I drink coffee all the time; since I was 10, so 50+ years now. I drink both regular and decaf. I see no difference on my function. I did avoid caffeine early in the post op period though. That was 20 years ago.

Jan

I'm fine with coffee. Doesn't effect me at all. 

I don't like coffee but was paid to drink it in a few surveys.   I couldn't feel it effect my J Pouch.  Heavily carbonated drinks are the real troublemakers. 

Good Dawg posted:

I don't like coffee but was paid to drink it in a few surveys.   I couldn't feel it effect my J Pouch.  Heavily carbonated drinks are the real troublemakers. 

I was just wondering if it helps calm the stomach and slow things down?

Sonny,

It's too individual of a thing to say. In some people coffee will send them running to the bathroom and others it has no effect on. Never heard of it slowing things down though. That would be interesting.   I know I couldn't drink it back in the UC days. Instant run to the bathroom back then but now it's fine. 

My hubby's normal gut is one affected by coffee, i.e. it makes him go. I am not a routine coffee drinker, but am unaffected with less than a normal gut. I, also, have never heard coffee to be "calming" to the gut. Perhaps some teas, like chamomile possibly, but not coffee. 

I agree. Coffee has never been known to be "gut calming," and definitely not caffienated, since it is a stimulant. Not sure where that notion would come from.

Many people consider coffee part of their morning constitutional, keeping them regular.

Jan

A thread on my favorite beverage? Wow.

I still have my native colon, and yes - all I have to do is smell it in the AM and it sends me right to the bathroom.

However, coffee is jam-packed full of antioxidants and flavonoids that function to help prevent/lower your cancer risk (of most GI-based malignancies). Head to www.pubmed.org and put the words "coffee cancer" in the search field. The results are very impressive.

Two cups a day for me, at least.

As with anything, your tolerance to coffee is highly individual. Unfortunately for me, coffee gives me very watery stools within 15-20 minutes of drinking it, decaf or otherwise.  I still drink it occasionally, but since having the ileostomy, I've cut it out of my morning routine as I don't need to be making multiple trips to the bathroom while at work. That said, you won't know how it effects you until you try it, so give it a go and see what happens!

On the other hand, I've become quite the tea granny in the meantime, so I don't even miss coffee anymore.