Hello claudia_asm.
I had been using Coloplast stoma plugs quite successfully for years. However, there were a couple of problems I had that I shared with the Coloplast R&D team.
The problems were:
1) Occasionally the plug would break away from its wafer and remain inside the stoma until the natural peristalsis pushed it out
2) Quite often, the plug would be pushed out of the stoma and be held between the wafer and skin. This could at times be painful but not serious.
I hoped that this information would be useful to their team to enable them to improve on the product. I hope was not the motivation for them to withdraw the plugs.
Now, to possible alternatives:
I don't know of any other manufacturer that makes stoma plugs, so below are some of the things I have experimented with in the past.
1) If you irrigate, you don't need to do anything much, other than cover the stoma with something that will absorb any possible output. ( I think there are some types of wafers without the plugs for this purpose.
2) I tried women's tampons, but they were not as effective as the plugs and they tended to dry inside and stick a bit too much when trying to pull them out.
3) I have made several versions of plugs, because my main reason for using them was to stop my hernia from closing the hole. So far, the best of these was made from nasal inhaler tubes which are the right shape and have a screw-end where a makeshift wafer can be attached so that the plug doesn't disappear into the stoma. (I did make one with very small holes drilled into the sides to let the gas out, but this resulted in the stoma migrating into the holes, which made it very difficult to pull the plug out - so, I don't recommend this approach).
4) My next experiment was going to be a tube with a tampon inside so that it could slide in and out but would not stick.
However, events and conditions have changed for me in that I have recently had a stoma prolapse, which has rendered the use of plugs inappropriate.
I have therefore developed a whole new approach, which involves a baseplate with a screw-on top which protects the extended stoma and catches any slight output.
I would have been very disappointed with the withdrawal of the stoma plugs had it not been for the fact that I am no longer able to use them. However, I do have a few boxes left over and would be quite happy to post them to you if I had your contact details. (You could message me privately to disclose this).
Best wishes
Bill