Need help with raw skin around stoma

I had an ileostomy over a week ago. I still can't figure out what bag to use to get a good fit and not leak. The skin around my stoma is raw and it hurts so bad. I've been using stoma powder but is there anything else I can use to heal this? I'm in so much pain.

I am so sorry for you. Used to have the same issue when I had a standard ileostomy.
Could be you aren't fitted well. Maybe the opening is too wide.
I remember when my skin was raw, I'd put a piece of saran wrap (the clear plastic wrap). I'd cut it to the actual size and shape of my stoma. I'd cover the raw skin with a healing protective powder or whatever you use.
Place the clear plastic wrap around my stoma. Then, complete adhering the face to your stoma as usual. If you can, use a belt to keep it all taut.
You'd be surprised how quickly your skin will heal.
Have you considered using a convex type of appliance? They tend not to leak as much as others.
Also, you might want to eat bland plain food. Greek yogurt would be good. You might try taking probiotics. Those could neutralize the possible acid in your feces.
Your doctor can order to have an Ostomy Nurse to visit you to ensure you're wearing the correct appliance. She can also help with the healing.
Hope this helps. Keep reading the topics within this site. There are other sites for ostomates.

Try Googling "Ileostomy causing raw painful skin."

This could be the start of getting the help you need.

Sharon

Hi newbie

Everyone has trouble in the first few weeks, your problem is nothing new.

There are several ways to stop the irritation around your stoma.

Get yourself some 3M No Sting Barrier Spray, it also comes in wipes.

https://medisa.com.au/cavilon-barrier-film-no-sting-spray-barrier-film-28ml-spray-bottle/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw3duCBhCAARIsAJeFyPU5zJ-T0XZ7VFQJriievgN1wOW_6c7iCgXFhSJ0h-D4tvEjrR0PjiEaAoLeEALw_wcB

Also use a barrier ring/seal, I use the spray above with a barrier ring seal.

Convex bags will help you get a better seal and an elastic belt from the supplier.

Go to the chemist and get some 3M Micropore Tape, someone here recently revealed they put tape straight over the irritated skin then apply the bag as normal, it's a cheap, fast, quick fix and gives the skin an opportunity to heal.

Get in to see the stoma nurse straight away, there is no need for you to suffer.

All of the above should be available at the stoma nurse amongst other solutions.

You will get a handle on this soon, everybody does before too long.

Good luck

Axl

Hello,

I have a colostomy and I use Head and Shoulders shampoo (dandruff shampoo) to wash the skin around the stoma when I shower and am changing my appliance. It has healing zinc and another ingredient in it to heal. Use it each time you are washing when the stoma is exposed. Next, put a layer of baby diaper rash cream around the stoma on irritated skin - when the skin is dry (I use Boudreaux's Butt Paste), let it stay on for about 10 minutes, then wipe off and go about your routine for putting on the wafer and bag. I was in a bad way last summer from the moisture and humidity - I had yeast growth, which is what makes the skin so sore and itchy. This treatment worked within a few days and has been a blessing for sore, irritated skin!!! Good luck to you!

Hi Newbie, I've had an ileostomy for a long time and the early days are a steep learning curve. I wash around my stoma with just warm water and make sure the skin is dry around it. I cut the hole in my wafer as close to stoma size as possible without it touching, and if I have some sore skin, I put a little bit of stoma paste on the wafer. But I usually use a piece of barrier ring on the wafer as I have a dip in my skin at the bottom of the stoma. Hope this helps.

I use this same formula head and shoulders and butt.. It has kept my skin healthy around my stomach.

Good morning, newbie

Another possibility to consider regarding the skin pain: if you are using a stoma paste vs. a barrier ring with your appliance, try to use a paste that is alcohol-free. (Coloplast Brava Stoma Paste is alcohol-free.) Paste with alcohol stings like crazy on raw skin, even if it is helpful for killing bacteria.

And, yes, see your WOCN ASAP, and frequently. They can help you resize your appliance cut-out, as your stoma size can change constantly over the first couple of months post-surgery. Your stoma size (should) settle down into one set of dimensions over time, but until then, the stoma nurse is a wonderful resource.

Be well! From another ileostomate...

Lily17

All great suggestions from the group. Definitely follow up with a certified wound/ostomy nurse. A couple of tips I recommend when you are putting on a new pouch:

1. Pull the skin above the stoma up when measuring the stoma and putting on the new pouch. You should remeasure your stoma with each pouch change because your stoma will get smaller over the first 6-8 weeks.

2. When putting on a new pouch, pull the skin above the stoma up and apply the new pouch from the bottom up (helps center the stoma in the pouch and makes a flat pouching surface).

3. Warm the pouch with a hairdryer prior to application (good idea to warm/dry your skin on a cool setting, as well). You can also put a dryer-warmed towel/blanket over the new pouch for 15-20 minutes afterwards. It will help the seal become gooey and stick better allowing your skin a chance to heal. Best to avoid heating pads which can burn the stoma.

Hang in there!

Hi Newbie,

It's still hard for me to believe they let new ostomates leave the hospital with so little info on how to deal with ostomy problems. As stated, you should be leaning heavily on your ostomy nurse......and by heavily I mean calling or emailing her as often as it takes to get your problems solved. Don't think you're bothering them, it's what they get paid for........so call.

Your first order of business is to stop the leaking. Your skin won't heal, no matter what you do, if the skin keeps coming in contact with your stoma output. So why is it leaking.......poor fit, wrong barrier type, lack of adhesion, is your stoma at a skin fold, are you bending or moving in ways that are too severe for your barrier to handle? You need to figure out what's going on to be able to solve it........otherwise you're just throwing solutions at problems you probably don't have.

How often does it leak? Are we talking days, hours, etc? How long after you notice or feel it leaking do you change it? In the beginning it's probably smarter to change your barrier more frequently to see what's going on under there, and then build up the time between changes from there. If your output is more liquid than solid.......empty your bag well before the level in the bag gets near the bottom of your stoma. You don't want output on the seal around your stoma all the time. Are you getting leaks in the morning after you've slept........you do know not to sleep on your stoma, right? I'm not trying to be a dick, I just don't know what you were told and what not, before they sent you home from the hospital. Bottom line is once you figure out WHY it's leaking you can use the appropriate advice people (and your ostomy nurse) give you. If you know specifically why you're getting leaks let us know and we can better pinpoint a fix for you. If you don't know get some pics over to your ostomy nurse.......or upload them on here......and we'll see what's what.

Regards,

Bob

Thank you for all your suggestions. My stoma is shrinking, so I think the bags are not the right size now. My stoma is in a fat fold, so there's another issue, and my output hole is pointing down. I definitely need a convex bag, which is what we've been experimenting with. My bag leaks four times a day, but now I see it's because of a fitting issue. Right now, I'm wearing a Sensura Mio, which stayed on last night. No one ever told me not to sleep on it, but there's no way I could or would anyway. The pain would be too great, but thanks, Bob, for telling me. Everyone keeps saying talk to my ostomy nurse. I don't have one. The person in the hospital was one, and she showed me what to do in the hospital. And I have home health, but they are just a nurse, not an ostomy nurse. How do I get an ostomy nurse? They seem to just work at the hospitals.

Most ostomy nurses work in hospitals for legal and insurance reasons. There are some outpatient clinics around the country. You have a few options for finding one:

1. Your GI or colorectal surgeon should be able to put you in contact with an ostomy nurse that could see you outpatient.

2. You can sign up for a telehealth ostomy visit with a CWOCN through Convatec. This is what I copied from the Convatec website:

The ConvaTec me+ trade; Team now offers complimentary virtual telehealth services* to provide visual support and live demonstrations through our telehealth partner, Corstrata trade;.

To learn more about me+ Virtual Support or to see if a telehealth consultation is right for you contact us at 1-800-422-8811 or .

3. https://www.wocn.org/learning-center/patient-resources/find-a-nurse/ This link is to a page where you can search for an ostomy nurse in your area that sees outpatients.

Thank you. I've talked to my doctor several times and they keep referring me to home health but they don't understand that my home health nurses aren't ostomy nurses. I'll try your options.  

My doctor in DFW always makes me see the ostomy nurse before he sees me. This is a great practice!

I have tried all of the above for the red, open weeping skin around my stoma and the best cure so far, suggested on another posting on this forum, is athlete's foot spray.

I've also had great success using powdered prednisone on the open wounds in total desperation, but I have not done this since discovering athlete's foot spray.

As noted, get help, but be aware not all ostomy nurses are the same. I've gone through 6 before finding one worth a grain of salt.

Good luck!

Best sticking wafer is Convatec. I have done this for 30 years. No others work. Two pieces close to the edge of the stoma. Use 2 cortisone lotion to heal raw, but make sure it's not leaking. Press down around the stoma very hard to seal. But.

Get in touch with your stoma nurse and set an appointment to visit. They are the experts to help you wade through the early muck. I had a raw stoma too. Turned out that I needed a convex wafer because my stoma was flush with my skin. I was also allergic to the barrier wipe and had to switch it out. I also used the packing method which uses several layers of the stoma powder. It took about two to three weeks to heal up. Good luck to you!