Hi everyone
im 9 weeks out since my take down- still have frequent bms but have some good days
i ate a little bit of ice cream last night for desert in a restaurant- i had more than 25 bms from 10 pm - 6 am
does ice cream do this to some of you and do you think it was this that affected me?
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Hi Bederyparis,
Most people who live without a colon are lactose intollerant...meaning they do not digest lactose well or at all...bubbly stools, gas, frequency, cramps...they are all part of it (you do not need to be colonless to suffer from this)....some of us adapt to the situation slowly, others avoid diary products competely and others deal with it or use lactaide based products....(they do not contain the lactose, or in very small doses, that causes all of those horrible symptoms)...
So, yes, it could be the ice cream...
Alternatives are sorbert, lactose-free products or the cheap ice creams...they cheaper they are the less 'cream' and milk-fat they contain...it is more water, sugar, milk....so you react less.
Sharon
Breyers make a lactose-free ice cream. Also, you may try frozen yogurt.
I have no problem with ice cream. Maybe I did at first. Can't remember! If any particular food seems to be troublesome, wait awhile and try it again. Best wishes!
Though I haven't ventured into milk or cream directly, yogurt is fine as well as cheese. Frozen yogurt is a great alternative.Our house has been an alter to Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia Fro Yo! Good luck!
I avoid dairy products, milk ice cream except for cheese which never seemed to bother me even when I did have a colon.
Hard cheeses have no lactose at all. Lactose intolerance is pretty common, and it can appear (or worsen) if the small intestine is acting up (e.g. from a virus) when things are running too quickly. I think Sharon may have exaggerated a bit about how common lactose intolerance is for the colon-less. I don't think it afflicts a majority, and I don't think it's any more common for the colon-less than for folks with colons.
This is true Scott, since lactose (and other nutrient digestion/absorption) takes place in the small intestine, not the colon. Lactose intolerance is very common in the general population, particularly as we age and if we go a period without consuming lactase. Also, major illness or surgery of any type can trigger digestive disorders, such as lactose or gluten intolerance. So, it is not the lack of the colon per se, but the trauma of illness and/or surgery that be the common thread.
Jan 
Over the years I have had some ice cream brands give me those problems, and others not. I think for me it's a particular ingredient in the ice cream; unfortunately the times I have experienced have been when it's served to me, not with purchased product. I am not lactose intolerant.
Sue 
