Swelling Issues with Flange Due to Constipation?

Does anyone have a problem keeping the flange on because of swelling from constipation?

What type of ostomy do you have? How long have you had a stoma? Do you have a peristomal hernia? What type/manufacturer wafer/bag system do you use?

I have a colostomy and peristomal hernia. I'm now 9 months post-op with no problems with wafer adhesion. I use a Hollister 2-piece system. Clean, dry skin is the key to wafer adhesion. Use soap that has no perfumes, dyes, or lotion. These chemicals will decrease wafer adhesion. I use Cetaphil soap. Be careful when showering; don't allow shampoo and conditioner to run down the front of your body and around the stoma. I always face the shower and bend down during applying/rinsing.

Adhesive is heat activated. Some ostomates use a blow dryer set on low to warm up the wafer before putting it on. Store wafers in a cool, dry place.

Some ostomates put on a support belt right after installing a new wafer/bag and leave it on for an hour or so. It helps to firmly hold the wafer against the body, allowing the adhesive more time to cure.

I use a thin Hollister belt that clips onto the bag flange. It helps hold the bag firmly in place. I wear it all day with no problems.

Hope this helps.

All good questions from other replies, but it sounds like you're constipated often. If so, ask your doctor about using Miralax to alleviate the constipation. Be careful with the dosage. Too much will wreak havoc. 😩

I just developed a hernia under my colostomy, and now I seem to have constipation off and on. But I haven't had problems keeping my 2-piece Hollister on. And I found out the hard way about Miralax, suffering the consequences currently. Keep in mind it does take a while to work, so don't be impatient like me and take an additional dose LOL!

I'm not sure what constipation is with a stoma. My colostomy sometimes is quiet for 1 1/2 to 2 days. Then it resumes normal output. My stoma is like a shape-shifting little beast. Sometimes it is small. Other times it's large...hardly fitting in the bag. The surgeon said I had some prolapse. So I've just been living with it. But maybe I am experiencing constipation and I just don't know it.

My Ostomy Journey: April | Hollister

I understand! I don't really know if I am experiencing it either.... I have also gone a day and a half, and it was fine. But I have had some hardness under my colostomy, and I don't know if it's from my new hernia or from constipation! So hard to know. And I had some pain over the weekend in my abdomen that I hadn't had before - again, not sure if it's from this new hernia or what. Luckily, it went away. I'm very tired of wondering what will happen next... I think my surgeon is sick of me calling his office each month with some new question! My wound nurse told me when I first started seeing her to take a dose of Miralax each day - but I never did. Maybe some people do?

I've just been "living with it." Haven't called the doctors. I have a lump on the side (at the base) of my stoma that gets pretty big... then deflates back down. A CT scan showed the bump to be a portion of my small intestine pushing up. Guess it's OK. I have no pain. My peristomal hernia seems to have stabilized. I was watching my stoma today. It would swell up pretty large, then deflate back down. A little monster. I'm probably going to see the surgeon next year about getting a revision. Not sure if I want the hernia fixed. Read some folks had trouble with wafer adhesion after hernia repair surgery. Guess the skin gets moved around a bit.

You make me laugh! It's a little monster, isn't it? It's kind of fascinating to watch it moving around...

I think the hardness under colostomy is from the hernia - it comes and goes. When I'm lying down, it retracts fully. I'll see what my surgeon says on Oct 25 when I see him, but I am assuming I will just have to live with it until reversal, unless he thinks it needs repair sooner. Thanks again for making me laugh.