The Baggie Club - Your questions answered - May 20

Hello

I have a couple of questions around how to reduce the tug & pull of the pouch on the skin.

1 - At night: I have never worn clothes in bed. Until this week, since surgery on 13 April I have been sleeping on my back, but now that my surgery wound is less sore, I am sleeping (or attempting to sleep), on my side. What I have found is that I am woken up because the pouch pulls or tugs on my skin, or the pouch twists a bit and pulls on my skin. How do people manage this? In the night I felt like I needed some kind of softly elasticated cummerbund to hold the pouch against my body and in place.

2 - While up and about: I have just come back from a walk, which I had to cut short, because the pouch was pulling on my skin. It's not at the 'needs emptying' stage, but there is some output in the bag, and this 'weight' is enough to make the pouch pull. This is very uncomfortable, and I decided to come back home, because it was so sore. Obviously - sitting down this doesn't happen. So what do people do about exercise?

Many thanks for your help.

Hi can I be so bold in assuming that you are a male (if assumption wrong apologises)

For both questions regarding the feeling that your bag is pulling at your skin which I take it to be downwards.

My first suggestion is dependent of the type of pouch you are using and if they have little lugs at each side either one or two per side, if your pouches have these lugs you could look at a stoma belt, these are like suspenders belts and go around your waist with each end attached to the lugs and could stop any pulling also may eliminate the twisting during the night.

Alternatively you can get underwear boxer shorts that have an internal pocket to lay the pouch you can find a selection by opening up the links below (maybe not so much vanilla Blush!)

www.suportx.co.uk

sales@suportx.co.uk

www.comfizz.com

info@comfizz.com

www.cuiwear.com

rosh@cuiwear.com

Vanilla Blush hernia support

sales@vblush.com

Confizz Unisex level 1 briefs support 

Confizz Unisex boxers

Suportx mens ostomy trunks with internal pouch pocket

Suportx mens high waisted shorts with internal pouch pocket 

With regard to having a elastic dated cummerbund the above companies supply easy peel belts which might the thing you are looking for although I do think that the underwear might be your best option

Confizz 10" waistband Unisex level 1 support

Most of the items are available on GP prescription and depending on the type ordered you might be entitled to to 6 per annum.

 if this is not the answer you are looking for come back to me.

Ian

 CC

By clicking on any of the green text above will open up new pages for you and take you away from the Macmillans forum.

Hello

Thank you so much. I am a 52 year old woman, but I think that most of your reply applies anyway. I am currently trying Senura-Mio which does not appear to have the l'lugs' although I have noticed these on other pouches, and wondered what they were.

II have a phone call with a stoma nurse on Monday and I will chat with her about this, and see what she can suggest. I also have a call with supportx next week, and I can discuss this with them.

I really appreciate your help, and I am so grateful for the time that you put in to answer questions with such throroughness and empathy.

With best wishes.

Good morning 

I'm sorry to hear you've had a disturbed sleep due to a leakage, I always think the ones in the middle of the night are the worst. Fortunately no change of bedding required.

With the problems you are having I'm beginning to think that your stoma care nurse shouldn't be taking you back to the beginning and try you out with some different pouches, this is not a unusual thing to do some people try a number of different pouches before they find one they suits them. I didn't get on with the SenSura Mio and obtained samples from every manufacturer until I found one I liked.

Having tacky skin once you've cleaned around the stoma area is not a bad thing as this can only help to help the next pouch adhere.

If you are certain that your hole is the correct size and fits around your stoma quite snugly, try without the protective seal to see if that makes a difference. Apart from that I don't think you're into product overload but I maybe would suggest a thin ring of stoma paste around your stoma before you apply pouch. The healing powder is only a powder that is used to dry out any broken skin and doesn't have any medical properties and should be used sparingly.

You should be only using a small squirt of the adhesive remover just to start the removing off which you start at the top and work downwards and only use another squirt if you come across resistance. Adhesive removers are one of the products that are deemed not to be a necessity.

So to recap 

Check the hole cutting carefully.

Ask your supplier if they can supply you with an A5 plastic sheet with all the whole sizes punched out to help you check the hole size, plastic is much better than the paper one that  comes in the box.

Consider a change of pouch/manufacturer.

Try without the protective seal.

Try some some paste around your stoma, the paste will probably help with your broken skin more than the powder.

Use flange extenders around wafer to increase width.

Keep in touch, we will resolve the problem together.

Ian

CC

Thank you very much for all your help and advice, You are very kind.

Hello,

Just been looking at the posts. Sorry to hear of others' problems, hope you manage to sort them soon.

I have a couple of questions, Ian.

You said you should only need the remove spray just to start the removal. I find that I have to keep on with extra bursts to help remove the pouch. Does using an excess cause any problems and do you use anything else once it has started. I particularly find I need more removing the flange extenders which I use occasionally.

Also, what is the stoma paste? I have a shallow 'gully' where the stoma originally had a separation and this is a perfect conduit for output to get under a seal. I use a barrier spray (Protek) A 2.5 mm Brava seal and a Salts Confidence pouch but at every change it shows where output has gone. I do try to press the seal and then the flange all around the stoma, normally to no avail.  

Many thanks for all your advice, everyone stay safe!!

crankshaft

I would like you to accept my apology for answering sooner, I have not been feeling well for about a week and yesterday ended up in hospital.

Adhesive removers are products that are not deemed necessary in the ostomates bag of tricks, mainly because the cost to the NHS IN 2017 was £18,300,000 but many of us need them and are rationed to 2 sprays per month.

I do use them occasionally if I I can't get a corner to start to peel, I start at the top and work my way down, most of the time just peeling gently if I do find a bit of resistance then a swift spray sees it peeling again and any stray output is collected on the paper towel on my lap. Washed carefully in warm water and patted dry carefully and now ready to attach a new pouch.

With regard to the "gully" if this is anywhere near where the wafer will be applied this will certainly cause you a problem and you asked about stoma paste, this used to fill in any small dips in your skin, when you read some of my posts you will hear me talking about Stomahesive® stoma paste. This paste was recommended by my stoma care nurse and a supply company. You just need a small amount to fill the "gully" and smooth to get a nice flat surface, (I'm sure you've used Polyfilla at some time or another) then you apply pouch and the products you use.

Coloplast have  a product called Brava strip paste, these come in strips and you tear a piece off to enable you mould the strip into anything you need, with the " gully" your build up the strip paste to fill it up  

Stomahesive® stoma paste does not contain alcohol which means if you have put some around your stoma it won't sting.

Hope this helps.

Ian

CC

Hi Ian

So sorry to hear that you have ended up in hospital, I hope you feel better soon. Thank you for taking the time to answer when you don't feel too good especially at that time of the morning!

Wow, what a cost to the NHS. I am sometimes shocked at what I am costing them. Thank you for your suggestions, I have ordered a sample of the paste and I will try to keep the spray use to a minimum. Having switched to a daily change ( I was ok with 2 days but I think that being more active in the good weather gives a little more movement of the pouch on the skin) I don't think two a month will be enough. No one has suggested a ration yet but....

All the best

Ian

I wish you a speedy recovery

Inanna xx