Lubricating Deodorant Usage - Individual Packets vs. Big Bottle

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Daughter
Mar 29, 2023 11:57 pm

Hi everyone,

My mom uses Coloplast Brava Lubricating Deodorant to help push the stool to the bottom of the bag. We have been using individual packets for a while now and they work great. However, we got a free sample of the 250 ml big bottle from her medical supplier a couple of months ago and I wanted to try it out. Does anyone know how many drops to use that is equivalent to the individual packets?

I welcome anyone to respond even if you use a different deodorant. What deodorant do you use and how many drops do you apply to the pouch?

AlexT
Mar 30, 2023 12:13 am

If you have a packet left, look to see how much is in it. Then just measure that amount out in drops. You could probably Google a picture and see how much is in a packet if you don't have one.

Posted by: Primeboy

Hi Mike and all. I am not sure how panoramic my perspective really is as my peripheral vision shrinks with each passing year. I can tell you that when I came to this website six years ago I was truly ;impressed by the positive attitudes of so many members, especially the younger folks who refused to let their ostomies define who they were or what they would become. I also came to appreciate that having an ostomy is not the same thing as having a disease. Pardon ;my pun now, but ostomies and cancer don't belong in the same bag. One is a solution, the other is a problem. Celebrating National Ostomy Day ;is also well outside my comfort zone. That's like celebrating National Wheel Chair Day. Come on!

I think there is a ;need for improved ;public awareness of ostomies, but I am not sure how that's best done. There ;remains ;some social stigma attached to our situation, and it's acutely felt among our young. We need to get out of the dark ages on this issue, but not by going 'in your face' to everyone else. I think Bill and NDY are 'spot-on' when it comes to telegraphing the right message to friends and family. People will know how to react when they ;see ;how we accept the cards we were dealt. I also appreciate the contribution some people here are making to this effort through their publications.

On a personal note, my son has been suffering from ulcerative colitis for years just like I did. I am very concerned because people with UC are at a higher risk for colon cancer. Years ago my GI told me to get annual colonoscopies to be on the safe side. I am glad I did because he eventually found pre-cancerous cells which led to several surgeries and my becoming an ostomate. Since then I have always ;conveyed a positive attitude to ;my son about wearing a bag because it has kept me alive to enjoy many more years with my loved ones. I think he got the message. We both go to the same gastroenterologist in NYC and get scoped on the same day. Father and Son moments!

Someone once wrote that our children are the letters we write to the future.

PB

Daughter
Mar 30, 2023 12:15 am

Thank you, Alex. I do still have a packet left. I will try your suggestion.

Past Member
Mar 30, 2023 12:30 am

From what the back of the bottle says, 2 squirts... Now how much they actually mean, I don't know lol. I just eye it really. I believe the sachets are like 0.025...

Daughter
Mar 30, 2023 12:38 am

Thanks for your response, Beth!

When I first got the sample, I called up Coloplast to ask them how many drops I should add, and I didn't get a clear answer. I meant to call back and see if someone else could advise, but never did.

I just took the bottle out of the box a few minutes ago. There were no directions on the box, but on the bottle, it says to add 1-2 teaspoons. So I guess I can try two drops, 2 teaspoons, and also try Alex's suggestion. Thank you!!!

 

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gentlejohn
Mar 30, 2023 12:44 am
Very helpful

Agree with AlexT. Make sure she is consuming sufficient fluids to make the stool less firm. It is easy to become dehydrated. First of all, it is very important that the bag is coated with the lubricant before it is placed. Be careful, if there is a charcoal filter that the lubricant does not come in contact with the filter. To answer your question, 20 drops if you are being precise from Vegan Ostamate. Frankly, I probably do not use that much and vary the amount by the looseness of the stool. Vegan Ostamate has a lot of very good reviews on a number of stoma topics. Here is his review on the Coloplast Brava product:

https://www.veganostomy.ca/coloplast-brava-lubricating-deodorant-for-ostomy-pouches-review/

His review lists the Pro's and Con's. There are alternative products out there. Some are more reasonably priced. Some others you might prefer like Simple 'n Safe. Personally, I use Hollister's Adapt Lubricating Deodorant. I tried Brava. It works. However, when using one hand, I clumsily dropped the cap into my open stoma bag. That was when I knew that this product was not for me. I called the company and told them that their competitors who have flip tops eliminate having to deal with the screw top.

Hope this helps. Don't forget about hydration too.

Daughter
Mar 30, 2023 1:37 am

Thank you Gentlejohn! Your response was very helpful and insightful.

It's interesting you talk about not letting the lubricant get in contact with the filter. That did happen with my mom a few times and when it did happen, her bag would sometimes blow up. I guess the filter was less effective. Thankfully, we haven't had this concern in a while though.

I will definitely check out the review you shared. Also, thank you for suggesting other brands. I will request free samples. The only other lubricant we tried was from Convatec and we didn't like it.

I do think my mom needs to drink more than she does. I keep encouraging it. She has gotten better with her fluid intake but I still think she should be drinking more.

Thanks again for the advice and for the exact amount of drops.

Daughter
Mar 31, 2023 10:59 pm

Dear John, thank you for everything! I tried to send you another message, but I guess I ran out of my 3 free messages. I'm still trying to learn everything on this site.

By the way, I did call Safe and Simple today and got some free samples coming our way. My mom was telling me she might not want to use the deodorant anymore. I think she might be concerned with the potential cost, especially with switching medical suppliers. I don't apply the deodorant to every pouch change, but I do use it frequently. My mom's output is not really consistent; sometimes it's pasty, other times it's more formed, and there have been times it's more mushy. If I notice her output is more mushy, I don't use deodorant because it does drop to the bottom of the bag by itself. When mom first came home from the hospital, we had a nutritionist come to the house to go over recommendations for her diet and fluids. The nutritionist and the nurse both advised my mom needs to be drinking more fluids. The nutritionist advised at least 6 cups of fluids based on my mom's weight. I'm not sure if she is necessarily getting that amount as I work in the day, but she does drink water, tea, a nutritional supplement every day, sometimes coffee or cranberry juice. We also eat a lot of pasta and bread, which I know is not the best thing to do. The nutritionist advised that too much bread and pasta can thicken output. I try to use the deodorant as a preventative measure so we don't have that pancaking issue like we had in the past. Between the deodorant and the convex wafer, we thankfully have not had that issue in months.

Virgo68
Apr 02, 2023 12:55 am
Very helpful

I use Safe n Simple Assure C odor eliminator/clear lubricant. It comes in an 8 oz. bottle and what I do is just do one decent squirt onto the bag and move the bag around to coat all the inside. It seems to work very well.

Daughter
Apr 02, 2023 3:26 pm

Thank you Virgo68. Safe and Simple Assure C Lubricant Clear Deodorant was also recommended by someone else in this group and I did request a sample already. Thank you for explaining what you do!!!