Colostomy bag

I recently got my stoma I was told it was goning to take trial and error to understand. I personally hate ballooning the vents don't work right so this morning I cut a small whole at the very top because it drains down… you not suppose to let get full in anyway and they have odor blocking products that u can put In your bag. If this technique allows not to balloon I resolved my ballooning issue I will keep u updated 😊

It doesn't always drain down. Hopefully you cover that hole with those Osto vent things or you will eventually have a mess. Plus, your gas will be coming out whenever it wants instead of you regulating when it gets released. 

I understand…. I never had it drain no other way to be honest but I appreciate that feedback. This just trial and error. I  will let u know how my day goes I'm just over it lol

Good luck. I don't really have much ballooning or even gas unless I eat baked beans. However, when it does fill with air, it is annoying and prevents a person from being able to bend much. 😁 It's like having a Chipotle/Qdoba burrito stuck to your side. 🤭

Hello Kayckay.

Thanks for sharing. I'm all for trying things out for ourselves, to find out what works and what doesn't. 
Alex mentioned osto-vents, which are little plastic devices, designed to overcome this problem of ballooning. They are probably worth asking your supplier for some samples, just to try.

Personally, I gave up on the 'small-stuff' years ago and now wear an irrigation sleeve at nights (folded up to form a huge 'bag), which allows for enormous amounts of gas and/or output to be passed with little or no problems being caused. During the day I wear a stoma plug instead of a bag, which, because of the porous material it is made of, allows the gas to escape easily without odour. 

It certainly does appear to be about trial and error. 

I don't know whether the plug would be suitable for those who do not irrigate, but it does seem to hold back a certain amount of hard output before it needs to be changed.

Best wishes

Bill 

not sure cutting a hole works hope it does for you...as sitting or laying and forget to cover the hole and there will certainly be leakage....try covering the vent itself with 1 of those stickers or tape this was suggested to me for ballooning by my ostomy nurse who has a stoma.... it is diffently trial and error to find what works for you and ur body we all have different routines tips and secrets so hopefully you will find your happy place soon....

Well, I wish you luck, but it sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.  I know for myself, when I lie down, I get output all the way up to the top of my pouch, but then, often my output is quite loose.  Perhaps if you have very thick output, it would not make its way to the top.  I have even had output leak through the vents in my pouch, which isn't supposed to happen.  I put a little stickie over the vent to prevent this happening.

Best of luck on your new journey, and keep us posted.

Terry

Well…. I had no mess my bag never blew up and I had an awesome day bag stayed flat . This skit I made at the very top of the bag was very small. So if u do decide to try make a little slit at the very tip top of the bag. I feel so much better about not having my bag balloon I will continue with this technique😊🥰

I'll be waiting for a full report from the time you put a fresh bag on, make the hole, and when you go to change your bag. It would never work for me since I rinse my bag each time I empty. 

I do rinse my bag and like using warm water like I said the hole has to beat the very top and just a little slit …. I never felt so relieved in my life. Usually ballooning force the bag to pull away from your skin if u don't catch it in time ….. I didn't have to change my bag at all I'm happy 😊 

Good for you. 

Hi Kay,

  Glad to hear that working for you!  All the vent's are in 'vented' bags are small holes with a mesh filtering over them.......so not really different from what you're doing.  Gravity is your friend, so as long as you don't lay fully flat you should be mess-free!  Like someone famous once said......necessity is the mother of invention!  Good for you!

;O)

Cutting a hole in the top of your bag..allows poop and odor to escape..trying  getting a bag that opens from the bottom and release the gas before it balloons out.