Skin problem and blow outs on bag edge

Posted by lrandall51 @lrandall51, Mar 6 11:48am

I am almost 6 months out of surgery. I have a rash around the stomach area where bag adheres to skin. Any suggestions?
Also. My stool seems to collect at the stoma and eventually pushes thru the seal of the bag. Any suggestions? I started using the lubricant and it seems to help. Trying to firm up stool as well. Thank you

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Profile picture for mccasland @mccasland

I've never replied here so I expect this won't send. My "breakouts" have been in the barrier ring (putty ring, gummy ring, whatever), most often at the 3 o'clock position. Too often, I can't make a pouch last 3 days without it getting stinky. Can I ever hope to sit among an indoor audience (like at a play or concert) again? Oh, yes yes, say the Mayo people. Or play sports? Their response is just as cheerful. Meanwhile, I can't do moderate, easy chainsaw work around our place without "busting" another pouch barrier ring. (My next birthday I'll be 80; does that sound like I'm exerting a whole lot?) When this whole rig depends upon an adhesive... well, it works poorly on me. Some ostomy accessory might help, but I don't know what that would be. Well, let's all "hang in there." We don't have much choice. -- Bruce T., Wisconsin

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When I am going to do anything with any kind of heavy lifting or stress on my ostomy, I wear an ostomy support belt I bought on Amazon. It holds my stoma with support and yet allows it to stay free of the compression. I have had my ostomy sense 4-18-2017, I have a hernia because I was not aware of the hernia problem in the beginning and did not have the proper support for an ostomy and ended up with a hernia. I absolutely think this ostomy support belt is very necessary.
this is what it is called...(Men Or Women Medical Ostomy Belt Ostomy Hernia Support Belt Abdominal Stoma Binder Brace Abdomen Band Stoma Support (Hole 3.14") for Colostomy Patients)

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I am 86 and have had my surgery for almost 2 years I tried many bags and also never felt clean with drainable bags There was always residue left which I could not stand I never got more than two days out of my barriers I finally went to a Coloplast convex disposable bag. I change my entire appliance 4 times a day, My skin does not get irritated like it did when barrier was on for two days When I do go out I do use skin tac and barrier strips When at home I dont My skin is in much better condition and I feel so clean with no odor. When I go out I just put a nice clean bag on and feel confident there is no odor It takes me 5 to 7 minutes to change my bag so it is not a big deal to change I also do take baths and soak my stoma. If get any sign of irritation I use the stoma powder with skintac I have found over my two years that the less i use the better off I am I went to a stoma nurse at Mayo who was wonderful Most leaks are caused by stools pancaking and pushing device off She taught me this was caused by no air in bag which causes it to compress and not allow stool to flow into bag She showed me how to apply my bag and allow some air into it and I have not had a blowout since

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Profile picture for mccasland @mccasland

I've never replied here so I expect this won't send. My "breakouts" have been in the barrier ring (putty ring, gummy ring, whatever), most often at the 3 o'clock position. Too often, I can't make a pouch last 3 days without it getting stinky. Can I ever hope to sit among an indoor audience (like at a play or concert) again? Oh, yes yes, say the Mayo people. Or play sports? Their response is just as cheerful. Meanwhile, I can't do moderate, easy chainsaw work around our place without "busting" another pouch barrier ring. (My next birthday I'll be 80; does that sound like I'm exerting a whole lot?) When this whole rig depends upon an adhesive... well, it works poorly on me. Some ostomy accessory might help, but I don't know what that would be. Well, let's all "hang in there." We don't have much choice. -- Bruce T., Wisconsin

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I use Skintac liquid adhesive by Torbot… it’s the best thing since sliced bread when it comes to adhesion!

I dip a couple Q-tips in it and apply it around the entire area around my stoma, wherever the appliance is going to be, air dry it for about 15 seconds,and then put the appliance on. It’s the best stuff ever.

I too use the brava rings… I use the thin ones, and I put it on the sticky skin side of the wafer… I don’t try and put it around the stoma itself.

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Hello IRandall51,
this is months later than your post, but hope it helps.
I have had my stoma which I call "Rosebud" sense 4-2017, in the first 6 months to a year, I hated it but O also knew that it was a life saver for me. I could not go on living with the amount of hospital visits I was making (3or4 each month). It took me time with my home health care nurse to figure out how to take care of my ostomy the skin around it and the bags and flange I used. My home health care nurse came and kept changing my appliance but would not tell me about it and what I would need, She brought me my supplies for the day she was changing it but didn't help me much, I did find out she did not know much about an ostomy, so she was learning on me. I finally figured out what I needed. and it was so much simpler than the way she did it. She used may more supplies on me that I do I use 4 things she was suing at least 6 and things I didn't need and that didn't work. I had to find out what worked for me. And it is simple, I will attach a picture of my supplies.
But this is my routine. Before or after I shower I take off the appliance and wash the skin good avoiding touching the stoma, I then clean the skin with one or two alcohol swabs to clean the skin of any bacteria, I didn't like the products the nurse brought to clean my skin with I found that I would break out in little pimples or a rash from the cleaning agents in the packets she brought. Cleaning the skin with alcohol would clean the skin of all bacteria so nothing could grow under my flange. Then I sprinkled around the stoma a dash of stoma powder and over the powder I would put a bead of stoma paste then I put the flange on and the bag. It last 6 to 9 days. I have had no breakouts sense I started doing my bag change this way.
I do get pancaking around my stoma if there is no air in the bag. I don't use a bag with the vent because it sucks all the air out and I keep pancaking. I like it to fall in to the bag.
I wash it out with just regular water when I use the bathroom. If it need to be emptied. That way I use the same bag until it needs to be thrown away. And that is a personal choice.
I hope you find a comfortable way to take care of your stoma, and can live with it.
So I named my stoma and bag, Rosebud and Pouch.

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I had problems with blowouts too. I started making the hole in the base plate a little bigger so it didn't squeeze my stoma and that seemed to help. I change my bag every 3-4 days.

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I am 7 months out and a couple of months ago changed from a drainable pouch to a disposable one. Loved it, though you have to be careful of your skin when changing the whole thing a couple of times a day. And THEN, I was given a new type of skin protector pad and developed a rash under the whole appliance. Not a believer in coincidence, after a few days I found some of the old pads and went back to them. A few days later and the rash is almost gone. So, please be aware that your skin may or may not like a particular product, and don’t be afraid to move on. Best wishes!

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I also use a coloplast mio flex disposal bag and love it I found the less products I use the better off I am When I go out I will use skin tac and barrier strips but I dont when I am home If it ever get a slight irrtation I use a stoma powder You are right in everyones skin does not react the same s and you need to find the right product for you but I highly recommend disposal pouches

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