Tic Tac Mints and Irritable Ileum - Seeking Advice

For a while now, I have been a proponent of using Tic Tac mints as a supplement to expensive deodorants. But over time, I developed what I describe as an irritable ileum. I was assuming that this was caused by my penchant for wearing elastic-waisted pants over the flange of my bag. But, I decided to experiment with eliminating anything I was adding to my bag. The irritation stopped. I have gone back to using a lubricating deodorant twice a day, M9 drops twice a day, and nothing for the other times I empty my bag during the day. The irritation still has not returned. So, it seems as though the Tic Tac mints may be the culprit. But, I have not gone back to using them to be sure. Has anyone else had issues such as this from adding mints to your bag?

Thanks,

Daniel

I have never tried them, Daniel, and I don't use anything as I don't get much odor from my bag. The only time I pick up an odor is after fish. Regards, IGGIE

Yes. Since I adjusted my diet, the odor is much less of a problem. I get the same with fish. Onions too. And I love onions. Or I should say, I used to love onions. :-)

Daniel

I wonder if it's the mint in the Tic Tac or a preservative.

Fermenting? Osmosis? You think the mint is giving off something to affect the skin or stoma... hmm.

That's possibly very true, Daniel. Makes a lot of sense... curious as to how many Tic Tacs you put in the bag? It's good you can run an experiment like this, noting the benefit for all of us.

Who knew?

Do you remember the commercial for Tic Tacs?

"Put a Tic Tac in your mouth... and get a bang! Outta life... it's that clean, fresh EXPLOSION OF MINT!!!"

(The stupid TV shit we remember, huh?)

Staying Hydrated with an Ostomy with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

Hi MM,

Don't know what the rest of your diet looks like, but sugar is a known bowel irritant. And I'd bet a Tic Tac doesn't dissolve right away, so it releases further down the chain where it can't be diluted with water from the upper end of your small bowel. An easy way to check would be to switch to sugarless Tic Tacs and see what's what.

;O)

Thanks, Bob. I am not one to eschew sugar, and I also consume a lot of "natural" sugars in the fruit I eat daily. But I have adjusted my diet enough since my colectomy, and odor is much less of a problem.

Daniel

Warrior, I put in 2 Tic Tacs ~4-5 times a day. The other 1-2 times would be lubricating deodorant. Today, I use nothing. As I said to Iggie, I think I have adjusted my diet to the point where they are no longer necessary. But, I do miss my onions! :-)

Daniel