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Appetite/Taste of Food with Ostomy

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Posted 6/9/2013 11:13 PM (GMT 0)
This topic hasn't been brought up. Has anyone with an ostomy noticed a change in taste of food or appetite? I am a health nut, coffee addict and pretty much gave up deserts with the exception my weakness dark chocolate!

While having an ostomy, my taste completely changed!? Things like fruits and vegetables tasted bland to me. All I wanted to eat was junk food. I seemed to eat more sweets than actual food. I even found my self adding 6 packs of sugar to my coffee to get it to taste well. Pre surgery I drank my coffee black. Coffee drinkers know that's a big deal. 6 packs of sugar is crazy! On top of this, I couldn't stand dark chocolate any more. It tasted bland and I hated it. I tried the milk chocolate and I loved it. I was also hungry all the time. I didn't eat big meals but I would basically graze at things all day. I would even wake up in the middle of the night hungry. I kept these mini donuts on my table and I would have 1 or 2 every time I woke up.

Here's the crazy thing. I had my reversal at the end of April and my food habits have changed back to exactly how they were pre ostomy. I'm sitting here right now drinking black coffee with a piece of dark chocolate...It wasn't gradual either, I noticed the change right after surgery.

Just wondering if this is normal or if I'm just crazy, lol.

Post Edited (Mossmi33) : 6/9/2013 5:47:08 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/9/2013 11:52 PM (GMT 0)
I'm the exact opposite. I have lost most of my sweet tooth and now prefer salty/savoury foods. I don't crave something sweet after dinner the way I used to either.

So, no, I don't think having an ostomy gives you a sweet tooth or makes you hungry. Other factors were at play, obviously.
Posted 6/9/2013 11:56 PM (GMT 0)
We have different taste preference but you do admit your food preference has changed post ostomy. Curious if this happens often?

Post Edited (Mossmi33) : 6/9/2013 7:01:26 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/10/2013 1:35 AM (GMT 0)
For how long did the change happen for you? Was it due to surgery/recovery or the ostomy? Sounds like you craved sugar, wondering if your system was off some.

The major change for me is that before having my ostomy I didn't like to salt my food much and now I do. Not sure how much I taught myself (don't get dehydrated) and how much was actual tastes changing, but now when I cook for others I need to be mindful of not oversalting.

(as an aside, when I was growing up, if anyone reached for the salt, my grandmother yelled, "Salt killed your grandfather" ...so perhaps having psychological issues around salt goes way back.... )
Posted 6/10/2013 1:45 AM (GMT 0)
Bluegrass, I had to laugh. My family is the same. My grandmother had heart problems and we had to hide the salt shaker from her. Because of that, we never had salt at the dinner table.

My change lasted for 4 months and never subsided until after my takedown. Everyone said it was the meds but I was on the same meds after reversal so it wasn't the meds. Maybe my system was off? That's why I was curious.

Post Edited (Mossmi33) : 6/9/2013 7:52:31 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/10/2013 2:38 AM (GMT 0)
How long ago was your most recent surgery? I couldn't stand anything sweet in the first couple of months after surgery. Even things that aren't normally sweet tasted sweet. I think bread still might be a bit sweet tasting to me.

If it's been awhile, maybe your body feels like it needs lots of calories for some reason?
Posted 6/10/2013 2:43 AM (GMT 0)
I had a similar experience, except now I don't care for chocolate and that's all I wanted when I had my Ostomy, and fried chicken I think I ate that everyday lol but now the smell of it makes me sick!
At least you're back to black coffee and healthy food! :-)
Posted 6/10/2013 11:13 AM (GMT 0)
Mossmi, yes my grandfather had heart problems too (he died when I was two). Guess she was trying to protect the next generation.

Reading the other posts jogged my memory about fish.... I was a vegetarian for almost 25 years. The last few years before surgery, I started eating fish again .... just didn't feel like there were enough vegetarian proteins I could digest (couldn't eat dairy, beans, soy etc). Well, fish made me feel better than anything then, and I did start craving it to some extent.... but then after recovering from surgery, I went back to being vegetarian, and fish doesn't appeal to me at all now.

I did want a lot of junk food at first after surgery.....

Well, if anything your post is making me realize how bad my memory is around my food cravings, tastes, and such. I think my tastes have changed (but never milk chocolate, have not liked that since childhood....)
Posted 6/10/2013 11:57 AM (GMT 0)
Hmm, I haven't noticed any change in food cravings other than I now not only tolerate stuff I couldnt do well on in my UC days, but do well on it- eg rice, bread, soy and rice milk, and nut butters. I havent tried coffee or black tea yet. I was very low carb paloe with my UC, because it reduced symptoms. I do eat some sweets now but only in small quantities as I find that sweets liquify my output for a good chunk of the day. It's been 5.5 weeks since ditching the colon (end ileo)- havent tried raw fruit or veggies yet but have so far had zero issues with blockages, knock on wood, nd am just being conservative. I will try eventually in small amounts- did well on raw tomatoes and salad on most UC days. But no flare pain at all from sweets or chocolate, completely unlike my UC days. No UC whatsoever anymore- good riddance.
Posted 6/10/2013 9:42 PM (GMT 0)
Blueglass, We definitely have some things in common. I'm a health nut and eat salmon all the time. I love making a salad and adding either chicken or salmon.

While having my ostomy I couldn't eat it. I tried it but it just didn't taste good.

After take down I'm eating it like I used to...

Isn't that crazy?
Posted 6/10/2013 9:47 PM (GMT 0)
ActiveUCer- You are right. I felt like my body was craving food all the time, especially sweets. This was for the 4 months I had an ostomy.

You are still preparing for take down, right? Appetite changes. It's like you're a different person. I eat smaller meals now because my insides are still getting used to things. I don't get the cravings that I had when I had an ostomy.

Post Edited (Mossmi33) : 6/10/2013 4:46:42 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/10/2013 9:52 PM (GMT 0)
Pro- I'm glad that you aren't having the cravings I was having. I know you are into healty eating so you know how I feel. It was crazy I was eating these Hershey ice cream pies that had 20 grams of saturated fat per serving and I had like 3 of them a day, lol.

I've been following your threads and honestly I did't get why you wanted an ostomy so bad, mainly becuase I never had UC or Crons.

Now I get it though, I think you made the right decision and you just need to get that incision fixed and then you'll be back to normal.

Post Edited (Mossmi33) : 6/10/2013 4:00:24 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/10/2013 9:59 PM (GMT 0)
speech2014- Thanks speech, I'm a stange guy. When I think of things that I can't live without. It's something like coffee, running, working out, girls, sleep and chocolate. Ok, I lied, girls comes first:) If you take those things away from me, I'm not a happy camper.

I know you know this but I wanted to tell you anyway. Thank you so much for being there for me. I couldn't have made it through this without you...

Post Edited (Mossmi33) : 6/10/2013 4:48:14 PM (GMT-6)

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