Post-ileocecal resection D - any dietary help?

When they say "in the short-run," what they may really mean is, "How short a time do you have to run to the nearest bathroom?" I had an ileal resection with removal of the ileocaecal valve in 1999, and I'm still running. (Of course, I'd had my gall bladder removed four years earlier--unnecessarily, it turns out--which didn't help, either.) Although that's my situation, it may not be yours. Your D may disappear within weeks or months.

But in the meantime, the advice is to avoid foods that prompt your intestines to 'dump' their contents--i.e., anything more than tiny amounts of caffeine (coffee, black tea, and most sodas), alcohol, sugar, chocolate. You'll probably want to limit the amount of really fatty foods you eat, since your body may have trouble processing them and may hit them with extra-large supplies of acidic bile, which will increase your D and burn your butt. And, as always, to help prevent the irritation that leads to inflammation, avoid popcorn, husks (as in corn), seeds (from sesame seeds to the ones in raspberries, blackberries, and cucumbers), the peels of raw fruits and vegetables.

If you feel your D is out of control, you can take Imodium--or, less invasively, ask your doctor to prescribe some cholestyramine for you. This is an orange-tasting powder that you dissolve in a few ounces of juice or other liquid and drink once a day (or twice, if you're in really bad shape). Experiment with how much you need. I've found that the recommended dose of one whole packet is way, way too much for me to handle, so I only use about 3/4 of a teaspoon each morning. It really isn't bad if you mix it with something like apple juice, and it can help with what's called "bile salts diarrhea" or "short gut syndrome." It will lower your cholesterol, too!

I hope your problem is short-lived and you're back to something approaching normal in no time at all. Good luck!

Post Edited (nawlinscate) : 6/2/2011 1:07:47 PM (GMT-6)

I was the same as Nanners, the worst of the explosive stuff lasted for the first 3 weeks or so. It did not matter what I ate. I'd be ok after eating something one day then dashing to the bathroom after eating the same thing the next day.

Thanks for the input and well wishes. Yes, I'm to go on a low residue diet after surgery - how long? don't know. But I've been on a low residue diet for a while. Most days 1/3 - 1/2 of my calories are liquid.

Pastas have worked for me. I also like to scrambled a couple of eggs with cheese, ham slice on toast. It's a nice, easy to digest meal.

I've heard that folks sometimes get prescribed something for the bile acids? if the D doesn't stop after a couple of weeks. I didn't know if there was anything dietary that would help reduce that potential issue.

Yup, cholestyramine. See my post above for details.

I agree that you need the cholestyramine.
Nothing I know of can mimic bile salt absorption. I take one pouch every morning.
Avoid dairy since there may be an increase in lactose intolerance if you are having much TI removed also.
I hope everything goes well.

You can try bulking foods, white rice, bananas, regular oatmeal (soaked overnight is easier to digest), well-aged cheese, red meat (low fat), chicken, etc. It is helpful, but it probably won't be enough.

Also add a multi blend probiotic to your daily regime.

In November 2010, I had surgery to remove neuro-endocrine tumors from my small intestine/ileum. They removed 200 cm of small intestine, part of the ileum and ileocecal valve. I'm still having alternating solid stools with diarrhea but I think it's slowly improving. Cholestyramine has been a life saver for me, since I was so miserable from the burning. I lost about 70 lbs but my weight seems to have stabilized. I don't want to gain the weight back. Does the removal of that much small intestine have anything to do with fat absorption? For awhile it seemed I would lose weight no matter what I ate, but now it seems as if I can gain 5 lbs easily.

Thanks Stripey. It's good to know that these amazing bodies of ours adapt. I had my gall bladder removed about a year before my cancer surgery. I suppose that may be the reason I'm having issues with the burning from the bile salts. The cholestyramine has helped in that regard.