Okay, here's my situation: I had colitis from February 07 to February 08, then i had the surgery on Feb 6, and left 5 days later but came back because everything was still asleep, had the NG tube (the sucking one) =[ then i had a stubborn absess and was in the hospital from march 6 to april 8, and i had another surgery to clean out the absess, i really want to eat popcorn and my mom won't let me because she's afraid of a blockage and i need opinions, who has had problems?

i've been wondering the same thing for a while. i had my takedown in jan, but am scared to even take the risk of popcorn. i have a friend who has chron's and he has been hospitalized a couple times for blockages due to popcorn, so i don't even want to try. my friend told me the popcorn acts like little hooks and grabs hold in your intestines, but i'm not sure about the whole thing.

I love popcorn and always had a terrible night after eating it. I found that Kellogs Corn Pops cereal satisfied the popcorn craving. There is also mushroom popcorn which is a hybrid of the regular store bought popcorn that pops bigger and with less of a kernal.

For me popcorn has been no prob at all w/ my jpouch, it wasn't a prob w/ my ileostomy either.

Of course, at first i was hesitant, so I just had a handful and made sure to drink w/ it.

now I can eat any amount w/o a single prob. I just cannot stress the drinking part enough, though.

Thanks everyone, i just need to hear that people have tried it and haven't have problems....my mom and i read quite a few responses to another forum and only one person's mother had a problem so those are pretty good odds[=

For the last 8yr's I've eaten popcorn at least 4 times a week and a lot of it, so far I've never had any problem. I waited a couple of months because the nurse said to watch it and corn for a while.

I eat popcorn at least once per week. I have never had a blockage due to popcorn. I suggest you start off withe one or two cups of popped corn and see how it affects you. In fact with any foods you are afraid to eat try them in small quantities.

Sue

My husband eats popcorn all the time. No problems. He has the pouch. He had a few problems shortly after his surgery with blockages, but not due to popcorn.

My problem with popcorn is not with blockages. I have problems when it is "exiting the building". When it comes out it feels like sharp glass. I get the same effect with fresh veggies as well.
David

Hi Maryx! I have an old pouch (23 yrs) and have eaten pop-corn with no serious repurcussions off and on throughout the years. I may have a little more difficulty emptying my pouch afterwards, but no blockages. I have had however, serious blockages from Broccoli and string beans almondine. Go easy on the pop-corn at first and avoid any unpopped kernel parts. As a safe substitute, try Quaker brand flavored rice cakes.... they are made with a combo of rice and corn and satisfies that popcorn craving. They also have a refined corn cake which is even more pop corn like...I especially like the bar-b-que. BTW, my daughter is in grad school at Lehigh University and also now lives in Allentown (I assume that is Allentown, Pa.) Nice little town. Where was your surgery? Hattie

I was hesitant about eating certain things as well after takedown, but now I can eat pretty much anything without a problem. Its going to take time and some hit and miss testing on your part to figure out what you can and cant eat. Some things one person can tolerate fine, but may cause problems for someone else. My surgeon told me that I could try one new thing everyday in small amounts, but never do SEVERAL things in a day (or else you wont know whats causing problems)

And Hattie has a good idea there...Id try those popcorn/rice/whatever-they-are cakes and see how those work first. That seems like a pretty close substitute for the real thing and may give you a gauge on how your body handles it!

Good Luck!

Bill

Let me start by saying that popcorn is one of my favorite foods. But, I didn't even try it for almost a year after my surgery. I, too was afraid of blockages. My opinion would be to wait at least six months and then start slow. Try a handful, chew it really well, and drink water. If you don't have any problems, the next time have 2 handfuls. You should always start new foods slowly so you know how your pouch will react.

janna

I satisfied the craving with popcorn flavored rice cakes. Just looking at popcorn makes me nervous, lol. And Dave's comment about the sharp-glass-exit feeling is another deterrent. At the movie theatre the smell of popcorn is so intoxicating! They should really make more products that are popcorn flavored but made of something else!

I ate a big tub of popcorn at a movie theater Sunday afternoon for the first time since my taedown last summer and had no ill effects whatsoever. (BTW, the movie was "What Happens in Vegas" and it was hilarious.)

Scott

I've eaten popcorn with and after all three surgerirs and never had a problem. If I add powdered cheese on it then I have to run to the bathroom all night, but microwave doesn't bother me in any way! I did eat stir fry last night and I had to run to the bathroom alot! I think alot of that was more of how much I ate!
Danny