried to pass through my stoma. I had to go to the hospital and be on an IV drip so that I did not get dehydrated because I could not take in any food or liquid by mouth until the fibrous material had all passed. I had to have scans of my tummy and intestinal area, too. It took several days before I could have food, and Jello was the first food I could have.

One has to be careful announcing or denouncing foods you can and cannot eat.

It's about trial and error. Moderation. Common sense.

If you got stopped up, clogged, well then that's on you. Not anyone else.

Your stoma does expand a bit.

If you swallow before chewing, expect the worst. That can be a problem for anyone.

Stop with these lists. Each person needs to eat what they want and then decide by output or pain what works for them.

Don't make eating so complicated. You might have certain digestive issues only you suffer from. You can mention you had an issue with this food. Absolutely.

Just don't tell me not to eat steak or peppers, etc.

Having a stoma is a very individual thing with diet and output.