Ileostomy and Diet: When Can I Eat Leafy Vegetables Again?

 Greetings everyone. Just had an ileostomy four weeks ago and was told I cannot eat leafy vegetables, etc. I've been avoiding any food that they have told me to avoid, but I was wondering if and when I can reintroduce any leafy vegetables. Thank you. 

Hi, I must admit I eat more or less the same things I did before: mushrooms, collie, broccoli, and cabbage. I just cut it up smaller and chew it more. It is now 2 years since I had my ileostomy and have had no problems, but I must say that's me; I can't answer for others.

Mike

Thank you Mike6952. Appreciate your reply.😊

You're welcome. I have been eating everything as I said since I came home; hope it helps.

Mike

The recommended diet was a low-residue diet. Pasta, pancakes, poached eggs, avocados, and limiting food with fiber as your intestines are pushing through something the size of a straw. I gained some unwanted weight from the higher carb diet, but after the intestinal swelling went down, I have eaten a normal diet and tested the waters on foods listed that may cause problems. You're going to have to test things and see how you do on most foods, not just for blockages but also because of food that might produce extra gas. I had a scare waking up at night and feeling the ostomy bag ballooned up, rushing to the bathroom before it popped. No more cucumbers for me at night. I had my surgery in the middle of September last year and was moving to a more normal diet close to the end of October. I hope this helps.

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

It is all about trial and error... I have had my ileostomy for 19 years now and unfortunately did learn the hard way what not to eat... you have to chew, chew, and chew! ...eventually, you will be able to eat whatever you want... takes time... be patient and take good care of yourself.

Best wishes,

Angela

Yes, it is all about making everything you eat as small as you can cut it and chew it as much as you can while you still have to enjoy your food.

Pringlesoriginal,

  All good advice.  This is something that new ostomates are told immediately after surgery that they can't have raw veggies anymore.  Unfortunately, people take this too literally and think it means forever.  Yes, some people just can't process certain foods as everyone is different.  But you realize pretty fast that you have to learn how to chew your food more so than before your surgery.  I do miss wolfing down a slice of pizza sometimes.

  So as everyone has said, chew your food up very well, to the consistency of paste before swallowing, take good care of your teeth as you're gonna need them.  Unless of course you want to just throw everything into a blender...lol

Bain

Take no notice of what they say! They haven't had an Osromy! I had my Ilost 1.5 years ago and from the very first day, I've eaten everything and anything I want with no side effects!

I’ve had my ileostomy for one year this month.  I ate very soft foods the first 6-8 weeks as recommended by my dr. But now I can eat whatever I like.  I always follow food with plenty of water.  Good luck!

Watch your output, and if the foods digest, then fine. If they look the same in your output bag as going in, then don't eat them. Some people have lost the duodenum, and if you have, then you don't eat any raw veggies.

I would recommend waiting and slowly adding veggies. I eat a lot of well-cooked cauliflower, but I also eat a lot of raw foods. The key is chopping the salads up. Do like a chopped salad and avoid bean sprouts. They get me every time. Also, corn can be a problem. It's not the kernel but the starch in the corn that builds a huge plug every time. There's not too much I won't eat, but I always make sure to cut my veggies up small and chew the crap out of everything. Also, beets can make you panic. It looks like you just filled your bag with blood. I've had my ileostomy for 9 years now, but I also had 14 surgeries because the VA botched my first surgery so badly. Good luck and take it slow.

Whenever you feel comfortable, take it slow, chew all veggies very well, and you will be fine.

Hi there! First, I hope you know how brave you are to reach out like this after what you've been through. A lot of people isolate, understandably, after this kind of surgery and stress. I will be thinking about you and hoping for continued good healing.

Second, I wish I had an answer to your question. Everyone is different, so my advice would be at 8 weeks to slowly, one thing at a time, introduce something new to your body. Drink lots of water and see how it goes. It's a lot of trial and error, but you will figure it out. XOXOXO

For me, I cannot have pineapple whatsoever. It's too acidic and it burns through my bag. Vegetables and fruits are okay when they're cooked or skinned, depending on what they are. I stay away from celery and other very stringy foods. My doctor told me to think of those things building a net that you can't digest, and that's when blockage happens. If you eat too much veggies and fruits or anything high-fiber at once, it could block you, and it's very uncomfortable and could lead to a hospital visit. Things in moderation are pretty key. But texture is the biggest issue I've had problems with. Skin all your fruits, cook all your veggies, and slowly you can readjust what your body can handle. Good luck to you!

Four weeks is a pretty short time and you'll need to take new foods slow and one at a time to determine what, if anything, bothers you.  I eat leafy veggies all the time without incident.  You'll have to learn to make lots of chewing a habit, and you may see small bits of the veg -- like lettuce, e.g. -- in your stool.  One thing that I've always had to avoid is melons.  But spicy stuff is no problem.  Also, milk products will run through you like pork through a goose, but you just have to learn to time that sort of food accordingly.  Key:  chew, and chew, and chew some more.

I just eat butter lettuce as it’s tender and digests well.  I’d wait a few months before trying lettuce.  Some folks can eat anything, and others are limited.  Trial and error is the key.  Try small amounts at first and see how your body does.

I eat everything. Chew, chew, and chew when starting out and go from there. I have had no problems and I just had my 1-year stomaversary.

I have followed the list they gave me after surgery and have never had any problems. I miss eating nuts, pineapple, oranges, corn, peas, and because of another medical condition, cannot eat anything with vitamin K, which takes care of most leafy veggies. I have heard how bad the blockages can be, so I've always been very careful. I buy only the best beef, the leaner the better, and do eat a lot of chicken. Pasta has become something I enjoy frequently. One rule is anything with a thicker skin must be chewed more than you used to. I went very slow for a few months, testing one food at a time. Boost can be your best food purchase until you learn what is working for you. Best of luck!

Well, I've had my colostomy for about eight years now. What I find is that if I eat things in moderation, I usually don't have a problem. But yes, spicy food does give me the runs. I've never been to Winlock, but I've driven by there plenty of times. It looks like a nice small community where you probably know your neighbors. If I had any kids, that's the kind of place I think I would like to raise them. Basic morals, you know, something the city kids don't learn, or respect. Just an opinion. I'm thinking that where you're located, you guys got dusted really well from Mount Saint Helens. All your pictures are great; it looks like you might have taken pictures of the whole town. Hope you do well with your ostomy; believe me, I know it is a major adjustment in your lifestyle.