Help! Ostomy Bag Exploding During Sleep

Has anyone had issues with their bag exploding while sleeping... It's happened to me x3 in the last 6 days. I've had my ostomy for almost a year, but had surgery a month ago to remove my colon.

Only once for me. About a dozen oatmeal raisin cookies was the culprit and I think I kinda rolled over on it. Might need to adjust your eating and/or your eating schedule.

Hello Laura.

Many years ago this used to happen to me - when I wore the proprietary 'bags' that coulld not cope with the excessive wind. However, since I have been irrigating I have used the irrigation sleeve as a form of 'bag at night-time's. This would be almost impossible to fill, let alone burst. 

i have recently been in touch with Coloplast about the possibility of having a 'bag' to fit on the two-piece clip on system that I use for their irrigation sleeves. Fortunately, they already have such a thing and they sent me some samples.  The baseplates sleeves and bags are 60mm holes, but I believe they go up to 70mm.

I hope you are able to find a solution to your problem asap. as having that sort of mess in the middle of the night is no joke!

best wishes

Bill

Try wearing a belt of some sort. It helps keep things snug as a bug in a rug. Sorry, I try to be funny.

Good luck, I will be praying for you.

Cplumber

Hi Laura, I think you need some gel packs in there at night. "Pearls" is the US brand. They absorb huge amounts of liquid poop, turning it into a sort of "sludge" and much thicker. This gets rid of gas for me also, so it prevents nighttime "explosions". You should give it a try.

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Hi, my bag fills up quickly, so I basically just wake up during the night to drain my bag. It's not the best advice, but it's what works for me. I hope you find a helpful solution.

Hi Laura, you don't say whether your bag is exploding due to excess stool or gas? I have to empty mine a couple of times a night due to stool, which is pretty common with an ileostomy. However, people who adjust their eating schedule by not eating several hours before going to bed can often avoid this. I am a late-night snacker, so it doesn't work for me. If your problem is gas, however, avoiding the gas-causing foods in the evening might be all you need to do. Good luck!

Terry

Hi Laura,

Yeah, I can relate. Having switched from Hollister's bigger bag to the Sensura Mio's smaller bag, I have to be very aware of what I ate and when... or bad things like you describe happen. You need to get familiar with your bowel habits and even set your alarm for every hour or two at night until you know what's coming out and when. There's nothing fun about waking up feeling wetness around your midsection, washing sheets, and taking a shower at 3:00 am. Got to love those plastic mattress covers!

The other option is to install a larger bag or irrigation sleeve at night and let 'er eat.

Oh, the joys of being an ostomate!

;O)

Bob