Sleeping in an Ostomy Belt to Prevent Nighttime Accidents

I got an ostomy belt a few weeks ago. While I wear it out, I've never slept in it. This morning, I was awakened by loads of poop and diarrhea pouring out of my bag (colostomy bag), so much that my bag came loose as it was so overfilled and had poop/diarrhea on the floor, myself, the bed... it was a literal mess! I was so embarrassed! While this is only the second incident I've had while sleeping, I don't want it to occur again, so I've decided to sleep in my belt to control any unexpected massive waste accidents.

Do any of y'all sleep in your ostomy belts? Any advice outside of that to help curb what happens while I'm asleep?

I have a colostomy,  19 months post op.  Use Hollister 2 piece system. 

I wear a Nu-Hope Corp. support belt 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Not so much to secure the bag, but to hopefully prevent parastomal hernia from becoming worse.

I don't get much liquid, or diarrhea type output.  If you haven't already, keep a food diary.  Try and discover if a particular food, or drink results in troublesome output.

To prevent pressure damage to peristomal skin, I use a Coloplast Brava moldable ring under the wafer.  Works great.  I change the wafer every 10 days.  Skin looks excellent.

I alternate between 2 inch wide, and 3 inch wide belts while sleeping.  2 inch one night, 3 inch the next night.  Both work well.

  I only use Nu-Hope Corp. belts.  For me, they are comfortable with excellent quality.

I sleep with a belt that attaches to my body to help keep my bag and wafer tight to my body. I only wear that belt at night and wear an Ostomy Secrets wrap or Stealth Belt or something similar during the day for additional support and to conceal it better. Did your accident happen because your wafer came loose, or did it happen because it was too full? If it was because it was too full, a belt won't help, but I think it helps with keeping it secure to the body.

Nope. I have a colostomy and the only blowouts I've ever had were while asleep. I don’t think a belt would have helped. Obviously I was asleep but I had a lot of output and I’m guessing I rolled from one side to another creating added pressure on the sides, which every blowout has been between my stoma and belly button. Would a belt have helped? 🤷‍♂️ One blowout, the worst one,  I blame on using a sample bag that didn’t have a cloth edge and I didn’t like or have confidence in it from the time I put it on. The other ones didn’t create much of a mess, just a frustrating way to wake up. I actually only wear a belt when I go somewhere, to work, and sometimes when the kids come over just to hide it. I don’t wear a belt or wrap 99% of the time I’m at home even if I’m doing physical stuff. Might be totally different if I had more liquidy output but mine is pretty solid. 

Also, since I got a colostomy,  I don't sleep in a bed.  I converted a couch into my bed.  The back of the couch prevents me from rolling over that way.  And if I roll too far the other way, I'll fall off the couch.  

My belts fit over the bag flange, pushing it against the wafer flange.  I have had some very full bags; output and gas.  But no leaks.  I also use an IGGIE clip on the bag drain. 

Getting Support in the Ostomy Community with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

I had my colostomy for almost seven months, I'm now three weeks post-reversal. I wore a 3 inch wide belt 24 hours a day except in the shower.

In the time I had my ostomy, the only leakage I ever experienced was once when I didn't get a good seal after emptying my bag in the middle of the night, and then some minor leakage from a bad batch of bags. 

I wore mine to prevent my parastomal hernia from growing, but a positive side effect was it held my bag firmly in place.

I also found that the skin protectant spray really increased bag adhesion. 

I sleep with a belt on. Only take it off to shower.

No, it's just personal choice if you wear one 24/7. As for leaks, we all have them at times, whatever we do or don't do. It knocks your confidence for a few hours or days. Hopefully, it will be many more years before you have another leak.

Like Ben38 said, it's a personal choice. I've taken to wearing a belt during waking hours, mostly because it helps take away the tugging sensation when it starts to fill. That's been more of a concern since I started using barrier rings. Mostly, it's peace of mind. Peace of mind is the same reason I do not wear it when sleeping. I move around a lot and I fear that the extra tugging that entails will loosen the seal. Whether or not that fear is rational doesn't matter. The operative phrase is peace of mind. :-)

Daniel

I dislike the tugging/heavy feeling too.  Wearing a belt alleviates it for me.

It's more so embarrassing. I go for a reversal in February.

Yep, I wear a thin belt when I sleep and then some... it attaches to the flange in what my hopes are: 1- keep the seal firmly tight against the stomach, 2- support the appliance, 3- help ease the hernia from growing further by keeping pressure back on that mound.

I wear this belt 24/7 and in the shower. Unless showering appliance-less. The only thing I'm wearing then is a smile😀

With this belt, I also use a wrap during the day... It has a pocket to place the bag in it because I wear my bag horizontally across my waist, not down.

Re: sleeping... I think lying down causes a lot of unexplained issues for ostomates. In terms of pressure and liquid flow.

Ever capsize a rowboat? You've got all that breathable air between you and the water and boat. It's got to go somewhere—the air. And it slithers its way through the seal. Air, fluid, poop. It's opposed to gravity when we stand. Just thinking out loud here. Sleeping and sitting. The worst things for us to stress the seal for ileostomies.

The couch whisperer. 😴

I wear mine night and day. I feel more secure, and don't get many blowouts at all. I still sleep with a folded thick towel under me just in case, and if I do have a blowout, then it's not a huge deal at 2 a.m. Just remove the towel, clean myself up, and put another towel down. I'm so used to wearing my belt that I don't even feel it anymore. Hope this helps.

The towel is a good idea. It won't help the top bed sheet though. Going to have to change that for sure. I hate those 2 a.m. blowouts. Do you also have a mattress pad protector under the fitted bed sheet?

There are all types of liners to protect the mattress.

I've thrown away lots of bed sheets because of how disgusting and disgusted I was to deal with washing them.

Can't afford to do that with a mattress though.

Did someone call?

Cushions giving you grief? Love seat giving no love? Call me... the Couch Whisperer. Your wayward living room "grouch couch" will be singing a new tune in no time. Discount for Ostemates. Call 1-800-CouchDude.

Hate the belts.

Never found them useful.

Thought they may keep the upper part of my pouch from poofing but nope.

Ostomy. No leaks. No belt.

Thanks for all these answers. It's a relief to know I'm not the only one that's had a blowout and dealt with it. I wish the surgeon had warned about those.

Interesting you say this now...when in April you said, "Output can be all over the place...literally...all the time...sometimes."

What are you using now instead of a belt? Gorilla Glue?