Colostomy Gas Relief: Toothpick Trick Works!

Have had colostomy for 4 years! Tired of burping bag constantly even after watching what I eat! I poke small holes in the top of the bag with a toothpick. Don't have to worry about quickly burping the bag in front of people! It works!

Great idea!

Don't the bags with filters take care of excessive gas?

The bags with filters don't seem to do much for the gas, I suppose they're more for odor since they have a small amount of charcoal.

A toothpick or pinhole is an interesting home remedy for those who have a solid output. I found out about pinholes due to my cat ;). Tape is helpful if your output is not so solid but you must be careful as it can also make the hole larger.

Thank you for that info! But what do you mean tape can be helpful? How do you use tape and what kind of tape?

Bags with filters won't last a day.

Do you have solid output? I can't see pinholes or holes of any kind working for me - lol. The smell would escape as well.

Have been using toothpick for a couple of years, don't have to worry about a surge of gas hitting in public, doesn't leak either! Have liquid output!

Harley Doll,

As for what I meant when I said tape can be helpful, my output is not predictable, sometimes it's not solid and I have to put tape over the pinholes so they don't leak.

There is actually a product that I have used called Osto EZ Vent. I will attach a link that shows a video on how to attach it to your bag.

https://kemonline.com/content/howtoattach

I have had a colostomy 1 week today and everyone at the hospital said no dietary restrictions. However, the gas pain pressure has bothered me all day. Any input would be helpful!

It takes time! Get up and walk, you will have several things happening to you!

Hi Melissa,

Welcome to the forum. Abe is right as it will take time for you to find out what causes gas from what food you eat. A week is such a short time to do much besides heal. What about an over the counter medication like Gas-X or something like it? Gas can come from just taking in too much air from using a straw. There is much information on the site for you to read from past posts. I found keeping a food diary helped me know what gave me issues. Chewing your food very well is the best thing, but it won't stop gas.

Yes! Walking is a very good healing process. The stronger you get, the better it heals and the faster it heals. My redo surgery took a little longer to heal staples-wise, but I forced myself out of bed and started walking as soon as I was able. I got off that pain med real quick as well.

Thank you so much for the tip. You are right, one week later, many other issues. It's nice to have the support of others, so I appreciate the comment.

Thank you for the insight. It's also very scary, so all of your tips are very helpful.