Concealing ileostomy bag under clothes?

I've had an ileostomy for about 7 months now and it seems that the waistline on a lot of my pants cut right below the top of my pouch, causing the top of the pouch to balloon up. It can make the top of the pouch pretty visible sometimes. I've tried the special underwear but that did no good. Any ideas?

This can be a problem for men as well as women. My stoma is right at my belt level and the pressure from the belt can affect the free flow of output. If the belt is tight for too long, it can put pressure on the wafer which will lead to a leak. No good. So, I sometimes wear suspenders often with a sweater or jacket. Other times I will wear my pants a little higher so that with the belt above the stoma. Last summer I wore shorts which I did not button at the waist but I did not tuck my jersey in. Happily, they stayed up even when I played golf. I guess my best answer would be to experiment with what works for you and continue to get advice from ostomates. Good post.

I've got exactly the same problem. I ended up buying a couple of "celebration" ostomy belts. It has a little plastic protector that lets you wear a belt and the bag still functions pretty well (not perfectly, but better than nothing).

http://www.celebrationostomysupportbelt.com/

I'm not familiar with that particular belt, but my issue is not really flow but visibility. I am pretty thin, which I think contributes to the pouch being more visible, and I'm used to wearing close-cut clothing. I guess I'll just have to learn to adjust, but thank you for the advice.

I get that problem too. I have talked to the place I get my ostomy supplies about it and they said they don't know what will help it. I wear jeans and the top of the bag hangs over, even if the jeans are looser than I normally wear. And if I wear the bag outside the jeans, I worry people will see it and get the wrong idea. A lot of my shirts aren't long enough to cover the bottom of the bag.

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I more or less gave up my jeans. Even without the bag, I found the waist would dig into my stomach and cut off circulation. I wear yoga-style pants which can be dressed up or down. They are loose-fitting and allow room for expansion should the bag begin to fill. I tuck the top part of my bag into my waistband and things keep flowing. I also wear longer tops to attempt to hide the bag when it does swell and I'm in a group of people.

The best way I have found to stop this is to keep the top of the bag out of sight is to take a small piece of tape, fold down the top of the pouch leaving just a little slack, and tape it to the front of the bag. I have been doing this for 24 years and have never had a problem with the top of the bag showing. This allows me to be without a shirt in the summertime. Give it a try, it works.
Good luck.

Have you ever seen those ads on TV for those pants called Pyjama Jeans? Unfortunately, they are only for women and only available in the states, according to their website. I don't know how they would be for any of the women on here with ostomies. They are expensive, $39.97 plus $7.95 shipping. I tried looking for an email address to ask them questions about it, such as if they would ever have any for men, especially those of us with ostomies, and how the feel and fit would be for the women with ostomies, but unfortunately, I could not find an email address. There is a contact link, but only to help you track your order. But there was a phone number. I don't know if any of the women here would like them or not. You can Google them and look at them.

I have the same problem. I wear sweatpants or shorts most of the time now. The normal pants or jeans I wear have expandable waistbands. The only time I use a belt is if I have to tuck my shirt in wearing respectable attire.

Have you tried high-waisted jeans? Have you noticed that they seem to be making a comeback? Also, any jeans with a bit of "give" help.

I wear mid-rise (Lee Riders, quite cheap at Walmart!) jeans and they cover up over the top of the bag, and no smooshing of anything even when the bag fills.

There is also a brand in the US called "Not Your Daughter's Jeans" and I reckon they're pretty good too. They are a bit expensive, but they come in all styles - low, mid, high rise - and if you find the right fit, a good pair of jeans can last for years. Taking that into account, I have enough jeans in my wardrobe to last until I'm 100!
The denim in "NYDJ" jeans is lovely and soft, and they are actually made in America (something you don't find that often these days!).

Hope you find something to fit.

Cheers,

Jo

Hi all,

I lost my waistline way back when I was 15, had surgery, and spent a year in a back brace due to osteoporosis. I developed what they call now a "muffin top", so although my ostomy was placed well, I wasn't able to wear a shirt tucked in. I found that anytime I wore something belted, it would wedge between the skin and the flange (which used to be plastic) and would cause a leak. My solution became wearing expandable or elastic waistbands. My clothes aren't as tailored or well-fitted, but they are a lot more comfortable and cause less anxiety. I also invested in well-fitting stretchable underwear. When the waistline was too high, I spent the money to have them cut to my size. The panty holds the pouch close to the skin, and I've even used them under bathing suits. To the best of my knowledge, no one has ever noticed a "bump", even if my pouch fills up. I think we're more aware of it than anyone else. Good luck to all.

I have found and resolved another problem with waistlines on clothes. The waistband on my briefs came up to my navel and would sometimes put pressure right under the bag where it joined the flange. This happened mostly when I was driving a car. Anyway, the pressure would cause a slight separation, just enough to create a small leak. No good. I tried folding the waistband down but that showed a visible line on my pants around my backside. So, one day when shopping in the men's department I came across 'low rise briefs' which did the trick. The band is well below the bag and there's no danger of the bag popping loose. Too bad clothing isn't more flexible to meet our needs. We will just have to adapt and be creative. In the meantime, however, things are improving. Slacks with expandable waists, for example, are really comfortable and don't choke the plumbing.

Thank you so much for that suggestion. I'm going to try it. By the way, you don't live that far away from me. Nice to hear from someone local.

By the way, that was aimed at the person from Bethel Park, PA.

I saw the Pajama Jeans commercial too..... I found "jeggings" at American Eagle that are pretty much the same thing. Really comfy. They look like jeans -- they're just fitted and super stretchy. I hope the jegging trend never ends! Lol doesn't really help men though. I'm not talking about the jeggings that have painted on zippers either lol. They have real button fly and pockets.... Anyways, it helps to buy a size bigger than normal and keep pants stretchy but you just have to experiment and try pants on--I try to get the waistband to hit above the opening...

I am testing all sorts of things to integrate this baggie into my wardrobe. My ileostomy site is midsection, so underpants and waistlines but up to the underside of my stoma, but chop the bag in half.

I have purchased Comfees and found that their quality is great but the size must be too small. The product rolls up...and drives me batty.

So I have cut up pantyhose or leggings, I cut on an angle and tuck into my pants.
I have cut the crotch out of French cut or boy panties and used as a waistband. My next plan is to cut up a tank top. I don't want to invest in any more online products until I know my size and preference.

My next research and trial will be pouch covers. Any suggestions on the good and the bad?

Ladies tube tops or 'boob tubes' in the UK have been found to be great and are available in almost any colour!
Rach xx

For the person that was talking about Pajama Jeans. You can buy them in Walmart now. They have a few aisles called "Sold on TV" at least you can get around the $7.95 shipping and handling for them.

I haven't tried them myself, but I am considering it after the discussion on here. I'm desperate to find a way to wear jeans again even though I am very short-waisted.

Hi! You might like to check out Confitape - www.confitape.com

Use a stoma guard like the ones sold on Amazon. This will prevent ballooning at the top if the waist of your jeans can fit snugly against the guard - it holds it in place.

I have started wearing my husband's fitted boxer briefs. They sit just above the top of the bags, so when my fitted jeans slip down throughout the day, all I flash now is the Puma (Costco sells them for about $20 for a set of five) brand waistband, which makes me feel more comfortable than if the top of my bag shows.

Try a pair of men's boxers if you wear undies. They hold everything in place, cover it up, etc. If you're into skirts and dresses, try a pair of pantyhose. Cut the legs off, just make sure they're not control top type as it puts added pressure. For pants, get something like yoga style or scrubs. Not elastic or drawstring all around type waist, but stretch type wide waistband. These work great for me as my stoma is the same height as most of my track pants and jeans, just covering the top of my bag.

Hope it helps.

Homie with a Stomie,

Tracy

Yes, work great...