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What are your tips for thickening up your output?

DJW

Forum Monitor
I'd like to hear everyone's tips to slow and thicken a nightoutput ostomy .

Mine - bananas help me.

Steel cut oats also work for me but stay away from them if fiber is an issue or you have strictures.
 

Nyx

Moderator
I don't need thicker output, but I've read that marshmallows help with that as well :)
 
I try to avoid thickening my poop as it hurts like a mo fo - but what really thicken it for me Is soft cheeses like Brie. When we went to France and had tons of cheese I was bunged up to my eyeballs! But now if I want cheese I will just have prune juice.
 
--Minimise intake of sugar and artificial sweeteners.
--Make smoothies containing high-pectin fruits, plain probiotic yoghurt, rolled oats and fine-grade psyllium husk. (Canned peaches and apricots are good but DRAIN OFF THE SYRUP. Also stewed or baked apples.)
--Smooth peanut butter on crackers.
--Porridge.
--Lentil soup (no onions!)
--Gelatine capsules.
I'm a great fan of smoothies for keeping life sweet with the Uggbag.
NB. Keep the syrup from canned fruit -you'll probably need to use it 2 days later to try to counteract all those thickeners, haha!
 
Imodium.
Jelly Babies
Marshmallows
Bread and cake
Smooth peanut butter
Pretzels , you can get peanut butter filled ones, which while being delicious, are also incredibly fattening.
Bananas.
 
Imodium and recently I've had tapioca pudding everyday and it's helped a lot and helped me maintain my weight.
 
I haven't found anything to thicken mine. I'm on lomotil and Imodium . My output yesterday was 4200 cc. 😞. Would love to know other tips or what you're on
 
gschultz, time is going to help the most. It took mine at least 4 months or more before the output slowed down. Lomotil and Imodium had no effect on my output--just made me sleepy and gave me a dry mouth. Experiment with starchy foods--bread, pasta, potatoes. Peanut butter and cheese cake also help many people to thicken things up. I had a of trouble in the beginning with high output, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalance. Hang in there!
 
Apple sauce works and is easiest on my system. I had luck early with bananas but then had two instances where things got backed up and resulted in leaks (have a very flat stoma and sometimes have to help things move down), so I have given those up.

I do use the marshmallow trick for bag changes though and it gives me enough time for a nice shower and change without incident!
 

annawato

Moderator
Staff member
Any soluble fibre will help thicken output. Google soluble fibre and see what fits in with your diet. Soluble fibre soaks up liquid and is what products like metamucil are made of. Seems strange to take a product developed for constipation to help decrease excess output but it does work. Constipation is often caused because the stool is too hard and so it is softened by the soluble fibre taking up liquid.
Also don't gulp drinks down. Sip slowly or you can guarantee it will all come thru very quickly. Hot drinks help with this, tea, cuppa soups, hot chocolate......
 
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