Martha's low residue diet

I'm sorry you have experienced another partial obstruction.  I know how painful it is.  I hope you are feeling better.

As for the low-residue diet, first off, small portions are key.  Eating smaller meals more often throughout the day is much better than eating 3 large meals.  I would stick with a portion of 1/2 cup of most foods--it's very important not to overload your system.  Also, it is important to drink enough water.  I would say that the 8-8oz. glasses per day is a good rule to follow.  I do drink tea in the mornings and count that as part of my fluids.  I am a very small person and it's hard for me to drink 64 oz. of water a day, but I try to get close. 

As for what I eat:  Yogurt, cottage cheese, pudding, ice cream, sherbet, cheese, chicken, fish, ground turkey, eggs, bananas, Soy milk, protein drinks, English muffins, white bread, white rice, white pasta, cornflakes, cream of wheat or rice, white potatoes, applesauce, canned mandarin oranges.  From the information I've read, canned peaches and apricots are okay. 

I made turkey meatloaf a few nights ago and have been eating leftovers of that, which have been easily digested.  Soups are good (homemade), using potatoes, broth or milk, a small amount of onion and celery for flavor.  You can eat it as is or whiz it in the blender to make it even more digestible.

Some foods to definitely avoid:  Raw fruits and veggies, including any kind of greens.  Beans/legumes, which can cause lots of gas.  Cooked veggies should be thoroughly cooked and not tough or fibrous (such as lower parts of broccoli or cauliflower).  However, since you've just experienced an obstruction, I wouldn't recommend eating any veggies right now.  Broccoli has been a nemesis for me lately, however, I ate a few bites of it last evening with no bad effects.  Definitely stay away from any type of seeds, nuts or peanut butter.  Obviously, some types of berries are full of seeds, as is kiwi also, so those should be avoided.  I can imagine that eating popcorn right now would put me back in the hospital--I think that one is a no-brainer.

The one thing I have learned is that processing any fresh fruits or veggies in a blender or food processor DOES NOT change the fiber content whatsoever, so anything high fiber will remain high fiber, no matter how much you blend it.  Choosing low fiber foods to begin with is a must.  I found good information on the internet on the BC Cancer Agency website and the Queensland Government website.  There are many others.  Keep in mind that some things can be contradictory from one website to another.  I guess you just have to use your best judgement in those cases.  If something sounds like it might not be safe, I wouldn't eat it.

This diet is not intended to be long-term or permanent, so at some point both you and I will have to begin gradually adding more foods back into our diet.  Right now, I'm a bit fearful of that.  However, it is hard to get all necessary nutrients from such a diet.  Multi-vitamins and supplements can help and are recommended on some of the sites. 

If you have any more questions, let me know.  I'm still finding my way through this as well, but I'll try to help you in whatever way I can.  I hope you can avoid another obstruction (and me too!).         

Marynb said:

Questions about blockage
Martha,

Can you tell me a little more about symptoms of blockage? I have been having some trouble this week. Pains, bloating, etc. Is this caused by treatments?

I can only describe the symptoms I personally experienced but would be most happy to.

1)  Gut pain--Mine was located up high in my abdomen, not to the left or right, but right in the middle.  It got so bad that it doubled me over.

2)  Nausea and vomiting--this happens because what goes down cannot go past the blockage and must come up.

3)  Cramping, similar to severe gas pains.

4)  Complete cessation of bowel movements (total obstruction) or much reduced output (partial obstruction).

5)  Hyper bowel sounds, which are normally produced when bowels are working correctly and moving food/stool through intestines.  Hyper indicates the bowels are working hard to move things without success.

6)  Heartburn.

7)  Abdominal distention, bloating and a feeling of fullness.

8)  Lack of hunger.

I had no fever at any time.

The first episode happened on a Sunday night about 3 hours after my evening meal.  Vomiting made me feel much better.  I did not have another episode until the following Tuesday night, again about 3 hours after my evening meal.  I made the mistake of going to bed around 10 p.m. and I think lying down made things worse.  At midnight, I was on my way to the ER.  Intestinal obstructions can be seen on a CT scan, which was ordered for me.  The obstruction was described as "partial" and in my small intestine, but down low in my belly.  The reason the pain felt higher than that was because of the backup of food "north" of the area of blockage. 

If you have a mild episode, I would not recommend eating or drinking anything for a few hours to see if it clears on its own.  In really severe cases, you need to get yourself to the ER.  Ruptures can happen and are very serious, as all the bacteria and fecal matter in your intestines is released into your abdominal cavity, requiring emergency surgery.

The above symptoms were those I experienced.  There may be other indications of a bowel obstruction, I just don't know.  I hope this info is helpful to you.

Phoebesnow said:

Rosec

I picked up your advice on the soluble fibre on another thread.  Things started to improve for me right aWay.  Then I started to go crazy again eating veggies and beans andeverything went downhill fast.  Keep us posted on these tidbits.

Yes, I did the same thing last week. Everything was going so well that I added in a few things that I shouldn't have - oh well, live and learn! Glad the info helped - I can't believe what a difference it made for me. Wish I had known about it (or done more research) earlier on!

mp327 said:

Rose

Thanks for your good information.  You are right, hummus is a great source of protein and I used to eat it regularly.  However, it's not recommended for those who have had a recent bowel obstruction.  Resting the bowels is recommended after such an episode and high fiber foods, such as any beans, are not good for that.  Things you've listed that are okay after bowel obstruction are pasta, white breads, flour tortillas, potatoes, mushrooms, bananas and applesauce.  I did not find any of those other foods listed under the column "You can eat this" on my information.  However, it probably depends on the severity of symptoms.

That is good information about eating soluble fiber on an empty stomach.  Thank you for posting that!  I'm glad that is working for you!

As for Metamucil, that is definitely not recommended in cases of bowel obstruction, according to the information I have. 

Thanks Martha - I had lost sight of the original question in the thread and was responding to diet changes only, wasn't thinking in terms of blockage. Thanks!

Marynb said:

Martha
Thanks much. Sounds to me like this is what is going on with me. I am going to see what develops in the next 24 hours, sticking only to warm broth. I had major abdominal surgery after treatment for anal cancer, so this could be a contributing factor. I hope this is all that it is. Always aware that there could be mets from neuroendocrine cancer. I really don't want to go to the hospital. Ugh.

Btw, why would spinach be out? I have been eating lots of it the past 2 weeks.

I'm not sure why spinach is on the list of foods not to eat.  I will say, though, that the times I have eaten spinach, either raw or cooked, in the past, I have suffered from constipation and abdominal discomfort.  When is the last time you ate it? 

It's quite possible that your abdominal surgery is contributing to your symptoms, i.e. scar tissue.  I hope you can get some relief by adjusting your diet.  Keep us posted!