When I first came to this site, I must tell you I was surprised to see rice as one of the foods recommended to eat for thickening. Rice clumps and can cause digestive pain, I know it does for me personally. So if you are one of those having abdominal pain after surgery, why not try pasta instead, it thickens and doesn't clump. I thought I should let you know in case you are experiencing trouble in this area.

P.S. This is abdominal pain above the pouch, it doesn't have anything to do with me having a Kock Pouch.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Jasmine,

Interesting comment Jasmine. I had my take down less than 3 weeks ago and have had white, brown and wild rices with no issues. I think food is so 'person specific' that each person has to try it on their own. One guy on this site said that when he want to thicken things up he 'eats a bunch of corn'. My mom, who has the j-pouch too, tried this and was hospitalized with an extremely painful blockage and nearly needed surgery.

But your point is a good one in that what we think is good for us might not be and what worked for one person might not work for the next.

Yes, what works for one may be a problem for another. It is definitely an individual thing and we all learn by trial and error.

Hi Everyone,

I believe that it is important to share your experiences with different kinds of food/beverages and the effect it has had on your digestive system. I've had a j-pouch for over 10 years. By trial & error, I avoid any fruit skins (i.e. apple, peaches), any fruit that has too many seeds (i.e. rasberries, boysenberries); alfalfa sprouts, cabbage, corn, fresh rhubarb, sauerkraut, or any type of food that has a tough exterior. The above foods are generally tolerated if consumed in small quantities. As well, I find that rice is tolerable if eaten in small quantities. However, I find that wild rice doesn't "break down" very well so I avoid it. I never eat any nuts. Generally, if a "food" doesn't "break down" or is not easily digested, I avoid it. For me, personally, the above restrictions have worked well. I have never had a blockage (with the j-pouch); whether or not its because I've been extra cautious I'll never know for sure. As a general rule, whenever I've tried a food that has constipated me, especially for more than 8 hours, I remove it from my diet. As well, some foods (i.e. fruits with seeds, spices) when evacuated, cause discomfort and therefore becomes your own personal choice.

As the ladies above have said, "everyone has an individual and unique disgestive system". I think the best approach is to try certain foods in moderation and keep track of their effect.

I have had my pouch for 9 months now and haven't had any problem with rice at all. Every dinner I cook either rice, pasta or potatos and all work well for me. Actually I find that rice goes through me faster than the potatoes and pasta but I still like it and eat it.

One food that I cannot eat even a little bit of is bananas. After step one of my surgery I ate a banana before going to church so I wouldn't be hungry. After church we went out for lunch (first time eating out after having ileostomy), while we were waiting for the food to arrive I felt a strange sensation, went to the bathroom and my bag had been literally blown off from the force of the thick banana goo trying to get out of my stoma... Luckily I had on dark pants so no one notice the leak

anyway, I tried bananas after my final j-pouch surgery and felt horribly constipated. I can't even eat banana bread any more

Yes, foods are a very personal and individual issue. too bad you don't know the outcome (pun intended) before you consume it.

I had adhesions, like spider webs in my abdomen, maybe that is why I had so much trouble with rice in the beginning. My Mayo Clinic Continent Ostomy book even mentioned, be careful for rice due to it's clumping. I don't have trouble with rice as far as my catheter goes, just above my pouch in the small intestines.

I still have to be careful with rice, maybe I have a rice sensitivity issue going on. Hmmm...never thought of that. I don't think I eat any other rice containing foods besides just plain cooked rice. Something new for me to think about.

Boy, to hear "pouchers" talk about being constipated amazes me and i'm sure many others. Since my take down almost 8 years ago, the longest i've gone without a movement is about 4-5 hours. Due to the liquid stools, I tried all the usual bulking foods without any success. My G.I. suggested apple pectin tablets which have helped considerably although I have been diagnosed for the 1st time w pouchitis. I'm also trying probiotics (align) although my pouchitis doesn't seem to have improved all that much. I'll be working w my G.I.(who still recommends the probiotic) as the Flagyl side effects were lousy. It does seem as if the apple pectin has managed to solidify things despite the current problem.

(I have an ileo, not a pouch, but this might apply to that too.)

I found something interesting recently. Organic tater tots work fine for me and I digest them with little problem. Last week I ran out and ate regular, non-organic tater tots and it barely digested. In fact, it was so clumpy and intact that it pushed my bag off -- right in the middle of my class.

Needless to say, it was a bad day, but the differences in the reactions make me wonder if the preservatives in the food prevented digestion. My apologies if this is common knowledge. It just never occurred to me.