NEVER EVER had a leak

Hello everyone out there!

I am constantly battling a leaky appliance or broken skin seal.

I was curious, has anyone out there ever not had a leak with their appliance?

I have had my ileostomy for 2 years now, and I have only had one major leak, and that was after trying a new make and model that I will never use again. I use Hollister and have no problems. Regards, IGGIE

My leaks have been few and far between recently. Thank the good Lord. I tend to eat a lot of carbs, so I end up with thicker output. I looked back on previous topics on here and started to use baby oil inside the top part of the pouch, and it seems to have done the trick. Xx

I've had an ileostomy for over 30 years, so I've had my fair share of leaks in that time. But it must be over 10 years since I had my last leak. Now I know I've just been very lucky and will have more at some point, whatever I do or don't do, just part of bag life... When I had a temporary jejunostomy stoma 20 years ago, leaks were a daily occurrence then.

Do you have access to an ostomy nurse? They are a godsend and can help solve most of the problems that cause leaks.

Many leaks! Happy to chat if you message me to see if I can advise.

My Ostomy Journey: LeeAnne | Hollister

Almost 3 years - 1 leak with bag that had no adhesive around it - just wax - probably pilot error

Even if I had never had a leak (which is not the case), I would be afraid to say so, for fear of tempting fate!

Terry

Step 1 - Find an ostomy nurse

Step 2 - Find an ostomy nurse

Step 3 - Repeat Step 1 or Step 2....your choice.

;o)

I would love your advice! I've had my ileo for two months, and getting the bag to adhere to my skin is almost impossible! The stool is squeezing itself under the appliance. I've had to replace the bag 9 times in two days. We've used powder, rings, adhesive prep pads, convex, concave...everything, it seems like. Any tips would be so helpful!

Can anybody define a sodding leak,.... tiny bit sneaking just out of the stoma ring, to a full-scale shit bomb?

Unfortunately, descriptions are vague and I wonder, at what stage are people worried enough to call it a leak?

Just me again,

Brian

Brian

I would define them as small, medium, large

SMALL - a very tiny bit of seepage just outside the wax ring

MEDIUM - seepage that escapes to tape area

LARGE - OMG get me the f - - k outta this restaurant now !!! (ask me how I know)

Put some baby oil in the bag and it helps to send it down to the bottom of the bag and it comes out a lot easier when emptying it. Regards, IGGIE

I have a colostomy, so others may have a more challenging time. I use a one-piece drainable plus the Adapt paste under the wafer. I change it every 5-8 days depending on my activity. I empty it 1-2 times per day and wash with water and a couple of drops of deodorizer. The only time it leaks is if I try to stretch the wear time. For example, go skiing with a lot of twisting and still think I can make it 8 days. It may leak to the tape and then I know I need to drop what I am doing and change everything. But this only happens a couple of times a year. There are so many options out there. My recommendation is to not settle for leaks and try other options. (But of course, every story is different)

I had never ever had a leak.

Then this topic was posted. Now I have had 2 in two days.

I blame this topic. -)

Sorry to jinx you :( LOL

A great tip my ostomy nurse gave me is after applying a new barrier and bag, place both hands over the appliance and press gently. Let your hands warm the appliance for a few minutes. The warmth from your hands seals it well. I don't have leaks and never have had a blowout in the 5 years I have had my colostomy. I also only clean the peristomal area with a damp gauze pad.

I do a similar thing by pressing down for a bit. I usually lay on the bed to do this if I can.

My problem is I do not have a nice picture-perfect area around the stoma. I have 2 depressions which I think is where my leaks originate from.

I also do this, hold it down with my hand for quite a while, with a fair bit of pressure. What helps even more is to warm the flange with your hair dryer for 30 seconds before applying it, after taking the backing off it.

Terry

Do you stand or sit when doing a change? I get a better fit when sitting because the abdominal skin tightens up, but when standing, it tends to be loose. If you have 6-pack abs, forget you read this lol, but if you have a bit of a pooch, sitting may smooth out those depressions. Oh, it might make a difference where your stoma is too. Mine is just below the waistband. It could also be a weird-ass technique that works only for me and my shape. :)

I have never tried sitting when replacing the appliance. Always stood up and over the sink...in case she spit, shit, burped, bled, or farted.

I heard of a trick. Warm the appliance up - the wafer and ring - with a hair dryer a bit.

Not to melt it... just get it warmed up. I use this hair dryer as I am cleaning the stoma area too. I use Ivory brand soap to wash the area. Pat dry all while the hair dryer is blowing warm air to help speed-dry that area safely from afar... never, ever rub that area. Keep the hair dryer about a good arm's length away though, just enough to feel the warm air hit the area. I was also surprised to see how the stoma reacted to warmth hitting it and believe it or not, it reacts to ice or heat. In my case, an enlarged stoma always prevented me from applying the wafer over it. The heat kinda shrunk it down. There were also times I thought it was gonna recess into my tummy too, so keep an eye on that happening. A small-sized stoma is a happy one to cover. You get a better perimeter seal, can you dig that?

No powder, no adhesives, and changes every 5 days max. -- a schedule to follow that fits your lifestyle. Works for me, yet you can still see seepage under the ring over time. The first sign it's leaking is that disgusting, revolting smell. I have avoided blowouts doing the above. Might help you. Also, always empty that bag before bedtime. Good luck.

This reply is for Mandie... I think you are using too many things. Powder never worked for me. That protective powder? Nope. The idea is a clean, dry area to attach the seal. Now it could be your appliance type. Could be you sweat a lot? Could be your area where the thing is located - a bad location for it.

Seek Bob's advice above and see what I wrote below about the hair dryer... Good luck.

I have only had one leak as a result of using an appliance that had no tape around the outer ring - that was early on in my journey. I have never applied my appliance in any position other than a slight reclining position in my bed - similar to the position in a hospital bed. This allows for my stomach to be void of wrinkles and provides a smooth surface for applying powder, barrier wipe, and the bag with barrier ring over my stoma. Gravity wins in the end…just sayin'….jb

Hollister, Coloplast, and Convatec have samples and expert people to help find the best products. I have so many samples I tried until I found the perfect fit.

I discovered that concave flanges rarely leak and are so much better than flat. Order some from each and good luck.

I remember reading on this site many years ago is the have the largest border possible around your stoma...and tape around it..they used to call it window painting. My stoma only sticks out about 1/2 inch, so I also use the barrier rings around the stoma. Then add my bag and tape the sides down with barrier strips on edges. The only time I have had leaks lately is if I do not use the barrier ring and the barrier strips. On the way home from work yesterday, my stomach had that terrible feeling/cramping. I knew I was going to have terrible diarrhea and still had a 30 minutes to drive....my bag was almost filled to the top when I arrived home but it did not leak.

I'm so sorry I missed this. I don't really know how to navigate this site and know when I have notifications. Message me and I can try to help?

I'm so sorry I missed this. I don't really know how to navigate this site and know when I have notifications. Message me and I can try to help?

Using a hair dryer after applying a bag works better than using your hands but whatever works for you.