First, be sure that you are not sick. If your stoma is too active, that is, if you need to empty your pouch once or twice every hour, you may be losing
far too much fluid. If this suddenly occurs and it lasts 24 hours or more, you should seek medical attention.
If diarrhoea is infrequent, a simple change to your diet may fix or help the situation. Some foods are known to reduce stool output and others increase
stool output.
Foods known to increase stoma output are fibrous foods such as stone fruits (plums, peaches, cherries, mangoes, etc.), raw fruit and vegetables, spicy
foods, high fat foods, caffeine, nuts and corn.
Foods known to decrease or thicken stoma output are bananas, rice, apples and pasta. Some people go on the BRAT diet for a short period if they have diarrhoea.
This stands for Bananas, Rice, Apples and Tea. Some other foods to help thicken loose output are:
- Apple sauce
- Boiled rice and pasta
- Cheese
- Marshmallows
- Peanut butter
- Potatoes
- Tapioca or sago
- Toast