Need advice on using calamine lotion for weepy skin patch under wafer

I have a patch of weepy skin under the tape edge of my wafer (note it isn't in the center of the wafer near my stoma). The weepy skin patch is the size of a quarter and is big enough that it's affecting my wafer adhesion. Because of the reduced adhesion, some of the skin around my stoma is getting sore also. If I could heal that weepy patch of skin on the wafer edge, I think the wafer would stick better. I believe people use calamine lotion for this. Will the lotion stick to the skin even though it's weepy? Are there any tips to using the calamine lotion? Is there anything better?

Hi there, sounds like you need some advice on that annoying and painful problem. This happens to me if the sticky pink stuff (I call it "Marzipan") on the wafer wears out more in one spot than another.

If it wears out in just one spot, the very destructive stomach acid in your output will have eaten away the protection on just that spot. I saw this just yesterday with my ostomy. The right side of the sticky Marzipan

attached to the wafer was just gone, there was just the plastic of the wafer. When I went to bed, the acidy stuff was getting on my skin and it began to itch but not leak. When I had my shower in the morning and changed

the bag, I noticed the big red area of my skin where the Marzipan was worn away.

Solution!! Well, one that works for me at least. I use big sticky (Marzipan again) round pads with the hole in the middle (I refer to these as "Washers"). First off, you should take the bag off in the shower and don't get

obsessed or too worried about your watery shite getting on the shower floor, a little bleach spray cleanses the floor/tiles nicely. I just use a folded paper towel, the thick ones, Bounty, but you can use a face towel, but

the Marzipan pink stuff will stick to it so maybe only single use, quilted paper towel is more practical. Anyway, I digress...I use shampoo or even better hair conditioner to clean the skin. I use Nivea Cocoa Butter

Moisturizer if I have some (always have some). Spread the soap/conditioner or Nivea all around the skin surrounding the stoma and let it sit for a minute. I turn my back to the spray and massage the, usually for me,

moisturizer into the reddened or even excoriated skin. Sometimes the first layer of skin is gone, burned off by stomach acid and it can be a bit weepy like yours. I find if you massage that area around the stoma most

of the sticky stuff on your skin will come off, but I use the folded paper towel to gently rub and remove any residue on my skin. It is extremely important to get all of the sticky Marzipan stuff off to start with a blank canvas

you might say! To make sure my delicate skin is squeaky clean, I usually shave the area using lots of moisturizer. Other moisturizers are quite oily which is not ideal, Nivea Cocoa Butter does not feel oily (I know, coconut

oil!) as others do. Shaving with a sharp CLEAN blade (disposable razor) gets the skin squeaky clean. When my skin is excoriated, I can even get a little blood at this stage. The first healing layer is very, very delicate and

the thin top layer might come off with the razor, no panic. I will stand under water as hot as I can stand it. Be careful with heat as your actual stoma...the pink mushroom...cannot feel the heat, if it's not too hot for your

belly skin then it's fine for your stoma. Just spray the hot water over your stoma with the shower head handheld or just stand there and let the hot water fall on your belly and stoma. Your skin will feel revitalized and fresh

after you do this for five or ten minutes. Your stoma may "Squirt" a bit, so try and stay standing in the tub to avoid spraying watery shite (Irish!!) all over your lovely clean bathroom. Take your time drying off so your

stoma and excoriated skin is exposed to the air for as long as possible to help it heal. I never use these expensive healing creams and potions, I don't really think you need them.

Look up "Eakin Cohesive Seals", the big ones are fantastic!!! The hole is pre-cut in the middle. Pat your skin dry and make sure there is no glue/sticky stuff left on your skin. Then put the seal on and press it gently

onto the skin. Do not push it down too hard onto your skin or your stoma will definitely squirt you and the liquid can get under the seal....Very Bad!! The skin has to remain dry as you put the Eakin seal on your skin.

This is the same for a one-piece or a two-piece bag system. Again, keep the top side of the Marzipan dry, if it squirts just pat it dry with a paper towel. Place the bag/wafer on over the Eakin seal. Make sure the hole in

the Eakin seal and the hole in the sticky pad of the wafer line up, can be awkward but you can stand in front of a mirror, you can do it.

This will double the lifespan of each bag so you will not have to change as often. This really helps to prevent leaks, especially at night in bed. The stomach acid has to eat through a lot more of the pink stuff before the

shitty stomach acid gets to your delicate skin. One day with that acid touching your skin can leave bloody raw flesh under your stoma wafer. The real key to avoiding the raw flesh problem is itching. If you get an itchy

feeling on the skin around your stoma and especially under the wafer, you must change the wafer immediately or as soon as possible.

The Eakin seals are, I believe, similar to or the same as the stuff used to heal diabetic ulcers on the legs, it has amazing healing powers. I tested it once when I was doing some home renovation and cut my hand

with a sheetrock knife, not huge but annoying. I cut a piece from an Eakin seal and wrapped it around my cut finger and put a Band-Aid on to keep it there, I took it off two days later and the cut had almost fully

healed. If you have excoriation around the stoma and use the Eakin seal, you will see a huge improvement in your skin when you take it off and change your bag. When skin is excoriated like this, you should change at

least every day. Do it in the shower and let the water roll over the stoma as I mentioned, and you will see much improvement.

Sorry this may be a bit long, but sometimes I get carried away. I read about ostomy stuff sometimes and they are never detailed enough, so I figured I would go into detail and even repeat some things to make sure the

reader knows exactly what I mean. I have had a stoma since the 80's, so everything I find helpful has been hard-learned through trial and (often painful!!) error.

I hope this helps someone avoid the non-stick problem.

Best wishes, Eamon AKA Mister Magoo XO

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These are the seals. The upper is the small version. This is about 2 inches across and if your output is very liquidy, like mine, you should use the lower one, about 4 inches across. The lower is the wide one. This is about as big as the wafer and the hole can be molded to make it bigger to suit your stoma. I can get away with up to 4 days when I use these.

I hope this is of some help.

Also, I wrote about "Absorbagel" little packets like a sugar pack. If it's very watery, use two every time you empty, not just when you put on a new bag but every time you empty it. Two of the sachets (packs) will turn a bag full of watery stuff into a thicker and more manageable to empty, less danger of leaks at night.

Hope these items help.

Eamon.

I don't know if calamine lotion would work or not, but I have used something called DuoDerm for this kind of issue. You can cut it to the size of the weepy patch or slightly larger and then the wafer will stick over it.

PS - The Eakin seal already suggested could work too.

Hi Joe, I've used calamine before when I didn't have an Eakin seal. I would put some on a Q-tip and spread it on the sore spot a couple of times and let it dry before putting the new wafer on.

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

Hi Joe,

Just letting you know that I replied to your message from a couple of days ago. I don't see it in my sent messages on this site, though. I don't know if I need to be a premium member to reply.

I posted this question in the forums, so hopefully, I will get an answer soon. If you got my message and just haven't responded yet or don't plan to, that's fine. I just wanted to let you know that I didn't ignore you. :)

Kdel