Does Airplane Cabin Pressure Affect Ileostomy Pouches?

Does the pressure in a commercial airline affect a ileostomy pouch or must I spend my trip in the bathroom dealing with ballooning? 

Hi, I have never had a problem. I have eaten very lightly and not eaten any gas-producing foods.

On occasion, I have had ballooning on flights even with paying close attention to my diet. A two-piece pouch is what I wear - fun, fun, fun. Don't let it hold you back from enjoying yourself. Safe travels.

I have never had any problems with that 

I haven't either, but, I generally just don't eat when I'm travelling and avoid carbonated beverages.  Not sure if that's overkill (most likely) but I just feel better knowing I'm reducing my activity of my stoma/illeostomy.  

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Solid sound advice. Prep yourself before flights. 

👍

I have not flown since my surgery in 2020. I would be sure to have a filtered bag. I do not have much faith in the Hollister filters, but I have had super good luck with the Coloplast Sensura Mio. Just keep it as dry as possible, and the filter works the whole time I use the bag; 1 week with the open-ended.

Driving up and down mountain passes, I notice pressure pushing gas out, so I would assume the same will happen on a plane.

Your speed might influence this gas or balloon effect.

Most flyers don't. The plane takes its time to drop or lift.

Filters are a hot button on here. The majority of members feel they are useless.

I have the same appliance as yours. I guess it works because I don't get much ballooning; however, I learned to stay away from dairy products and soda, both inflators of the pouch.

Contrary to what Montana is known for, we now have an 80 mph freeway speed limit. It was a rather short period of reasonable and prudent between 1995 and 1999. A previous time was prior to Nixon's national 55 mph in 1974.

I'm flying 5 hours to Florida soon.  Last time I flew... no problems, though it was a 1 hour flight.  Right before I board the plane, snap on a new Hollister bag, with M9 drops added.

No, definitely not.   Have been on many long haul flights and have never experienced this, I eat and drink as normal before and during the flight.

Y'all are great, thanks so much for the advice, I feel much better about getting on board and having a trouble-free trip. Thanks, Terry

No issues here either, been on a long haul 9 hour flight a few weeks post surgery and it went a lot easier than I expected. The only difference between pre and post op flying was TSA asking me if I left my belt on.

Been a couple of times, 2 hours max, no issue, but common sense tells you to approach a flight without gorging yourself beforehand.

One last comment that may help some. Before I play a round of golf, I take a tablespoon of peanut butter and a couple of handfuls of Cheerios. I nibble on the Cheerios during the round and never need to use a restroom more than twice, usually just at the turn. The peanut butter and Cheerios slow everything down. There's no reason why that would not work prior to a plane ride. Terry

Blaaah peanut butter🤮... but hey, if it works for you, 👍. Good idea for everyone.

Peanut butter can be consumed in many ways.

I had the same worry last September. Commenters generally said, "No problem." Went to Japan in October. 12 hours each way, groan. No problem. Eat light, avoid gassy foods. Drink water/juice in sips, to avoid ballooning (swallowed air). You can belch the bag in the head. The toilets are the only challenge. Bring your own wipes!

I have never had a problem and I've been an ostomate for more than 60 years.  Some flights were long as we traveled to 38 countries over the years.  Good luck to you!

I've taken many flights with no issues. I always stop at the restroom 10 minutes before boarding whether I need to or not. The biggest concern is emptying on the plane. With no water in the bowl, it makes flushing nearly impossible. I now bring a water bottle with me to help the flushing process. When you leave the bathroom after flushing 3-4 times, you get a lot of looks. Some are of concern. Some are "I ain't going in there for a while."

Plan for the worst and you'll be ready for anything.

SharkFan

I always take an empty wash bottle with me wherever I am.

Why empty, what am I missing?

He probably means a "full" bottle, calling it an "empty bottle" to use for emptying and cleaning his bag.

A little wordplay there, I think.

Glass half full or half empty, dig?

I assumed it meant he takes an empty bottle with him (so he is not carrying around a heavy bottle) and then fills it with water to wash out the bag.

On a plane, I've used those tiny cups to wash out the tailpiece, a tad awkward but sometimes an ordinary-sized water bottle is too big to sit under the tap to fill—as recalled by a member on here who had to use a glass of champagne to swish around the bag on one occasion, cheers!