Itchy Skin Under Ostomy Wafer - Is a Change Needed?

Hi All, I have an ileostomy. I am not seeing any signs of a leak, but the skin itches under the wafer. I changed the bag 2 days ago. Should I change it again?

Sometimes I get itching under the wafer too. I think it's a reaction to the glue that they use to make the wafer stick. The itch should go away with time. You can scratch it a little bit gently without doing any damage. You shouldn't have to change your wafer again. How often do you change your wafer? I change mine every three days, so that would be just one more day away for me. But I don't know how often you change yours. If you don't see any leak, then there probably isn't one. I wouldn't worry so much about it. If it gets really unbearable, you can try changing your wafer, but if it's a reaction to the glue, then it will just happen again.

Thank You for the reply. I’ve been changing it every 3 to 4 days. 

Also, do you have issues cutting the hole out of the wafer to fit around your stoma, does it have to be perfectly round? I keep getting jagged edges

No, it doesn't have to be perfectly round. When I first had my stoma, I had to cut an oval shape. So no, it doesn't have to be perfectly round. And if you have jagged edges when you remove the plastic part, they will smooth out. It only feels like they are sharp because of the plastic.

Great tip for dealing with the skin fungal reaction. I have this a lot and have been basically trying to ignore it. Making it go away would be worth some extra steps. 

My Ostomy Journey: Ryan | Hollister

To remove excess adhesive, just use a Medical Adhesive Remover Wipe.  No need to do any scraping.