Does Your Stoma Misbehave During Changes or Showers?

My (Cousin) Eddie has a mind of his own and is very vocal! Lol 

That is absolutely outrageous, and I’m so sorry you had to deal with that mistreatment. 

I have had some pretty dire dehydration situations myself, and I want to offer a bit of unsolicited advice: ask your doctor about bloodwork to evaluate your kidney function. My last dehydration/hospitalization episode really traumatized my kidneys, but time and diet have helped.

I didn’t even question the authenticity of the wall squirt as I have had that experience MANY times. It’s not pleasant.

Hey Queenie - saw your comment about being a retired pharmacist, so i'd love to pick your brain. I've had an ileaostomy for 9 months, and the biggest ongoing problem I have is with my skin. It is typically quite irritated when I remove my appliance, but I don't have a problem with leakage, so it's not that. I've tried stoma powder, Nistatin powder, Dove soap and warm water, and nothing, but none of those solutions really seems to do much to heal the skin and keep it in good shape. 

Any pharma suggestions would be very appreciated! Thanks. 

Hello.  Thought I'd add my 2 cents.

How do you remove your wafer?  It's very easy to damage peristomal skin without realizing it.  Removing a wafer incorrectly can cause ongoing skin irritation issues.

Write down your process.  How do you loosen and pull up the fabric outer tape.  Then loosen and remove the wafer main seal/moldable barrier ring.  

Post it.  And experienced Ostemates will evaluate your process.

Leave no stone unturned.

Stories of Living Life to the Fullest from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

I’m not Queenie but I’d say you’re having a reaction to the sticky stuff on your bag/wafer or something that you’re using. 

The best time to shower with no pouch is first thing in the morning after you get out of bed and before you have anything to eat that will start a new cycle. Your stoma should be sleeping still. The general rule is stop eating by 9 pm the prior evening if you want to be sure there will be no shower accidents.

I agree with Alex T. I have found out, just a few days ago, that using bags from Convatec instead of Coloplast are much easier on my skin, and I'm sure other people will find the reverse. I think you could probably try a little bit of 1% hydrocortisone cream, you can buy it over the counter here, and actually I know you can buy it in pharmacies in the US without a prescription. But that is addressing the problem, not the cause. Would it be possible to try bags from a different manufacturer? They would send you some free bags to try? I have a colostomy, so I'm not familiar with ileostomies. 

Have a great day.

Brilliant cartoons!! 

Thanks for this Ben. Before I had my stoma I had random "trots" - diarrhoea, and was once in B&Q (Home Depot is the USA equivalent) and my belly decided to refurnish itself. As you know, B&Q / Home Depot stores are endless and the loo was on the opposite end. I have a dodgy heart, so I can't move fast, so I had to saunter across the entire length of the shop pooing as I went. I cleaned up the loo as best I could, but I called a staff member, told them and then left!

May God and the cleaning person have mercy on my soul!! 

" the general rule?"

What general said that? 

Site your source on eating before 9. Prior to shower next day. 

Brilliant!

Your skin is having a reaction either from the wafer adhesive and/or whatever else your putting on your skin and being trapped under the wafer.

I recommend next shower/bag change that you use nothing but antibacterial liquid soap to wash (and after each spewing if it occurs on the skin as spew contains oils which interfere with adhesion) and then blow dry the areao well.

Apply nothing but your adhesive choice (ring or no-sting paste) and the wafer.

If your still having irritation issues not caused by leaks, it means your allergic to adhesive or to alcohol based paste or even both even.

I've had these problems using Adapt paste and Hollisters products, since was switched to Coloplast products and their no-sting paste (at a much much better hospital) and my problems disappeared.

I still get tiny leaks as I have near flush stoma in a belly fold, using a convex, but getting better at addressing that difficult situation. I get 3-5 day wafer wear times which seems about normal.

You say it so much more clearly, thanks.