Looking for affordable bonding cement alternatives

Does anyone still use the liquid bonding cement to apply their wafers to skin? They simply don't stick if I don't use it, and the cement is getting harder and harder to find. It used to be that three manufacturers made it, and now only one does. If anyone knows where to get it cheap, let me know. It's $14.00 a bottle where I'm getting it.

If you're still using bonding cement, I'd say you ought to be trying another wafer.  I haven't used that awful stuff in decades.

Hi, 114. I would buy an ostomy belt instead of using glue.

If I were you, I would contact your local ET nurse and have them evaluate your situation. Sounds like you need to change the way you're doing your barrier and pouch. Lots of new stuff out there. Cement is last century's technology. Good luck, Craig.

Hi 114,

I think you can see that folks are suggesting you find an ostomy nurse to help you with your situation. Those really are the folks that deal with all the skin problems associated with an ostomy, and if they haven't seen it.......it really is something special and needs even more specialist care. If your gastroenterologist can't recommend a good ostomy nurse to you then contact the company whose ostomy products you use and start with their ostomy nurse. They all have them, as do all the major hospitals around the country. I think what you'll find is that rather than using glue to hold your barrier on.........they'll switch you to a skin protectant that you apply to your skin.......and then apply your barrier to the protectant. There's a few different ones out there, with some being a simple spray film while others are a liquid and a bit more substantial.......think Krazy Glue or LiquidSkin. And don't use those.......they're for something else entirely. If money is the issue, the ostomy nurses at the companies that make the ostomy products will talk to you for free........and send you samples of things to try. Your hospital will probably charge you to consult with their ostomy nurse......but it's probably worth the copay to get another opinion on your situation. If you end up wanting to try Marathon skin protectant...........just let me know. I got a whole case of the stuff that I don't use and you can have as much as you need. It came in my last ostomy product order and I switch to something else entirely, and have no use for it. Just let me know.

;O)

Bob

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Have you tried Torbot SkinTac? It's liquid instead of the latex stuff.

I don't handle change very well, which is probably why I'm still using cement. But having my ileostomy break loose is a horrible experience and ruins my clothes too. Very high output.

Hello, happy Halloween! I hope you're having a great day so far. If you're looking for that paste, you can find it on Amazon for $9.95. They have everything. Have a great week, my friend.

I don't use it, but I did years ago. That was the first thing they taught me! Anyway, I hope you get what you need. Take care.

Victoria

Hello 114angchris.

If you have difficulty finding an adhesive to replace that which you have been using, I would suggest trying 'Probond', which is a prosthetic glue. I've been using it as a replacement for Hollister 7730 and it seems to be working well. Indeed, it has the advantage of brushing it on with a (supplied) brush. whereas the 7730 was a spray-on and, given that the glue often stuck around the nozzle, it would quite often shoot off in any direction other than where I wanted it to go.

Anyway, I hope you resolve your issue soon.

Best wishes

Bill 

 

I used to use Torbot Bonding Cement mixed with Tincture of Benzoin.

Insurance should cover this.

May I ask? What wafer do you use that doesn't require the 'cement'?

I have been using Hollister wafer and pouch for over a year now. No problems. It's the two-piece system. I didn't even know there was a cement. Lol

Try Skin Tac. You can get it on Amazon. It works very well.

I have had my ileostomy for nearly 60 years and used Skin Bond" originally. It was awful, but there weren't too many options. We had to brush the cement on our skin and on the plastic reusable wafer and wait until both dried. If not, it burned the skin. I think I gave it up more than 25 years ago and never replaced it, not since the "wafers" were invented. I use Convatec (2-piece system) but also use "Skin Prep" that prepares the skin. If needed, I use paste to seal the edges around the stoma or use the Elkinseal to even out the dip in my skin below the stoma. So many more alternatives. It takes courage, patience, and a lot of practice to change systems. Today, you have stoma nurses. Back in the "Old days," new ostomates were on their own, except for "visitors" who volunteered to help. I did that for years until I moved to NJ (back in the 1970s). Best of luck. Write to companies to ask for free samples. Most are generous, and they even follow up. Marsh

Hi Jeannie,

I found your question interesting. None of the major manufacturers of ostomy barriers "require" the use of a cement. They all have an adhesive on their barriers/wafers/whatever you want to call it, that is designed to work with most people's skin. Adhesion shouldn't be an issue or require any other cement or glue at all. That's why I find your question interesting. Now every product can't work for every person's skin, but I'd say the vast majority of ostomates don't use a cement or glue to hold their barrier on. Skin prep is the key, which is where the ostomy nurse can really help folks out that have problem skin. I think a lot of folks, myself included, refrain from trying new products if what they have is working.........or working good enough......but that's the exact right time to try new things, not when your skin is in bad shape. To you, or anyone else who's still using cement or glue to make their barrier adhere to their skin.......call the 3 major ostomy supply manufacturers and talk to their nurses. I think you'll find the products improve continuously and you have better alternatives. You got nothing to lose by checking out what they recommend.

;O)

Hello Bob. 
I do like your post and agree with all you have to say on the subject, especially the suggestion to try what the manufacturer’s recommend. The manufacturers do try to be as helpful as they can be and one even sent me wafers that overdid the adhesive strength to such an extent that I had a job to remove them when necessary.
Once I exhausted all those options and still did not find a solution to suit my needs, then I looked to resolve the problems via experimentation and DIY.  After many failures of my own I began to realise how much research and development is needed to manufacture these products, especially for a wide and diverse stoma population with a myriad of personal issues to resolve. 
Eventually, I designed some baseplates to cater satisfactorily to my own needs and simply stuck the manufactured wafers to those. (They tend to stick quite well to inanimate materials even if they are not so good on some human skins)
Here we come to the bit where I needed to stick my baseplates to my own skin. I was using Hollister 7730 satisfactorily for years, until recently when they withdrew the product. I then needed to go searching again for something similar. Suppliers of stoma gear did not have the answers to my questions, so I widened my search into the realm of ‘prosthetics’. My reasoning was that stoma devices could be viewed as prosthetics and some of these things would need sticking onto the skin.

Eventually I found a few products that did the trick and then whittled it down to one that seemed to be marginally more effective than the others. This has the trade name of ‘PROBOND’. Not only did it do the job, but it came in a little bottle with a paintbrush-type applicator, which was much more suited to the job than the 7733 spray-on method.

It is my belief that the major manufacturers are doing a great job in R&D and have improved their products no end over the years. However, the bottom line is that they are in it to make a profit and sometimes it is just not worth the investment to manufacture things that very few people will want to use that the potential profits are predictably not there. 
This is where the DIY approach comes into its own.  I make stuff myself, but in our town, we have a charitable workshop where things are made (and repaired) free of charge for those people who either do not have the skills or are in need and cannot afford to have someone make stuff for them. It is quite surprising how many different medical appliances/devices are not suitable or adequate for the end user, yet they are inordinately expensive to develop and produce for individuals in need.
There are many people who are presently involved in research and development of things to help others, which are not profit motivated. They are inventing and making stuff for those who have needs that are not presently being catered for by the mainstream, and even if they were, the folks who cannot afford to purchase the products will still be in need.

The world could do with more altruistic inventors who are not simply motivated by the ‘financial-profit-motive’ but wish to use their talents for the benefit of anyone and everyone who may have a need. 
I understand that various people and organisations, over many centuries, have claimed the phrase: “From each according to their ability – to each according to their need”. Not a bad catchy phrase to guide a caring society?

Best wishes

Bill