High Ostomy Output

With a new ileostomy, it is normal to have How can you slow down your
high ostomy output as your body adjusts to a ostomy output?
shorter bowel. This handout explains what
you need to know about diet when you have
Diet Changes
an ostomy.
• Chew food well.
• Eat low sugar foods and drinks.
How do you know if you are having
• Eat salty foods and add salt to meals
high ostomy output? and snacks.
• Eat smaller more frequent meals and
Check your ostomy output by measuring snacks.
the fluids you empty from it.
• Drink fluids ½ hour before or after
Before you go home, we will give you a
meals, not with food.
graduated cylinder to measure your ostomy.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine.
Write down your ostomy output on the form
at the end of this handout. • Eat more soluble fiber which forms a
gel when mixed with water and
Normal ileostomy output after the first week slows movement.
is 600 ml per day. Output more than 1200 ml o Good sources of soluble fiber
can mean poor absorption and lead to include: peeled sweet
dehydration. If you have output of more potatoes, applesauce, refried
than 1200 ml a day for 2 days call your beans, wheat and oat bran.
doctor. o You may also try adding fiber
like Benefiber® Metamucil®,
Weigh yourself daily at the same time. Nutrisource, or guar gum
Write down your weight on the attached • Try adding these foods that naturally
form. If you lose more than 2.2 pounds thicken stool to your meals:
(lbs.) in 1 week call your doctor. o Applesauce
o Cream of rice
If you stop urinating or if you do not o Peanut butter (creamy)
urinate often. o Bananas
Before you go home, we will give you a o Marshmallows
urinal or a urine hat to measure your urine. o Rice
Write down your urine amount on the form o Cheese
at the end of this handout. o Mashed potatoes
o Soda crackers
You should be urinating every 3-4 hours and o Tapioca
it should be pale yellow to clear. If you are
not urinating normally or if you have less
than 700 ml of urine a day for 2 days call
your doctor.
Medicines Recipes
For high ostomy output, your doctor may
have you take medicine to help slow down Gatorade G2® Improved
output. If you are having high ostomy 4 cups (32-ounce bottle) Gatorade G2®
output, talk to your doctor about increasing ¾ tsp salt
or adding medicine to help.
• Antidiarrheals (take 30 minutes All Sports® Base Improved
before you eat). 1 ½ cups of All Sport®
o Imodium® (loperamide) 3 cups water
o Lomotil (diphenoxylate) ½ tsp salt
o Tincture of Opium
• Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI) Apple Juice Improved
o Nexium® (esomeprazole) 1 cup apple juice
o Protonix® (pantoprazole) 3 cups water
o Prilosec® (omeprazole) ½ tsp salt
o Prevacid® (lansoprazole)
• Histamine2-Receptor Antagonists Grape or Cranberry Juice Improved
(H2 blockers) ½ cup of juice
o Cimetidine (Tagamet®) 3½ cups water
o Famotidine (Pepcid®) ½ tsp salt
o Ranitidine (Zantac®)
Ensure® Plus Improved
Fluids and Electrolytes 1 ounce Ensure® Plus
You lose sodium, potassium, and water in 8 ounces 2% milk
ostomy fluid, so it is important to stay
hydrated. It is common for someone with an Chicken Broth Improved
ostomy to feel thirsty. But, drinking large 2 cups liquid broth
amounts of water can make dehydration 2 cups water
worse. Nutritional supplements, such as 2 tablespoons sugar
Ensure®, have too much sugar and are not
recommended if you have high ostomy Tomato Juice Improved
output. Drinks like juice and Gatorade® can 2½ cups tomato juice
be too sugary alone. 1½ cups water
Ready to Drink Liquids Sugar and Salt Water
• Parent’s Choice Pediatric Electrolyte 1-quart water
available at Walmart ¾ teaspoon salt
• Pedialyte* available at most retailers 6 teaspoons of sugar
• Drip Drop* available at Walgreens Optional-Crystal Light to taste

*available in hospital
Teach Back
What is the most important thing you learned from this handout?

What changes will you make in your diet/lifestyle, based on what you learned today?

Questions
If you are a UW Health patient and have more questions, please contact UW Health at one of the
phone numbers listed below. You can also visit our website at www.uwhealth.org/nutrition.
Nutrition clinics for UW Hospital and Clinics (UWHC) and American Family Children’s
Hospital (AFCH) can be reached: (608) 890-5500. Nutrition clinics for UW Medical Foundation
(UWMF) can be reached at: (608) 287-2770.

If you are a patient receiving care at UnityPoint – Meriter, Swedish American or a health system
outside of UW Health, please use the phone numbers provided in your discharge instructions for
any questions or concerns.
Your health care team may have given you this information as part of your care. If so, please use it and call if you
have any questions. If this information was not given to you as part of your care, please check with your doctor. This
is not medical advice. This is not to be used for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Because each
person’s health needs are different, you should talk with your doctor or others on your health care team when using
this information. If you have an emergency, please call 911. Copyright 3/2019. University of Wisconsin Hospitals
and Clinics Authority. All rights reserved. Produced by the Department of Nursing. HF#297
Ostomy Intake and Output Measurement
Record your daily intake and output on this form. Call your doctor if your ostomy output is less than 500 ml or more than 1200 ml per day. Please,
bring this form to your next doctor’s appointment.

Date Weight Stool Amount (ml) Urine Amount (ml)