I had Step 1 of 3 done in early November. Aside from post operative infections that landed me in the hospital for a couple of weeks, I have not had any problems eating. I was just wondering how long after the surgery can you start eating things like peanuts and popcorn? Thanks.

Usually peanuts and popcorn are absolute NO's with an ostomy. A month after takedown you can usually be on a normal diet. For me though I was told to stay away from popcorn especially when I had my ostomy and stay away from corn too. It was hard because I love popcorn, but I never tried it, for fear of an obstruction.

I too was told to stay away from popcorn, nuts, and seeds. So because of that, i never tried any of them with an ostomy. I just didn't think it was worth the risk of having an obstruction. But i guess it's all personal choice, so chew well.

Not really wise with the ostomy or j pouch, although others do it.I Don't look for trouble.
I had 1 blockage I think caused from chinese veggies and uncontrollable vomiting and needed an NG tube while awake and I vowed never to risk that again. Blockages don't always clear even with an NG tube and sometimes require surgery.For all we know it may seem like the food but can be from adhesions. It takes a good year to get some normalcy back and it will never be like it was before UC or surgery.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: "FLGF",

I have very well had Popcorn, nuts etc perhaps 2 months post takedown and i did just fine!! If I recall I am surew I had nuts w/ the ostomy as well.


I chew fine, but not enough and I just make sure to drink with it.


So, Just try a handful, chew well, and drink w/ it and see how it goes.

Everyone is different, some people have trouble w/ certain foods while others tolerate them completely.

I eat nuts and seeds often. I've had popcorn from time to time but not large portions. I've never had a problem.

I think this is very much a personal thing - like many things with the jpouch....

About 3 months into my ostomy, I hesitatingly tried popcorn and had no problems. It was a small amount and I chewed it well - mind you I didn't sleep too well the first night thinking that for sure I was setting myself up for a blockage...

And then later in the summer (5 months after surgery) I actually had half of a corn on the cob - now it was a very sweet, tender cob, but my gosh it tasted good. Even with chewing well, most of it came through undigested, but it didn't cause a blockage and it tasted soooooo good.

Ultimately I think people should follow their instinct. If you have had problems with blockages then being extra careful is prudent, but if things seem to be moving through ok, and you are at the point where your're eating some fibrous foods and you don't experience any pain or change in output, then it's worth trying some of the "forbidden" food - just make sure you chew well and keep up your fluid levels. The key here is baby steps - start small and see how things go.

Louise

I have had an ostomy since Feb. 2007. I usually eat popcorn once a week. During the summer I was able to eat corn on the cob, but always chose the smallest ear I could find. I have tried pistachios, peanuts, and almonds. I found that unless I limited myself to about 5 nuts at a time (which is practically impossible)the output was so thick that it was painful. Didn't have any problems with a moderate amount of corn or popcorn, as long as I chewed well. A spinach calzone on the other hand almost caused a blockage. As with most things, each person has their own tolerances. If it is something you really like, try a very small amount to see if your system can handle it and as mentioned above, chew well and drink plenty of fluids.

I eat almonds quite often and popcorn every once and awhile and never had a problem. I've had around 4 blockages (twice I ended up in the hospital), but from eating spinach and raw mushrooms. Never heard of an NG tube for it, but blockages are super painful. Saved myself a couple of times by drinking tons of grape juice though.

I am almost 4 months post takedown and I have eaten almond and walnuts. I chewed them well. The only issue I had was butt burn. My surgeon said that as time goes by I would be able to eat nuts and popcorn. I think I'll wait a little while longer before trying popcorn....like maybe a year.

i ate a bag of nuts everyday with my ostomy and never had a problem. i tried to chew well but sometimes you forget. i used to see it coming out undigested. since TD nov 5th i have been too scared to try them. i have since had braces put on my teeth so chewing is even more difficult so i am not game to go there... but i MISS them sooooooo much. (never tried popcorn, too scared).

I am one of the lucky ones that in 7 years with an ostomy never had a blockage. I eat popcorn nuts etc.. I tried everything slowly and a little at a time. I think it is very individual some people have no problem others have problems with blockages. With all my other comlications God said let this girl eat popcorn!

The best advice is to just try new things slowly. Have a few nuts or a handful of popcorn. Make sure to chew well and drink, and you should be fine. I ate everything with my pouch, I ate nuts with my ostomy but not popcorn. I think I waited about 6 months before adding them to my diet with my pouch. My surgeon was very surprised that I was able to eat them both without any problems and just told me to make sure to chew well and drink.

janna

With my temp ileo I have had popcorn at the movies no problem. Just made sure to chew very well. Have not tried peanuts. We have corn probably once a week with dinner. No problems, but I can "feel" it coming out I guess would be the only way to describe it.

Optomistic, Why would you want to eat something that could cause an obstruction? I gave up popcorn, nuts, olives, mushrooms and most all fruit & vegetables with this operation.. My ostomy nurse recommended a low residue diet. She has had a bag for over 25 years. This could leave you feeling deprived, but the pain of an obstruction keeps those feeling in check. You can put fruit in the blender and make smoothes that are very satisfying. Remember you are healing now. Give your body a chance to recuperate from major surgery. It is so important to heal thoroughly so you don't have any the problems. Try to be careful with bulky food after the takedown. There are so many low residue foods to eat, so go slow. It helps if you chew food very well. Everyone is different and tolerates foods differently. Your body builds up scar tissue over time, so you may be able to eat some foods now that you will not be able to eat later on. My advice is "the smoother, the better". Over the last 13 years, I have been hospitalized for obstructions from food I ate. It was avoidable. My first blockage was 1 month after step one. I ate the olive in my martini.
Good Luck!