Stoma Pain and When to Contact Your Doctor

My stoma hurts to touch. I know that this shouldn't be happening because the stoma has no feeling. I am drinking more than usual right now. When do you think I should call my gastroenterologist?

Check your skin around the stoma and make sure it is healthy and not breaking down. I often get feelings from the skin around my stoma that seem like they are coming from the stoma itself.

If your skin is fine, I would call the doctor now. You should not have pain.

If he was the one who did the surgery, then yes, you should call rather sooner than later.

Stoma and the skin immediately surrounding your stoma are two completely different things. Frequently, the immediately surrounding skin can be irritated and painful (in my experience). If the actual stoma - the protruding little weeni-ette (I made up this word) - actually hurts if touched (not sure why you would want to touch it), then I'd say get medical help. jb

Hi Debbie, has your output changed or slowed down? Have you eaten something that might be slowing your output?

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I agree with everything that has been said; it can be the skin immediately around your stoma that is hurting. The stoma itself has no feelings; there are no nerves. It can bleed because it's very vascular, but what is probably hurting when you touch your stoma is the skin surrounding it. Check to see if there is any soreness in the skin surrounding your stoma. Is it inflamed? Broken down? Does it look off in any way?

Get it checked right away. My skin got infected shortly after surgery with cellulitis, and every time I had output, the pain increased. I pressed my skin, and pus came out beside my stoma. Antibiotics are the only cure.