Skin soreness with Novalife 1 Open Soft Easiview Maxi bag - Seeking advice

Hello everyone. I've had an ileostomy for 6 weeks now. The first two stoma bags kept leaking and burning my skin. The lovely stoma nurses sorted me out with another type of bag which is called Novalife 1 Open Soft Easiview Maxi, if that makes sense. It comes with a belt that attaches to the bag. It seems to stop the leaking but by the end of the day my skin around the stoma becomes very sore. I'm not sure if this eases in time or I'm just very sensitive to the flange around the bag. Does anyone else have this type of issue?

Soreness of parastomal skin is not something to be tolerated. I had a similar problem the first few months. Finding the right pouch and learning to cut the flange oval to match the shape of the stoma helped. I routinely use calamine lotion, aroma powder, and a spray-on skin barrier. With that, I get 3 to 5 days between changes. If I begin to feel any irritation, I change the pouch the next morning. The soreness is caused by leakage under the paste or barrier ring.

It took a few months to get a routine that worked for me. Going to a convex pouch was a big help for me. Things will get better over time. I am now 15 months since my ileostomy.

Stoma not aroma powder.

Yes, make sure to clean it very well when you change it and try not to change so frequently. Give the skin time to heal and make a buildup around the stoma after holding your hand on it for a while to make sure everything is sealed on the edges. Then you will start healing. If it leaks and you change it, it will be more irritating.

If we think about what we're doing to ourselves it might help us find the best routine.  Each time we change  we're ripping adhesive tape off our sensitive skin.  We need to do that correctly so we don't cause more damage.  Don't PULL the tape away from the skin!  Hold the tape where it is and PUSH the skin into the body.  The skin and tape will separate and skin won't be stretched so much and will be less likely to be damaged.  

Let's start with that and let us know if it makes a difference.

Respectfully,

Mike

My Ostomy Journey: Keyla | Hollister

I had the same problem but for me it was the peach fuzz on my belly that was part of the problem. I settled on a bag that worked for me and it got a little easier with each change. After 3 years, that's old history. If the redness/irritation does not subside, consult the wound care nurses. Using the 'crusting' method as another member mentioned is good too, alternating powder and the barrier spray or wipes. The spray/wipes create a thin coating over the skin for protection. I have also used Medline Marathon (expensive and not covered by Medicare), but this creates an even thicker barrier and I use this if I have a nasty infection. And there is Desoximetazone. This is a steroid gel that actually dries on your skin (use sparingly like half a pea size) and takes away redness and irritation. I have used this for major infections as well. I'm sure you will find what works for you and hope you are pain-free soon.

I have found that a two-piece system works much better! I get 8-10 days from each flange, so my skin is not torn apart every day with a change of pouch! It really helps, and I use nothing except adhesive remover to be sure all the old stuff is gone and dry really well. I use the hairdryer to dry and also heat up the new flange so it sticks really well! You can call all of the companies for samples to find what you like best! Coloplast, Convatec, Hollister.

Puppyluv