Odor Issues with Holister One-Piece, No Leaks Detected

Hi all,

Every now and then, I get an odor from my bag. My husband says he doesn't get it. I'm using a Holister one-piece and clean the funnel with TP and wipes every time I empty. I'm nearly 6 weeks post-surgery and haven't had a leak in 2 weeks and change every 2 days. When I get a smell, I check immediately for leaks, but there aren't any. Everything I've read online and my stoma nurse says that if the seal is correct, there can't be any smell. Does anyone else experience this, or is it all in my head?

Thanks,

Lori

Does your bag have a filter? If so, that could be the issue as it lets air out. Do you use a deodorant/lubricant? If not, you may want to start to cover any slight smell that you think is there. There might be a little left after cleaning the end of the bag too. 🤷‍♂️ Theoretically, there should be no smell if everything is sealed/cleaned properly, but most people's waste stinks, and a tiny amount can give off an odor that may be only smellable (if that's a word 🤔) to the user.

Hey there 

Thanks for the reply, the bag has an Integrated filter. My stoma nurse has given me a prescription for deodoriser sachets that I have filled yet so maybe it's time to give them a try.

Thanks

Lori

Yes, I do at times, more when I'm bending over, usually down to the filter, and if I've eaten fish or something else that has a strong smell. If you have white tabs in your bag or box, pop one over the filter or a piece of sellotape to block it off.

Thanks Ben

Stories of Living Life to the Fullest from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Odor eliminator drops can help. I say though if your hubby can't smell anything then you might consider that you are just nervous about there being a smell. You are really new to this whole thing and it's ok that you have worries about smells. That's a natural worry for new ostomates. If you don't have a leak, and you have a filter, then there may not be an odor. There shouldn't be. Try the odor eliminator drops and see if that gives you peace of mind. 

Phantom odor smells is what I call them. How can I say this delicately? The stink just transfers, or... the phantom stink just lingers in the nose due to its close proximity.

We always think others can smell it too, but it's your nose, your own nose telling you of this odor. In your nose, it may linger. Nobody knows your nose except you.

If what others mentioned above doesn't work, try smelling a candle or new fragrance.

You will lose your mind thinking it's on you, when in fact it's in your nose. Nowhere else.

Disgusting, right? That odor. That whiff... no worries. It will pass.

Thank you

I disagree.

I notice it wearing a two-piece, changing out the (closed) bag - the wafer gets smelly. I can clean the wafer with toilet paper and the flange with a wipe and STILL get a smell with a new bag.

1) If you don't rinse, your bag is full of output remnants.

2) Even if you do rinse, your wafer absorbs moisture (it's what hydrocolloid does) - including moisture from your output.

I think the stoma nurses tell a white lie that it won't smell. How would it go down if you told someone who just got an ostomy, “Well, it will likely smell a little on the second day no matter what. We still suggest you change twice a week”?

People who don't notice it don't have as sensitive senses of smell.

Of course, I can't get a setup to last more than 2 days. I'm exploring the idea of one-piece closed bags and just being done with it. I put mine on Thursday afternoon; it's a soft convex and I LOVED it. I had an adhesive coupling, and I noticed far less smell with an adhesive coupling than I did with the same wafer with a mechanical coupling. But what did I find? At two days, it had leaked - and the whole wafer was swollen from me sweating (little sweat gland swollen spots all over, like pox). It's not like I worked out; I went to a kid's soccer game and then a birthday party at the park and then to Target.

Hi. It's OK to disagree.

We all agree to disagree over topics and replies.

Odor emitting from the bag area has been discussed here, and the consensus has deemed that the odor is caused by a leak.

Lori assures us of no leaks. You are saying it's the wafer that causes this by absorbing moisture.

I never thought of that. Good point. Have to see what w30bob thinks.

Hydrocolloid or hydroplaning, I don't know the difference, but you've done some research. Thank you for sharing that tidbit.

It was interesting what you said about how some people may not be as sensitive to odor as others.

As us, ostomates, being a bit more sensitive than others? Hmm...

Last time I heard anything (about 40 years ago), we have six senses. When one is lost, the others go into overdrive. Would you agree to that? I think most people would.

That being said, I don't recall the loss of intestines being one of those six senses to heighten one's sense of smell. Then again, maybe we as ostomates, over time, have that seventh sense developing... How unique!

When my barrier leaks, I can see poo spreading out like a California wildfire. The C strips contain it so well, there is no smell, no odor then. If your theory of the ring/barrier is true, more people would be complaining about the odor and try troubleshooting it.

Osmosis? Keen sense of smell?

I have asked several best friends about this odor. All deny smelling it. I do.

I disagree. 😁 I wear a one-piece and cannot normally smell anything after emptying. However, if I get a little under my barrier ring or some other little issue, I can smell it right away. Right now, I just got my order from Revel for ostomy lubricant and used it (flavored one) on a fresh bag yesterday. It lasted last night while at work, but then I could start to smell that ‘smell'. My girlfriend could smell it also, so I just changed everything and went back to my regular stuff. I had the same issue with the samples I got from them; I don't know if their lube is eating my barrier ring/wafer, messing with the filter, or what is going on, but I won't be using any more of it. So, people can detect the smell if it's actually there and also not detect it when it's not.

To each their own, we can definitely disagree. I’m a newbie for sure.

But I’ve had odor, and after removing my wafer examined it thoroughly for leaks and found none. Could just be hiding I guess, perhaps somewhere around the coupling.

I said it's a theory I have.

Hydrocolloid is a trusted wound dressing and acne treatment because it absorbs exudate.

Just like some people can eat spicy foods, others can't; some can taste minute differences in foods, others can't; some can see 20/20, some can't; some people can't tolerate hot/cold, some can… just because we all have senses does not mean we are all sensitive to the same degree. Just as vision and hearing can degrade, so can smell. Sinus infections, nasal medications, even viral infections can cause degradation of the sense of smell, as well as age-related degeneration.

I think we can be more sensitive because our sense of self-preservation kicks in - our fear of smelling in public, or having a leak in public, causes us to be hyperaware of smells (for some people).

My two cents, everyone thinks they can smell something at the beginning. I did the same thing... but it will pass.

Hi Axl. True that. I can't recall much back in 2016. I do remember the lousy appliances the nurses gave me; they failed in a day due to a bad fit. I also remember how the stoma shot fluid out of me like a water pistol.

And I do recall waking up to a mound of poop sitting on my stomach. I never noticed the smell until I got a proper fitting appliance.

That smell or reek of poo does exist. It happens, and as an indicator, we do know it's either leaking or time to change the appliance.

It's hard to imagine a no-leak situation after... say... 3 or 4 days. I know members have gone 5-7 days. Now I'm speaking of ileos, not colostomy members.

Sometimes mine lasts a day, simply due to my activity or a bad seal. Sitting really is bad for a lasting seal. Bending too.

There are days when you are the dog, and days you are the hydrant. 😆

Revel's "It's In The Bag" definitely messes with my pouch filter. I use Sensura Mio, and after one dose of Revel, the fabric cover had an oily stain that also transferred to my shirt. I tried a filter cover, but the product ate right through the adhesive. The ease of emptying and cleaning doesn't make up for the hassle. When I changed, I found my barrier ring had absorbed more output than usual, as well, and I surmise that's the action of the Revel product.

It is oil based. Interesting.

I quit using lubricant when I switched to closed bags, so I don’t think it has any part in my particular issues. 

Can't help but think the stink (if there is one) would come from that little air hole…namely a filter… tape it up and see if it helps…of course, this may cause a bit of ballooning…but I think that is good for the gravitational effect moving contents toward the outspout…as long as it doesn't reach a Hindenburg level…😉jb

Here's my experience and my resulting perspective.

For nearly the first five months of my colostomy, I had virtually no odor and my hollister one piece bags lasted three to four days. Then everything changed.

Suddenly, getting two days out of my bag before noticing odor became unusual. All of my bags lasted no more than one day, and an every morning change became norm. Folks advised me of the same possibilities... Leakage, filters, phantom smells, etc. 

That's when I got my first box of leaky bags, every one of them leaked in the same place. This opened up a line of thinking I hadn't considered before... bag batch quality issues. Maybe that was it... 

I knew it wasn't a phantom smell, my wife smelled it too. I knew there were no leaks, when I changed my bag there was no evidence of any leakage. I went so far as to tape over the filters, inside and out, to prevent the escape of air... no change. I've since had my reversal, so I never did solve the puzzle, but to this day, my biggest suspicion is bag quality. 

I hope you're able to resolve the issue. I hated doing daily bag changes, and all too frequent changes in a bathroom stall at work. 

Yes, I tend to think bag quality can be an issue... osmosis, porous bags. Thinking wet t-shirt contest... hubba hubba.

I found this problem with some lubricants or lubricating deodorizers. I tried to add some coconut oil to my bag in the early months of having my bag and it actually will leak an oily stain, and disintegrates the adhesion. Now? I'll use coconut oil in a pinch as a way to remove my bag but I'm super mindful about what goes in that bag! 

I mix 3/4 Hollister Adapt Lubricant with 1/4 of their m9 odor eliminator drops. That combo allows proper lubrication and kills most odors. However let's be clear here- I haven't found ANYTHING that will cover up the smell of fish! I now know the day after eating fish is bag change day! 

Thank you! It's not just me?! Wow. So my amazing experience with CerraPlus bags went south fast. The leaks were ridiculous. Some leaked in the filter, and so I started covering the filter with the C-shaped barrier extenders! However, that didn't stop the leaks. I had leaks towards the bottom of the bag and leaks that were all over the Velcro where the bag seals up. What a nightmare, and yes, I absolutely could smell the problem either before or at the same time as the wetness.

The bags I had all came from the same lot number, so I assumed it was a bad batch. I had 10 boxes of these bags I couldn't trust! I would tie a garbage bag around my bag at bedtime because the leaks were so random every day.

Silver lining in leaks? We learn how to do an active stoma bag change fast! I also inspect every bag before putting it on.