Help Needed - Constantly Leaking Bag with Flush Stoma

Dear fellow ostomates - first up, thank you for this excellent forum, it is so comforting to know I'm not alone.

Second, I really need some advice with a leaking bag. I feel I must be missing something. I have had an ileostomy for six months. Had a few leaks at first, then tried a convex plate on a one-piece bag with a ring, and always tried to heat it somehow. I had no problems at all for about 3-4 months. Then my skin got super irritated raw, and I tried pastes, barrier wipes, different rings and things got worse. I went to see the stoma nurses. They said my stoma had shrunk a little so they gave me bags with smaller convex plates and I tried cutting the hole smaller. I am also wearing a belt 24/7. My main problem - I think? - is that my stoma is tiny and flush with my skin, so I gather it is more prone to trouble.

But does anyone have any suggestions? I am going bonkers with this, constantly on edge, worried I'll pop... just had an issue in a major train station in Tokyo. Nightmare. Any help would be SO appreciated.

Hi Flo

When I had my first stoma, it was a flush and very small, 25mm in diameter. It took a while to get my setup worked out, but what changed things for me was Cavilon spray and a Salts ring. As the stoma didn't protrude, I used a ring and bag hole that was quite a bit smaller than the circumference of the stoma perimeter, yet left just enough room for the stoma to work. Wish I could go back to that, but my stoma now is larger and protrudes, so it's not going to happen, but it did work well for me.

Thanks Axl - Yeah, mine is 19 mm, tiny. Thanks so much for those tips, when do you use the spray?

I used the spray every change, spray first, not too much, two squirts max, then ring, then bag, practice the spray first on the back of your hand. The spray healed the raw skin for me but I don't use it anymore as I don't need it now and I've always used a belt too. 19 mm is tiny, that's great.

Hi, have you used hard convex. I found that the softer one is more prone to leaks when I have used them.

My Ostomy Journey: Keyla | Hollister

That's interesting - I'm not even sure - it's the Sensura one-piece drainable pouch?

So is it leaking from the bag itself or from the baseplate. I use Coloplast elastic tape around my plate and it has saved me from so many leaks. It was a lifesaver!! Hope this helps

Maybe try a hard convex. Are you using Sensura Mio or just Sensura? Mio comes in deep convex. Other than that, ConvaTec makes one called Active Life Deep Convex. It worked really well for me, but I got adhesive allergies and had to switch. Also, ConvaTec can do a video stoma nurse visit while you're in your bathroom so they can see everything. Good luck, but convexity is going to be the way to go. Mine is flat too.