Hi there, I had a colostomy at the end of October and have been okay (as you can be) but I'm utterly disturbed by the smell of today's output and it's really worrying me. I can only describe it as rotten eggs to start followed by a vomit smell. Have any other colostomates experienced this? It seems to be frequent with ileostomy but I can't find any info with colostomies! The only thing I can think of that I ate yesterday was a couple of slices of garlic bread, but I've been putting garlic into my cooking for a few weeks now and I have NEVER experienced a smell like it. Just looking for a bit of reassurance that it's not just me as I had a really bad infection when I was in hospital and don't want to be back there over Christmas. Thanks for reading 😊
You'll have to see what your next output smells like. The big concern is internal bleeding — it has an unforgettably bad smell. Garlic does lead to bad smells — I quit eating garlic due to the smells it caused and the odor just hangs in the air.
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Hello Lisa.
Yep! been there, done that.
Sorry I cannot be of much help because whenever it happens I have yet to figure out the precursor's.
A Traveller's suggestion to 'wait and see' seems reasonable to me, but if you are particularly worried about anything in these early days, then a phone call to your stoma nurse could be reassuring.
Let us know how you get on.
Best wishes
Bill
Check out our 4 necessities before getting back on the job, and our other workplace tips.
Great detailed description. I'm abt to loose my lunch . Thanks! Just kidding. Too soon? Ha ha.
Yea. Garlic could be an issue. Agree with men above. There will be changes in yur diet.
Loved garlic bread. It didn't love me tho . Think of it as treat sometimes. See what yur next few out puts smell like.
Are u aware of deodorants that kill these god awful odors u put in yur pouch. ?
I don't know if this list applies to colonoscopy or not but the ingredients are the same so...
Eating Guide
Partially copied from my nutritionists guide. Ileostomy Nutrition Therapy from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (This handout may be duplicated for client education.)
My recommendation is to see a nutritionist for the full guide as not all can be pasted here
I've added my own observations to further clarify
Chew all foods well to the consistency of paste. Spit out any hard stuff or can't chew. Important!
Foods That May Cause Blockage (very bad avoid!)
Apples, unpeeled (peeled and applesauce are excellent thickeners, don't eat the skins or the core, chew well)
Bean sprouts, Cabbage
Casing on sausage (inside fine if no tough parts, avoid swallowing if a chunk is felt) Also sausage like meats like pepperoni and salami contain indigestible bits.
Chinese vegetables (stir fried crunchy, too hard, need very soft veggies with no skins)
Coconut, Coleslaw, Celery (avoid)
Corn (grits also, corn anything doesn't seem to dissolve in stomach)
Cucumbers (skins bad, inside chewed up good seems okay, no seeds)
Dried fruit, raisins
Grapes, blueberries etc. (skins and seeds the problem.)
Green peppers (red, yellow also) pureed or very very small and soft seems okay in small amounts
Mushrooms (doesn't dissolve in stomach) pureed or very very small seems okay in small amounts
Nuts (totally avoid)
Peas (mushy interior okay, like pea soup, skins a problem)
Pickles (skins a problem, inside if chewed up good seems okay, seeds not)
Pineapple (liquid okay, mushy parts fine, hard parts not, rather risky as parts of mushy may not digest)
Popcorn (totally avoid)
Potato skins, inside (no hard parts) fine.
Relishes and olives
Salad greens (diarrhea nightmare too)
Seeds and nuts (avoid) Watermelon seeds bad
Spinach (doesn't digest, pureed perhaps)
Tough, fibrous meats (for example, steak on grill, well done, tough parts especially, over grilled chicken or dry pork chops. Juicy grilled or pan fried chicken, shredded pork in juices, medium rare steaks, hamburger better. Nothing deep fried ever, dirrarea city.
Vegetable and fruit skins, (any avoid)
Whole grains (no grits, rolled oats oatmeal seems to be okay, oat cereal is an excellent thickener)
Foods That May Cause Gas or Odor
Alcohol, Apples, Asparagus (stink), Bananas, Beer, Broccoli (clog hazard)
Brussels sprouts (clog hazard)
Cabbage (clog hazard)
Carbonated beverages
Cauliflower, Cheese, some types like any cheese food is bad. Real cheese may be okay. Provolone, Swiss, Cheddar, not American white or yellow
Corn (clog hazard), Cucumber skins and seeds bad.
Dairy products (toot city, small amounts okay)
Dried beans and peas (clog hazard)
Eggs (some don't digest in stomach like scrambled or omelets, but over easy seems fine for some reason)
Fatty foods, Grapes
Fish (cooked unseasoned salmon in small portions may not, nor stink, same for raw tuna seems fine)
Green pepper (red and yellow also, clog hazzard unless very small and very soft in small quantities)
Melons, Onions (clog hazard)
Peanuts (clog hazard) Prunes
Radishes, Turnips
Soda and sipping using straws, (drink from glass instead)
Seafood (smell rotten stink!)
If your having vacuum caused pancaking issue a small amount of something above (like having a soda during a meal) could introduce some air into your diet and thus into the bag. Also by avoiding too much thickening foods by themselves which often contribute to pancaking of the output.
Foods That May Help Relieve Gas and Odor
Buttermilk, Cranberry juice, Parsley
Yogurt with active cultures (Greek yogurt)
Foods That May Cause Diarrhea (looser or more frequent stool)
Alcohol (including beer)
Apricots (and stone fruits)
Beans, baked or legumes (clog hazard)
Bran, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts
Cabbage, Caffeinated drinks
Chocolate
Corn (in my experience corn anything doesn't digest in stomach, just passed through and out, kernels/popcorn will clog)
Deep Fried meats, fish, poultry (KFC, supermarket rotisserie chicken very bad, and anything soaked in brine)
Fruit juice: apple, grape, orange (small amount okay)
Fruit: fresh, canned, or dried (small amount skinless okay)
Glucose-free foods containing mannitol or, sorbitol
Gum, sugar free, Licorice
High-fat foods, High-sugar foods
High salt foods (KFC, supermarket rotisserie chicken)
High seasoned foods (like blackened)
Milk and dairy foods (small amounts okay)
Nuts or seeds (bad, clog hazard)
Peaches (stone fruit, one skinless a day okay)
Peas, Plums (stone fruit).
Pork (chops, fatty)
Prune juice or prunes
Soup, Spicy foods
Sugar-free substitutes
Tomatoes, doesn't digest (soup okay) Turnip greens/green leafy
Vegetables, raw
Wheat/whole grains, Wine
Rice (very soft 1/4 cup in mixed in food okay, like in soup), refried beans (1/4 cup okay) pasta (one cup max).
Any foods soaked in brine or deep fried (rotisserie chicken, Kentucky fried chicken etc)
Solent nutritional meals
Foods That May Help Thicken Stool
Applesauce (peeled apples, no cores)
Bananas, Barley (when OK to have fiber)
Cheese (processed cheese food a clog problem, use real cheese)
Dried Chinese Crispy Noodles (severe thickening, mix with other food that causes diarrhea)
Marshmallows
Oatmeal (when OK to have fiber)
Pasta (sauces may increases symptoms) (in my experience more than a cup of pasta causes diarrhea)
Peanut butter, creamy only, nuts clog (may make skin greasy)
Potatoes, no skin (skin clogs, more than a cup may cause diarrhea)
Pretzels (salty may cause more flow water consumption)
Metamucil, mix or crackers (mix in cup of water and drink before it gells up)
Eating Guide
Partially copied from my nutritionists guide. Ileostomy Nutrition Therapy from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (This handout may be duplicated for client education.)
My recommendation is to see a nutritionist for the full guide as not all can be pasted here
I've added my own observations to further clarify
Chew all foods well to the consistency of paste. Spit out any hard stuff or can't chew. Important!
Foods That May Cause Blockage (very bad avoid!)
Apples, unpeeled (peeled and applesauce are excellent thickeners, don't eat the skins or the core, chew well)
Bean sprouts, Cabbage
Casing on sausage (inside fine if no tough parts, avoid swallowing if a chunk is felt) Also sausage like meats like pepperoni and salami contain indigestible bits.
Chinese vegetables (stir fried crunchy, too hard, need very soft veggies with no skins)
Coconut, Coleslaw, Celery (avoid)
Corn (grits also, corn anything doesn't seem to dissolve in stomach)
Cucumbers (skins bad, inside chewed up good seems okay, no seeds)
Dried fruit, raisins
Grapes, blueberries etc. (skins and seeds the problem.)
Green peppers (red, yellow also) pureed or very very small and soft seems okay in small amounts
Mushrooms (doesn't dissolve in stomach) pureed or very very small seems okay in small amounts
Nuts (totally avoid)
Peas (mushy interior okay, like pea soup, skins a problem)
Pickles (skins a problem, inside if chewed up good seems okay, seeds not)
Pineapple (liquid okay, mushy parts fine, hard parts not, rather risky as parts of mushy may not digest)
Popcorn (totally avoid)
Potato skins, inside (no hard parts) fine.
Relishes and olives
Salad greens (diarrhea nightmare too)
Seeds and nuts (avoid) Watermelon seeds bad
Spinach (doesn't digest, pureed perhaps)
Tough, fibrous meats (for example, steak on grill, well done, tough parts especially, over grilled chicken or dry pork chops. Juicy grilled or pan fried chicken, shredded pork in juices, medium rare steaks, hamburger better. Nothing deep fried ever, dirrarea city.
Vegetable and fruit skins, (any avoid)
Whole grains (no grits, rolled oats oatmeal seems to be okay, oat cereal is an excellent thickener)
Foods That May Cause Gas or Odor
Alcohol, Apples, Asparagus (stink), Bananas, Beer, Broccoli (clog hazard)
Brussels sprouts (clog hazard)
Cabbage (clog hazard)
Carbonated beverages
Cauliflower, Cheese, some types like any cheese food is bad. Real cheese may be okay. Provolone, Swiss, Cheddar, not American white or yellow
Corn (clog hazard), Cucumber skins and seeds bad.
Dairy products (toot city, small amounts okay)
Dried beans and peas (clog hazard)
Eggs (some don't digest in stomach like scrambled or omelets, but over easy seems fine for some reason)
Fatty foods, Grapes
Fish (cooked unseasoned salmon in small portions may not, nor stink, same for raw tuna seems fine)
Green pepper (red and yellow also, clog hazzard unless very small and very soft in small quantities)
Melons, Onions (clog hazard)
Peanuts (clog hazard) Prunes
Radishes, Turnips
Soda and sipping using straws, (drink from glass instead)
Seafood (smell rotten stink!)
If your having vacuum caused pancaking issue a small amount of something above (like having a soda during a meal) could introduce some air into your diet and thus into the bag. Also by avoiding too much thickening foods by themselves which often contribute to pancaking of the output.
Foods That May Help Relieve Gas and Odor
Buttermilk, Cranberry juice, Parsley
Yogurt with active cultures (Greek yogurt)
Foods That May Cause Diarrhea (looser or more frequent stool)
Alcohol (including beer)
Apricots (and stone fruits)
Beans, baked or legumes (clog hazard)
Bran, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts
Cabbage, Caffeinated drinks
Chocolate
Corn (in my experience corn anything doesn't digest in stomach, just passed through and out, kernels/popcorn will clog)
Deep Fried meats, fish, poultry (KFC, supermarket rotisserie chicken very bad, and anything soaked in brine)
Fruit juice: apple, grape, orange (small amount okay)
Fruit: fresh, canned, or dried (small amount skinless okay)
Glucose-free foods containing mannitol or, sorbitol
Gum, sugar free, Licorice
High-fat foods, High-sugar foods
High salt foods (KFC, supermarket rotisserie chicken)
High seasoned foods (like blackened)
Milk and dairy foods (small amounts okay)
Nuts or seeds (bad, clog hazard)
Peaches (stone fruit, one skinless a day okay)
Peas, Plums (stone fruit).
Pork (chops, fatty)
Prune juice or prunes
Soup, Spicy foods
Sugar-free substitutes
Tomatoes, doesn't digest (soup okay) Turnip greens/green leafy
Vegetables, raw
Wheat/whole grains, Wine
Rice (very soft 1/4 cup in mixed in food okay, like in soup), refried beans (1/4 cup okay) pasta (one cup max).
Any foods soaked in brine or deep fried (rotisserie chicken, Kentucky fried chicken etc)
Solent nutritional meals
Foods That May Help Thicken Stool
Applesauce (peeled apples, no cores)
Bananas, Barley (when OK to have fiber)
Cheese (processed cheese food a clog problem, use real cheese)
Dried Chinese Crispy Noodles (severe thickening, mix with other food that causes diarrhea)
Marshmallows
Oatmeal (when OK to have fiber)
Pasta (sauces may increases symptoms) (in my experience more than a cup of pasta causes diarrhea)
Peanut butter, creamy only, nuts clog (may make skin greasy)
Potatoes, no skin (skin clogs, more than a cup may cause diarrhea)
Pretzels (salty may cause more flow water consumption)
Metamucil, mix or crackers (mix in cup of water and drink before it gells up)
Living with Your Ostomy | Hollister
Would there not be more severe symptoms with internal bleeding? I only have the bad smell and nothing else.. Will definitely keep this in mind though in case any other symptoms do crop up. Hopefully not!
I've noticed my colostomy output to be variable. A couple times I've eaten something that causes a bad smell in my output. I wouldn't be too concerned about that.
Look for other signs of infection, fever chills etc. If you see any if those head to a Dr pronto, otherwise I think you are safe to wait and see.
A rotten egg smell is sulfur. Garlic contains sulfur as does eggs, dairy, meats, etc... it's a long list. You can google it if interested. Personally, I eat what I want, use deodorizer drops and just put up with the smell if it comes. But that's a personal choice.
I've found nothing that reliably produces a strong odor. It seems to depend on quantity, what else I eat with it and quite possibly variation in my digestive system itself.
I am starting to think it may just be something I need to deal with. Such an adjustment. Hoping I don't get any other symptoms and so far so good. I'll definitely be looking into deodoriser drops too. You would think my stoma nurse would have mentioned these were a thing I could get!
To update, still stinks and is now a bit looser. I am starting to panic there might be a blockage but will hope not and try and call the nurse in the morning 🤞
Follow our 9-point hospital discharge checklist.
You can wash your bag with a couple of drops of antibacterial dish soap and some water followed by a couple of rinses after each dump.
That should keep the smell down also.
I leave a little dish soap and water to mix with future output to kill the digestive enzymes bacteria causing the smell, but I have an Ileostomy so output is usually more fluid. Worth a try though. 😊
Definitely call your nurse if it's bothering you. You've been thru a lot and it's natural to be anxious.
My output is frequently very loose and this is not a cause for concern. Your colon is probably still adjusting to its new normal so some changes are to be expected.
I have only had my colostomy since Aug, so about 2 months longer than you. My system still hasn't completely settled down.
Thank you - this is quite reassuring to hear so appreciate the response. Hopefully it will settle down over the next couple of days 🙏
Could be diarrhea..from a virus or something you ate..I have colostomy the regular smell is bad..diarrhea..is worse..monster smell...so I use M9..it is a life saver.
Very true about the smell of diarrhea. However, the fluid from my drain is by far the worst smell I deal with on a daily basis. Sadly, there's no way to add deodorizer to the drain bag (sealed system). I've taken to calling the drain my ileostomy. 🤣🤣🤣
When I experienced the internal bleeding, In addition to the smell I mentioned, I began to see red blood in my pouch. There was no pain associated with it. I was in rehab at the time and my surgeon directed the rehab facility to send me to the emergency room for a CT. The results led to my re-admission to the hospital. If you are on an iron supplement you will not see the blood but the unforgettable smell will be there. I did began to feel slightly lightheaded but I had experienced worst while in the hospital.