Dealing with Odor and Gas in Ostomy Bags

I am always having to go to the bathroom to empty my gas-filled bag. Sometimes it smells, but I don't have any leaks. Where could the smell be coming from?

How often do you change your bag, and do you use one with a filter?

When it starts to stink, it's time to change.

The gas (farts) smells. So, when you let the air out, the aroma comes with it.

Excess gas could be a result of the foods you are eating.

• Gas normally enters your digestive tract when you swallow air and when bacteria in your large intestine break down undigested carbohydrates. You may have more gas symptoms if you swallow more air or consume more of certain foods and drinks.
• Everyone swallows a small amount of air when eating and drinking. Swallowed air that doesn’t leave your stomach when you belch may move into your intestines and pass through to your pouch.
• Gas in the small intestine or colon is usually caused by the digestion or fermentation of undigested food by bacteria found in the bowel. Gas also can form when your digestive system doesn't completely break down certain components in foods, such as gluten, found in most grains, or the sugar in dairy products and fruit.
• Your large intestine contains a large number of bacteria and some fungi and viruses that make up the gut microbiome—the microbes in your digestive tract that help with digestion. Bacteria in the large intestine help break down carbohydrates and create gas in the process.
• Certain foods and drinks contain types of carbohydrates—sugars, starches, and fiber—that your stomach and small intestine don’t fully digest. Undigested carbohydrates will pass to your large intestine, where bacteria break them down and create gas. You may have more gas symptoms if you consume more carbohydrates that your stomach and small intestine don’t fully digest.
• Items that CAN (not will) cause gas include: Alcoholic drinks (including beer), carbonated (fizzy) drinks, beans, peas, lentils, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbers, onions, milk and dairy products, nuts, radish, soy, sprouts, apples, asparagus, drinking straws & chewing gum (you'll swallow more air), sucking hard candy, melons, mushrooms, corn, broccoli, spinach, cheese, root vegetables,whole grain foods. Try removing one food at a time to see if your gas improves.
• Other sources of intestinal gas may include:
• Food residue in your colon.
• A change in the bacteria in the small intestine.
• Poor absorption of carbohydrates, which can upset the balance of helpful bacteria in your digestive system.
• Constipation, since the longer food waste remains in your colon, the more time it has to ferment.
• A digestive condition, such as lactose or fructose intolerance or celiac disease.
• Foods that are difficult to chew into small pieces allow more air to be swallowed which increases gas production. Peppermint tea is a good home remedy and preventative measure for gas. A cup of peppermint tea can disperse the gas without it coming out through the ostomy pouch. Peppermint capsules can be just as effective.

Incidentally, if you remember, prior to your ostomy, when you used to pass gas through your anus, it did smell 😉 — no different for the gas in your pouch, it will smell. 🙄

If you don't want a pouch full of gas to smell, Coloplast, Convatec , and Hollister all sell deodorants you can add to your pouch. An inexpensive solution is to add a couple of drops of Tea Tree and Peppermint Essential oil to a cotton ball and drop the ball in the pouch — incidentally the cotton ball helps to prevent pancaking if you have a colostomy (pancaking may or may not be a problem for those with Ileostomies). You can certainly use other essential oils like lavender, eucalyptus, etc.

If you have a 2-piece system, it's not always the bag. Your wafer could be soiled or near a leak.

I'll often rinse the wafer really well in the shower for one or two more days of use. Usually, you don't want to get it wet too much, else you'll lose adhesion. After the shower, I'll add stoma powder around the gaps under the wafer to absorb moisture.

My open-end pouches with a filter tend to get soiled after a few days but still let air out, and I smell it then too. Like others said, rinse unless that renders the filter useless. For my Hollister closed-end pouches, I'll use one old pouch just for the shower to stay dry and not kill the filters. My open-end pouches I use a sticker to cover the filter.

Getting Support in the Ostomy Community with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

You can also drop a Tic Tac into the bag. Some days, I need to drop 2.

Yep, good ol' farts can't be beat.

You out did Shamrock on the longest post on this thread, that’s impressive. 😁

I kept getting interrupted while I was writing the post and each time I came back I would remember something else — lost my focus. 🙄

lol. 

Hi,

Newbie from England here.

I had an ileostomy just over 6 months ago, due to a very aggressive cancer tumor. I change my bag most days, have a high stoma output, and usually get up during the early hours twice. I have noticed that 'ballooning' only seems to happen at these hours!

Regarding smell, it really does depend on your diet - sometimes I need to leave the bathroom window open when I empty my bag, even though I use liquid toilet freshener each time. I don't have visitors anymore; I hate them to think my house smells. I was told by doctors, etc., that I could lead a normal life - what a bunch of jokers, for sure. In England, having a stoma is classed as a disability; how many disabled people lead a 'normal life'?

Must get off my 'soapbox' now.

Have fun!

Mia