Managing Sensations and Maintenance with a Colostomy Bag

I have a colostomy bag, the one-piece Hollister kind, and a lot of times, especially at night, it can feel like it is leaking, which it has done before. But it will not actually be leaking. And it feels kind of like an itch you just want to scratch around the stoma. I am assuming that's the poop from the stoma, but it's not leaking out the sides or anything. I take a Benadryl at night to help with itching because my head also itches from my stitches. Any advice would be helpful.

Also, when emptying my bag, I empty it into the toilet. I know I probably should be measuring it, but nonetheless, when it is a much thicker stool, it is harder for me to get all the poop out at once, versus when it's more runny. It seems to come out much cleaner. Any advice on this as well would be much helpful and appreciated. Thank you.

How long have you had your ostomy? And do you have a colostomy or ileostomy?

 I find it's all about what you eat. I've just given up bananas because I feel they thicken the output. Trial and error...

Oh yes, I am very aware 🤣. I have had to cut out, tweak, or alter everything I eat. My stoma isn't like most. I run only two ways: all liquid or super thick. It's hard for me to try and balance because, well, there's nothing that does. What thickens most people doesn't thicken me, and the same with thinning. And ev

But there are also other factors that most don't consider unless they have other issues. Like the stomach. If you have stomach issues as well. And with everyone's body being different, how it processes, digests, and what makes someone thick and thin.

If your ostomy is new, it may itch because it's healing. Also, if you're new to this, regularly measure your stoma before putting a new bag on as your stoma size will change while it heals, and you'll need to adjust the hole size on your bag. Unless you're told to measure your output, don't worry about it. When you have thicker output, add some warm water, close your bag, swish it around, then empty it all.

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I have a colostomy and have had it for maybe 4 months.

Thank you so much for this information.

And yes, I am fairly new to all this. I have had my colostomy for about 4 months now.

Hello Naomi23.

As you have a colostomy, I would highly recommend looking into the possibility of irrigation. (you can see some videos about this on the web). If it works for you then all your output will exit at once and you won't have to concern yourself with whether it's hard or soft.
Just a thought!

Best wishes

Bill

Put a tad (small amount) of baby oil in the outspout (about one inch in), rub it around inside the bag's lower portion. This will allow thicker output to easily flow outward - it's like a Teflon lining! Many pooh-pooh (lol) the idea, but it works great for me. Some say it compromises the Velcro. I use a clip rather than Velcro, so it works well for me. jb

G-Day Naomi, when it is a little too thick, just empty the bulk of it, then pour a cupful of water into the bag, close it up, and swish it around a little. Then empty it all out, clean up the opening, and you're all done. Regards, IGGIE

Thank you, Bill!

Thank you!

Hi Naomi! I found out the hard way that I'm allergic to most products. The products that were supposed to help keep my peristomal skin healthy were causing all of my problems.

I use very few products! The only adhesive remover I use is Convatec Esenta or rubbing alcohol. I stopped using skin barrier products because they make me itch under the wafer and cause irritation. I clean the area with witch hazel and sometimes rubbing alcohol. My skin is clear and I don't itch. Occasionally, I get fungus, and that's the only time I itch. I don't do the crusting technique. It never worked for me. What I do is when I change my wafer, after I clean and dry the area, I cover the area with antifungal powder and let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse it off and dry the area, then apply the wafer. My peristomal skin is clear and free from irritation. My wafer adheres just fine with the extenders. Try putting a fake wafer on the other side of your abdomen and use all of the products you normally use on your ostomy side—adhesive remover, skin barrier, wafer—and see how your other side reacts.

I've had mine for almost 50 years. I sometimes feel those same sensations too and think it's leaking. Sometimes, I think the feeling is coming from gas, and sometimes, I think the output might be very forceful, and I can feel it happening, although they say you shouldn't. Better be safe than sorry and check if all is OK. If after I check and I still feel uncomfortable at night and I want to sleep, I will stuff a paper towel around it and inside of my underwear just in case. The area around my stoma used to itch a lot at the beginning but rarely does anymore. I think my skin just had to get used to the karaya or tape around it. You might also try a different karaya seal or tape because maybe you are allergic to the type you are using. There are a variety of them available.