Hydration with an Ileostomy, JPouch or Short Bowel! It's quality not quantity that counts!

Dehydration is a major concern for people following the removal of the large bowel, whether it is for an Ileostomy Stoma, JPouch or Short Bowel Syndrome!

The colon is responsible for reabsorbing large amounts of liquid that are passed on from the stomach to the small intestine. When the colon is removed output is higher and contains much of the essential liquids your body needs to function. It can be inefficient in maintaining levels of electrolytes and minerals that are needed and dehydration is a serious issue.

At first when I had my colon removed I assumed I needed to take in more liquid, mainly water to hydrate. I was soon educated that this is not the case, its not about the quantity but the quality of what you drink that can keep you well.

I try to drink 2L of fluids a day including hydration solution, tea, flat coke and flavoured juice) however, if I am feeling any of the side effects of dehydration. I will use just hydration solution as described bekow(especially if i have had alcohol as it’s great for reducing hang overs, which incidentally seem much harder to shift now I have no colon than before!) I'm sick not a saint 😇.

I have a permanent ileostomy stoma and short Bowel following numerous surgeries, therefore I use hydration solution daily, especially in very hot weather if i am sweating excessively or have a temperature/ sickness or unusually high output.

More than half your body weight is made up of water and it’s necessary for every cell and organ in our body to function properly. Water helps in maintaining body temperature, keeping the blood flowing through your body, lubricating joints and removing waste.

The intestines actually work with the kidneys to control the level of fluids in the body. The intestines work to absorb water and salt and the kidneys control what is lost through urine. So when fluid is lost due to diarrhea, the kidneys may have difficulty balancing the salt and water, therefore you need to replace more than just water to stay hydrated.

Being dehydrated is a serious risk to your general health, it can cause dizziness, dry mouth, little or no urination, concentrated dark urine, weight loss, hoarse voice, acne sunken eyes, insomnia and energy loss. Feeling lethargic, achey and stiff seem to be the symptoms that people don’t associate with dehydration particularly when they suffer IBD as it could also indicate active disease. If you are suffering it is vital to get checked out.

So how can we avoid it? As I said before one thing I have learnt is that the answer is not to drink more, but drink wiser! There are many solutions available that help which are usually targetted for Diareaah and sickness such as dioralyte, one of my shop bought favourites that I use as a back up if out and about, is a simple solvable tablet sold under the label O.R.S - Oral Hydration Solution, it includes electrolytes, glucose and minerals. It comes in various flavours, lemon being my favourite and is available in most chemist and supermarkets, its more palatable than dioralyte. The other is Active Hydrate, again very similar and both with no artificial sweeteners that can increase output again!

The most effective solution is apparently St MArks Oral hydration Solution, it has been developed by bowel disease consultants and experts to tackle the problem with minimal cost.

The recipe for St Marks solution follows and I make up a litre daily and sip throughout,I add a dash of lemon squash and am so used to it now, I love it!

I have also used Mr Colitis Crohns -Hydrostomate when travelling abroad which is the closest I can find St this, but is expensive in my opinion so not a regular user.

I highly recommended St Marks Hydration Solution over all others so I also include the technical explanation they give below.

If you feel you are suffering dehydration, seek qualified medical advice, this is my experience and my interpretation of the issue, I am not qualified as a medical practitioner, just a sufferer!

With love

Andrea xx