Stoma Color Changes Over Time: Any Experiences?

Just wondering if any of you have experienced changes in stoma color. I'm one year in (ileo) and over the last month or so, the color is a very deep red. Prior, it was more like the inside of my cheek/pinky red.



No other bothersome symptoms.

Hi Beatrice

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....ileo for 34 years, my stoma sometimes changes color too, just a bit, from time to time, but like you said no bothersome symptoms, when I was a kid my Osty Nurse at the time said she has seen much of that and no big deal, one reason might have to do with blood flow....forinstance if the end of stoma is a bit more "pinched" the color may lighten, that sort of thing....never seems to be a problem though.......

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Many thanks, dear Doe!

I got my stoma about a month after you did, and I've also noticed that it's a darker shade of red, these days.  My Aunt, who is a nurse, said that it was, most likely, due to the blow flow increasing as the stoma heals.  I've also noticed that when it bleeds, for any reason, it seems to bleed more than it used to, so increased blood flow would make a lot of sense.

hey. The colour of the stoma does depend on the blood and the colour changes due to the amount of iron in your blood. the more iron the reder it is the less iron the more pale it is. concider your stoma your own personal iron deficency tester

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Getting Support in the Ostomy Community with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

Great answers and info here beatrice to go along with a great question. Stoma color changes are common and normal. My own stoma's color changes between a light red to a bright red. A healthy stoma will be a nice rosy pink to any shade of red.



Doe is dead on when referring to "pinching"! This causes a restricted blood flow and happens when the end of the ileum is pinched in the abdominal wall tissue layers, much like pinching the end of your finger.  The amount of pinching is in direct correlation to the amount of tissue you have on your abdominal wall. Body position and restrictive clothing can also factor in.



There are many physiological reasons such as low/high blood pressure or the digestive process which can also affect the stoma's color changes.



A stoma that appears grayish white in color should be seen by your Doctor.  



Pundy145 -- Your dead on as well! I'm anemic and have to supplement my iron intake. I have never noticed a stomal color shift when I'm deficient.......... but I haven't looked! I will pay closer attention! Thanks!

Thanks all

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! Good to know I'm "in the pink" so to speak.

Hugs to everybody in this thread, ...sure are cool friends on this site with great info, ...so fortunate we can all come together like this

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~Love from your Doe

my stoma has gone black on the end and appears misshapened suddenly. 

Elisa you should make an appmt. with your doc. as soon as possible a black stoma isnt a good thing, even if its just a part of it.

I have an appointment on Friday.  I think I'm okay now...I think it was just a bunch of blood built up in it, but it scared me badly.   It started bleeding and returned to normal colour afterwards.  I got hit by a car a few weeks ago and had bleeding in my bag for weeks and noticed in the last week bruising come up on my abdomen and thigh where I got hit...It never showed until it was almost healed.  I had been seen at the ER several days after getting hit...

 

My ostomy is only seven months old.  Everything to do with this scares me to death, because I have no concept of what normal is anymore.

 

Thank you so much.

 

Elizabeth

Elizabeth,

Think of this as the new normal. Most things should remain the same with a bit of a learning curve with a stoma. Keep asking questions and you will see that majority of the time, it's all good.

Lately my Stoma has been bleeding more than usual... As long as I lie on my back  it looks great...but when up and around for any length of time, the top protrudes maybe 1/2 inch more, moves the opening lower, and the protrusion brings up a blackish area. ..There were scabs but they seem to have healed, but the dark area remains... 2 docs in the ER, one a colo -rectal specialist,  told me all was ok, and output is fine, but I'm afraid to get out of bed.... Black area seems like maybe clotted blood but it's not on the surface. . . . .?

vegan midi man   I don't know but I've been told by wocn (wound nurse) that black is not good ...You might want to see your wocn and have her take a look. Sometimes it seems that the nurses have a better handle on what is actually acceptably normal.   I've had an ileostomy since 10/2014 and my stoma still bleeds along the outside edges nearest to the skin.  Ive been told it's ok, but it never hurts to ask, and if you're not sure of the answer you get ask again, and again, and of someone else again.   Good Luck

Peace

Nancy