{"id":5437,"date":"2025-09-25T10:31:23","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T10:31:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eakinostomy.com\/GB\/?p=5437"},"modified":"2025-09-25T10:31:24","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T10:31:24","slug":"from-regular-to-unpredictable-coping-with-output-changes-during-chemotherapy-cycles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eakinostomy.com\/GB\/blog\/from-regular-to-unpredictable-coping-with-output-changes-during-chemotherapy-cycles\/","title":{"rendered":"From regular to unpredictable \u2013 coping with output changes during chemotherapy cycles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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From regular to unpredictable \u2013 coping with output changes during chemotherapy cycles<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
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When I first got my stoma, it took a while to adjust but very quickly my routine became quite regular. I was very fortunate the stoma didn\u2019t impact my diet much either, just having to be conscious of the size of what I was eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During chemotherapy though that really changed everything. I knew that my output may become a little bit more irregular, but I wasn\u2019t prepared for how drastically it changed and wasn\u2019t prepared on how to manage it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My chemotherapy infusion would be on a Wednesday and then I had 14 days of tablets \u2013 Capox chemotherapy. After about 48 hours of the initial infusion, I would find my output would increase so much. It would turn into a paste in consistency and would be extremely hard to drain from my pouch \u2013 it used to make me gag trying to drain it. I therefore preferred to use closed bags but was changing my bag 5, 6 even 7 times a day. This change in output would last about 5 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was offered anti-diarrheal medication but as I\u2019d experienced a blockage earlier on, I was anxious about taking that so opted not to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I found really useful, and a friend with a stoma told me about this, was to eat bananas while I was experiencing this looser output. For me bananas really helped to thicken the output up. I\u2019d be very conscious about what I was eating and drinking. I find that drinking a lot of water can loosen my output \u2013 in general. So, I would drink little and often so I didn\u2019t become dehydrated. Plus, I also tried to drink drinks with electrolytes in them as I was conscious about how much I was going to be losing through the more regular, looser output.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another thing I found so helpful was to create little stoma bags with everything I needed for a change. I was finding when my stoma had a movement it happened quickly, and the pouch could be full very fast meaning I\u2019d need to dash to change. After 2 cycles of having to ask my husband to get different things for me, I had a lightbulb moment and began making up these kits which meant I was ready to go when needed. Even if I was exhausted and couldn\u2019t get up (chemotherapy is extremely tiring!) I could even do a quick and mess free change from where I was. I now keep kits in the bathrooms at home but also in the car and my handbag, so I\u2019m never caught out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I keep in my stoma kit:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n