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Some medicines can cause side effects, which may become more bothersome if you have an ostomy. In this article, we will discuss medical advice for different types of ostomies.

Colostomy medical advice

Here is a list of side effects caused by certain types of medications.

• Taking pain relief medication can result in constipation. It will be more like an irregularity of bowel movements.
• Taking antibiotics can result in diarrhea.
• Taking iron tablets can cause sticky, black stools, and constipation.
• Taking medication to treat indigestion can result in grey stools.

These symptoms shouldn’t stop you from taking medications that you should take. You may want to discuss with your doctor or ostomy care nurse to find alternatives to the problem-causing medicines.

If you are having chemotherapy to treat bowel cancer, you may want to speak to a nurse or doctor to discuss the impact of this therapy on your ostomy. If the side effect of chemotherapy is constipation, you may want to take a laxative to ease stool evacuation. You can also discuss with a nurse regarding which laxatives will cause the least problems for your ostomy.

Ileostomy medical advice

Constipation is generally unlikely when you have an ileostomy, but you still have to be wary of the impact of certain medications on your bowel and stoma.

• Taking antibiotics can result in a change in the consistency of stools.
• Taking iron tablets can result in sticky, black stools, and constipation.

You may want to speak to your doctor to find alternatives to some medications, such as capsules and slow release tablets. Such medicines may leave the body without before they start functioning. The short length of your bowel necessitates you to take medications that become effective the moment they enter into your gut.

Urostomy medical advice

The change in urine evacuation due to the intake of medications is generally not painful.

• If you are taking antibiotics, your stoma may produce urine with an altered color.
• Taking anti-depressant medications can result in blue or green-colored urine.
• Taking warfarin can also change the color of urine.

Even though these symptoms look a bit alarming, they do not cause any significant discomfort. It is, therefore, crucial to keep taking those medicines as prescribed. You can also discuss these side effects with your doctor or ostomy care nurse.

Avoiding a hernia

A parastomal hernia can occur in the skin around the stoma, and it can be quite painful. The most significant reason for its occurrence is the weakness of abdominal muscles that fail to resist the progression of bowel towards the abdominal skin. This situation can result in a noticeable bulge in the parastomal skin area. Risk factors for this condition may include the following.

• Weight
• Age
• Smoking
• Engaging in strenuous physical activities
• Open surgery of the abdomen in the past

The size of the parastomal hernia can vary, depending on the severity of the issue. In some cases, you may not need any treatment for this hernia. You will only need to use garments that support your abdominal muscles.

You may want to speak to your doctor or ostomy care nurse to discuss any treatment options for this hernia.