diarrhea after removal of small intestine and chemo

I had partial removal of the small intestine as well as 6 months of chemo.  I have had constant diarrhea since my surgery, 9 months ago. Imodium (immodium) helps some.  My oncologist said to avoid high fiber, fresh fruits and vegetables.  Yet I have read several articles that say the opposite and eat a high finer diet..  Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

This is a common complication of removal of small intestine, which can further be aggravated by radiation or chemotherapy. Your doctor is probably correct with his/ her suggestion. Fiber and high fiber foods are rather avoided in ‘acute’ inflammatory situations and post surgical states and rather soft semi-solid diet is preferred. (These are exceptions to the rule which most sites fail to mention). The diet and the supplements that you would need to take would also depend on the region of the SI that was resected and the symptoms. Once the acute stage begins to settle you could discuss with your doctor about the diet changes.
Hope this is helpful.

Take care!