Help needed with colostomy bag adhesion

Okay, so I have a colostomy. Had an ileostomy, then the surgeon talked me into a permanent colostomy. I've had it a couple of years now. I like the two-piece bags, but I'm having trouble with my wafer staying attached. There are two things causing it to come off with bad timing... well, three, but the third one I can handle.

When I'm not sick, I like to be outdoors working on cars or doing yard work, and I sweat like a stuck hog. I mean, really, I've got central air in the house and also a window unit in my room. I sweat so much. But as I sweat, the adhesive breaks down. The border swells up and comes loose from my skin. Then the outside will eventually come loose, and I will soil myself. Many times I have to hold a towel or take my shirt off to hold it in one place till I can get to a place to clean it up and change it. I've tried antiperspirant around it and on my chest. I've tried wrapping a towel or taping a towel just above it. I'm out of ideas. My sweat breaks it down from the inside out. From underneath the appliance. If I could stop sweating under the thing, it would help, but I don't know how... Any ideas?

The other problem is when I wear pants. The waistband seems to enjoy separating my bag from my wafer. Usually only when I'm bending at the waist. Like when I'm working on something. I suppose I could wear jogging pants, but I don't like to work in them. Outside of wearing one-piece appliances, does anyone have any ideas?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, and hope anyone reading this is doing well.

I like Brava elastic barrier strips. My family and I went to a theme park recently and my appliance stayed in place with these. http://www.coloplast.us/brava-elastic-tape-1-en-us.aspx. I hope this helps.

Thank you Heidi92!! I've requested samples, and I'll see if they help. Thank you again for your suggestion!

Hi PonyBoy,

Welcome to the forum. I have used the Brava strips and they are nice, but I really like the Sure Seal rings because they go completely around the whole flange. I don't know if they will help with sweating underneath the flange, but maybe you could also ask for samples and give them a try because they do give you more time before the leak gets out.

http://alpglobal.com/Sure-Seal-TM-Rings.html

If sweating is the issue, try using extended wear wafers, as they are more suited to aggressive/liquid output, and may help.

Another alternative you might want to run by your stoma nurse is to try unscented antiperspirant on your skin before applying your wafer - I've heard this being used (through a nurse), but haven't tried it myself.

Getting Support in the Ostomy Community with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

Your issue is very much like my own. I work outside in heat a lot, waist of jeans is right at stoma height. Brava strips have been my salvation! I've used the Sure Seal rings too but I think Brava is more flexible and allows the skin to breathe. I never go without Brava strips.

I use Torbot which is waterproof. I put two coats on and one coat on my body around the stoma. Works great but a little work to get off when it's time to change your bag. I have had my ileostomy for 12 years. I never had to use any type of glue all those years until I got peripheral neuropathy. I have to take pain pills which are very strong. Excess gets into the urine and melts the glue ring on the bag. Stinks...but it's just another thing to cope with. Best of luck to you. Pat

Sorry, this post was duplicated for some reason.

Hi

I use "coloplast" paste and a belt which hooks into the "ears" on the wafer. Make sure that the wafer area is dry and free from oils. I always make sure that the wafer clip is at an angle so that my waistband on my jeans cannot "clip" it, which will cause it to open and the bag to break free.

Hope you get sorted.

Try a large Duoderm patch. Either the 4" square or the 6" oval. You can cut it into strips of 1-2" then place them around the outer edges of your skin which will be just under the wafer. The wafer adheres to the Duoderm amazingly strong. I have an ileo, and I've been using Duoderm for years.

You can use an anti-perspirant to reduce sweating, and I also second the advice to try Sure Seal rings--they rock! Also, have you test driven Cymed Microskin flanges? They are flexible and developed for active ostomates.

Hi Ponyboy, you bring up a great topic as I have the same issues with mine. I work in the yard in the heat or go golfing. I run 5 miles (3 times a week) and workout a lot. The wafers just melt from the inside after a run/workout. My solution in the hot months and after working out is to change my wafer. Sometimes I change it out every day. They say this can be hard on the skin but not as hard as output eating at your skin. Talk with your doctor/nurse and they may prescribe additional supplies per month. I wear the Coloplast 2-piece system. Have you tried the Coloplast extended wear wafers (10015)? Good luck. Penguins7

Hey folks, I also do a lot of stuff in the heat and have a waistband trying to separate the wafer. I use a 2-piece convatec Durahesive, moldable wafer and an eakin seal.  Coincidently I began wearing a hernia belt I got from NU HOPE Laboratories.  They make them to fit our wafers perfectly.  I change every 7 days and have not experienced any leakage.  We need to call and they'll walk us through the ordering process.  

BTW, I don't have a hernia but I'm trying to avoid one.  When I try to hit tee shots over 300 yards I'm afraid I'll rip everything apart and the belt seems to keep things in place.  So far I only hit one ball over 300 yards and that's because it landed in a parking lot, bounced about a hundred yards, hit a light standard and kicked back in bounds.  

Good luck,

Mike

Okay....so I have one too......ya gotta start thinking of irrigation, because that will put a halt to any mishaps (being clever with your diet, of course) and carry on with your energetic lifestyle free of worry..........once you irrigate on a regular basis, (for me, every 48 hours) and eating small meals rather than big feasts, then you will save on bags, strong odors, and general uneasiness. I still wear a flange and bag (with a bit of folded tissue in the bag) to be sure to be sure, being Irish, which stops any odor and that very important feeling of security when out and about with the "other people".

Both last me for up to seven days but no longer due to danger of irritation/rash etc....so, during your heavy sweating working day, a large absorbent pad (soft plain, no color, kitchen towel) with a waistband may be a lot more comfortable.....hope this may be helpful. Buddy...D

Have you tried working in bib overalls? They are pretty comfy. And top it off with a sleeveless t-shirt and a camo ball cap... just a thought. Have you tried switching your brand of wafers? Do you use an ostomy belt?

The sweating thing is tough. The moisture will work away the adhesion of the wafer. When I know I am going to sweat a lot, I use waterproof tape to "picture frame" the wafer so the edges stay secure. I have a picture of this at: www.theamericanostomyclub.com

The belts help too. I have had 5 hernias. Do everything you can to keep those from happening. Nu-Hope makes a great hernia brace that does a great job keeping everything in place. Try that too.

Also, when I do a lot of bending, I turn my bag sideways for a while so it does not get in the way. Turn it back down when you are done so the waste flows away from the stoma properly. I never had a problem with the bag sideways for a short time.

Good luck,

Kruzer

Sweating a lot. Brava has the elastic barrier strips that work very well for me. I work in construction and here in South Carolina, it has been pretty brutal with the heat and humidity. Before I got the samples, I had to change almost every day or it seemed like I did. The strips, along with the ostomy belt, do a great job at keeping my flange from breaking loose. I use a single pouch system that works great for me. Try a sample of the elastic strips. Can't hurt to try, unless you have an allergic reaction to them. Won't know until you try.

Charleston guy

Hi PonyBoy, I read your post and wanted to offer a few ideas. Penguins7 mentioned the extended wafers from Coloplast. I use them but find in the summer months my skin reacts to the extra glue on the wafer. It causes my skin to become itchy and blotchy. I have tried everything to lessen the red skin and found ostomy powder and skin barrier prep does help some. A wound care nurse suggested a regular wear wafer as the Coloplast regular wear wafers are designed to absorb more moisture. They will only last 2-3 days so I am told. I did not try the regular wear wafer yet because now the days are cooler and less humid. There is also a product called Cool Wafers, take a look online. It is similar to a cool pack designed to fit around the wafer to keep the skin cool. The person who designed it was having problems with her wafer sticking in the warmer months and designed it for herself so she could attend outside summer events. Long story short, she manufactured the product and now sells them. They are pretty reasonable too...less than $25. It may be worth a try. Another idea is a waist wrap or support underwear. The wrap or support underwear would keep the wafer and pouch close to your skin, not allowing the any waistband to rub against it. A friend of mine wears a wrap and never leaves home without it. He has not had a single problem so far with his wafer or pouch and it has been several months now. Good luck PonyBoy, hope the info is helpful....LH. PS - Did you select your MAO name from the character in the book titled The Outsiders? The author is S.E. Hinton, I believe. I read it years ago. I was just curious.

For sweating, I found that taping the edges of the wafer helps. Waterproof tape works best but people with sensitive skin use paper tape and then wipe over the tape with a skin sealant to make it more waterproof.

Yes.. that waterproof tape is great.. It is so universal... I use it when going into a hot tub for extra confidence. It has never failed me. (When plenty of wafers were ready to fail). Like duct tape for the body!!!!

I'll bet you duct tape would work. That stuff can fix anything.

I hear duct tape is a creative way to "dress up" the pouch. It sticks great and is waterproof. I saw a video online about it but never gave it a try. I did try stickers but they did not stick and fell off. :( We need new designs for these pouches to make them less medical looking. They are really a part of our clothing per se, why can't they be a bit fancy? Just my 2 cents.... LH

Duct tape does work--I have a roll of white duct tape in my supply bag when I go out.

Hey LadyHope, thank you and everyone for all the suggestions. Some I've tried, some I haven't, but will. Changing this thing 2-3 times a day some days really gets in the way....Oh yeah, my name, Ponyboy, I've always been called that, because I've always driven Mustangs...but the Outsiders inspired the name a little I think!

Duct tape, thanks for the suggestion. Don't know why I haven't tried it in some way. I use duct tape to hold my charger on when I need to charge battery to my nerve stimulator....

Thanks to you all! And I hope you all are doing well!

Hey PonyBoy, regarding the duct tape, I don't think that I would try it because it may be too hard on the skin causing breakdown. There is something called Hytape....great stuff. It is a light orange/pink color you can buy through medical distributors and it works miracles. I forgot to mention it in my previous post. If the wafer starts to lift, tape it back on and it should give you time to get to a place to make a change. Also, for guys it is easy to carry around. It is a roll of tape...stick in your pocket and keep going. Take care. Have a nice weekend. LH

I have very sensitive skin and have no problems with duct tape.

I use Strappal medical tape, not waterproof, but works great, better than duct tape, and lets you know when to change it will start to irritate - precursor to a leak.
To prevent my clothes from dislodging the flange, I wear a sports bra (XL). At times, I use the Sure Seal or similar product or the Coloplast half-circle tape.
And since I tend to be frugal (not cheap), I re-use the flange (hate to waste my money on waste). It lasts anywhere from 1 day (after a hard day of physical work) to 7 days. I adhere the flange with Skin-Tac or Osto Bond.

Have you tried stomadhesive powder on the skin before applying the flange? And have you tried the Coloplast Mio 2-piece pouch?... It has a locking mechanism that keeps the pouch securely fastened to the flange without worry. Good luck, you have lots of suggestions here and will figure something out!

Hope you've found a cure for your problem but if not, I have had great luck with the Nu-Hope belt. I can usually get about 5 days out of one seal. Also, I do not use anything on the skin. I use an adhesive remover to get the thing off but use soap and water after that. I dry the skin and just stick the Hollister extended use base on. I do use something I bought from Stomaplex to help the initial seal. It is just a piece of clear tubing that they charge a fortune for but I hold it against the base for about a minute before attaching the bag and it seems to work.

Hope this helps

I have a one-piece pre-cut convex bag, but I make sure the area around my stoma is dry. I use a spray adhesive, then a gasket around my stoma and use stoma paste around the bag opening. Once I make that connection, I hold my hand firmly over the area for at least 60 seconds. Of course, having the bag clipped close. I also have a cloth-like seal - half moon - I can use as an extra hold when the flange starts to roll.