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Does output slow down after surgery

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Posted 8/3/2015 6:34 PM (GMT 0)
2 weeks ago i had ileostomy surgery spent just over a week in hospital before being discharged & now back at home recovering. I am Just wandering does the output slow down as time goes on? I seem to be forever emptying my bag.

Many Thanks

Leeo
Posted 8/3/2015 7:46 PM (GMT 0)
I feel like it does. I think you also begin to know when you need to empty and when you're just doing it because you don't like having it there. I used to empty every time i went into the toilet. Now I try to wait until there is something to empty. My stoma is usually busy in the evening and early morning, during the day, i can not empty at all without trouble - unless there is gas. Right after surgery my output was really thin, now it's a little thicker, that may help with being able to empty less often too. Some people do have very high output though, i've seen people post here, some take things to slow it like imodium but I can't offer much advice, i am new to this too
Posted 8/3/2015 10:18 PM (GMT 0)
The intestines do eventually calm down and realize everything doesn't have to be ejected now, now, now.
Posted 8/3/2015 11:14 PM (GMT 0)
The small intestine begins to learn to take up some of the jobs that the large intestine use to do such as absorb more water so output does thicken and slow down eventually when the body learns to adjust to the new plumbing.

There is also food you can take to bulk up the stool, granted it may make the bag emptying a bit more a hassle, but you'll do it less often, and course immodium and loperamide will slow things down if all else fails.

Potatoes always bulked me right up, chips, mashed, fried, whatever they were they did the job!
Posted 8/3/2015 11:35 PM (GMT 0)
Three weeks after surgery, my docs instructed me to take Benefiber up to 3 times daily. Add two tsps to 8 ounces of OJ each morning. Seems to do the trick. I am now 7 weeks out. I find cooked vegetables, cheese, pureed soups (potato based), cottage cheese and yogurt are very helpful. My output is increasing i thickness; use the Benefiber and just give your tummy some time.
Posted 8/4/2015 1:18 PM (GMT 0)
I've read that many people find it slows down. My started slow and continues to be slow, I'm trying to speed it up! You can always get a bigger bag if you want to empty less often.
Posted 8/6/2015 12:32 AM (GMT 0)
It should slow down as the bowel gets used to the changes but everybody is different. I started fairly slow and never really had to take Imodium or fiber the whole time I had an end ileo. I blame it on the years of UC forcing my small intestine to already take over many jobs the large intestine would normally complete but I never had much success or remission periods in about 10 years. Most people learn what helps slow things down or speed them up with trial and error. It's all an adjustment. Diet looms quite large for most and meds can be used if needed. Eventually it's second nature to regulate everything the way you want too. For most (myself included) learning the intricacies of an end ileo was far more liberating than dealing with IBD.
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