Eating and bowel cancer

You will find that your digestion takes time to settle down after bowel cancer treatment. Everyone is different. How long it takes can depend on the type of surgery and treatment you’ve had. Some foods can upset the way your bowel works. After treatment, high fibre foods, such as fruit and vegetables, may give you loose poo and increased wind. You may need to go to the toilet much more often than normal.

If you have had a ​colostomy​ you may find that it takes a few months for your bowel to work normally again. If you have had a combination of treatments, you may have permanent changes to your bowel. You may need to avoid certain foods.

Some foods can cause wind, which will go into your stoma bag if you have a colostomy or ileostomy.

You may need to experiment a bit to find out which foods upset your system. The foods most likely to cause problems are:

• very high fibre fruits and vegetables

• onions, brussels sprouts and cabbage

• pulses such as baked beans or lentils

• fizzy drinks, beer and lager

• very rich or fatty foods