Solved My Ostomy Leak Issues with a Simple Fix

I am 7 weeks into my ostomy. The first 2 weeks were OK with no leaks. My home nurse changed my supplies and for the next 2 weeks I had leaks everyday, very frustrating changing bags and doing laundry at yhat frequency.

Home nurse was no help at all with the issues I was having, told me I read too much and watch too many YouTube videos.

I believe my problem was caused by not leaving much or any air in my bag after draining or changing. Without the air I was causing a vacum that was pulling up the adhesive and sucking in the output, causing the leaks.

This seems like a very easy fix and something my home nurse would have known about, but he stated he never heard of this, but it made sense.

Just hope this info may be helpful to anyone who may be struggling with leaks.

Unless you have a specific ostomy nurse, most nurses are only vaguely familiar with ostomies and the accessories that come with them. 

Thanks for sharing this Douglas. 😀

I always leave some air in my bag because my our put  is so thick I also put a little oil in my bag to help it slide down.

I’ve noticed when my bag/filter are new, the vacuum effect is much more of an issue than when it’s 2-3 days old. 

Getting Support in the Ostomy Community with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister