How to Eliminate Unwanted Odors?

Does anyone know what will stop the odor? I have these drops; they really don't work. I am a wreck. I have to go out, and I don't want to smell.

There are many reasons for the odor. It could be the foods you eat, a possible leak, or not cleaning your bag well enough after emptying, if you use a drainable pouch. I need more specifics about your situation.

Unless you have a leak, and it could be a small one, you should have no smell. Take care in your cleaning of the opening.

IGGIE

Most people swear by M9 drops.

However, what has been said already is wholly accurate. It's a leak, not cleaning the end of the bag well enough, or, don't kill the messenger, it's in your head. It seems to be quite common that people think their bag smells because they fear it will smell. Sort of a mind-over-matter thing.

Make sure there are no leaks and the tail of the bag is clean. Get the person you trust most in the world to give you a sniff test. Go out and enjoy your life.

I use Adapt lubricant (1 tsp.) and hydrogen peroxide (1 tbsp.) mixed in my bag, which helps with the smell. Seems some people think this isn't good, but I have been doing this for a few years and have never had any adverse effects. Compared to some of the other things I have heard others use, it is a non-issue for me. Before I used this combination, I could smell my bag even when there were no leaks.

Stories of Living Life to the Fullest from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

I suggest you look up hydrogen peroxide in an ostomy bag on the internet. Vegan Ostomy and other sources discuss it. As I said, I put Adapt in my bag, which helps if your ring turtlenecks or you need output to slide down better.

Well, Kyle, you asked me to look it up; here it is.

Hydrogen peroxide is generally not recommended for cleaning the skin around an ostomy or for use inside an ostomy bag. It can irritate the skin and potentially slow down healing. Instead, warm water and mild soap are typically used for cleaning the stoma area, and specialized pouch deodorants are available for managing odor within the ostomy bag.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Skin Cleaning:
When cleaning the skin around the stoma, use warm water and a mild, fragrance-free soap if needed. Avoid using hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, as they can be harsh on the delicate skin.
Ostomy Bag:
Hydrogen peroxide is not recommended for use inside the ostomy bag. It can irritate the stoma and surrounding skin and potentially damage the bag itself.
Odor Control:
To manage odor, empty the ostomy bag regularly, usually when it's about one-third to half full. You can also use pouch deodorants, either liquid or gel, which are specifically designed to neutralize odors within the bag. Some people find that certain foods or drinks, like tomato juice or buttermilk, can also help with odor control.

Regards, IGGIE

Hi Kyleishei, I never leave home without my M9 travel-size drops. They say to use up to twelve drops, but I use much more, like a good squeeze of the bottle. You can buy a large bottle and some travel-size ones on Amazon, then refill the travel-size ones from the large one. It's cheaper than continuing to buy the travel-size when they run out. But definitely use more than they recommend in your bag.

Salutations! Try these OTC pills called Devrom. I take 3-4 daily, and they help a lot. Hope this helps!

Good suggestion. They work well for me too.

Fish, eggs, and carnivorous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower can contribute to odor. I use Perfect Ostomy Super Strength NON-Lubricating Deodorant for my ileostomy twice per day or more if the odor is bad. There are also Devrom tablets that I use if the odor is really bad. They come in tablets and chewable form. I order the tablets from my ostomy supplier, but now that I'm on Medicare, I have to pay for them.

A trick a fellow ostomate told me about is to carry a small box of Tic Tac mints and put one in your pouch after emptying.

Hi Kyleishei

I hope you are doing well. Devrom works well; it is a pill/supplement. They have devrom.com. I think the least expensive place to get them is the actual website as opposed to Amazon. They work really well.

Although I haven't really had much of an odor problem since my colostomy was revised to an ileostomy, I picked up a tip on this forum that I've used successfully in the past. It's cheap and simple - a teaspoon of bicarb inside the bag.

Thanks, Susan. Sometimes I think I smell a leak, and it's NOT! Scary. When I used filtered bags, bits of ooze would appear on my shirt after 3 days. PU!! Used the prescribed shower covers on the filter, no luck. Went to unfiltered 3 years ago. A pain in the "Butt?" to belch the pouch, but it works. Loved M9 when I used Hollister. It leaks out of the folds on Convatec, green leaks, yuck! I now use Adapt lubricating deodorizer. Thick gel stays in the pouch.

Bismuth subgallate. Main ingredient in Pepto Bismol?

Hi Kyleishei

I use M9 but have also discovered Revel, which works wonders. The Revel also helps with emptying the pouch. It makes it slide out a whole lot easier.

I understand others say you shouldn't smell anything, but I still do. I have filters in my pouches, but they still smell. I have put tape over the filters, which kind of helped. After trying M9 and then finding Revel, the smell is not always prominent, and I can say sometimes I smell nothing. I am ordering another odor eliminator, Na' Scent, for next month, which I hope will also help.

Yes—I often think I smell my stoma and ask my hubby, and he smells nothing. His smelling senses are spot-on accurate when I really do have a leak, or even just passing wind in the pouch. Sometimes it smells more strongly than the charcoal filter can absorb (usually only if I've eaten onions, cauliflower, or broccoli), and he also smells it in those rare times. So he's a good backup nose to reassure me.

When I first started with my bag, certain foods would really smell potent, so I asked my doctor, and he suggested taking a probiotic with about 10/30 strains. But what really works for me is that I mix Adapt lubricant and M9 together in a small flip-top 3 oz bottle (where the travel stuff is sold at the grocery store) and fill up an old purse-sized hand sanitizer bottle to carry with me. The M9 is really messy but works really well; you just have to figure out your balance. I mix about 80% Adapt and 20% M9 (I add a little more M9 if I know I'm going to eat something that is really strong)! Again, M9 is messy and runny, so mix it with your favorite lubricant, and it will make a difference!

I learned a trick on here to use Listermint Strips. I put one in the bag when I am empty, and my subsequent poops are minty fresh! Easy to use and always have with you.

I found the K9 drops made it smell worse!
I have better success with white Tic Tac breath mints. I use at least 5 with every emptying.

Hi Kyle

I would be careful with hydrogen peroxide. It might be okay because I know I have rinsed my mouth with it, but I don't know what it would do to the stoma.

I too seem to constantly smell my bag (and I have an extremely bad nose). I also smelled it in my clothes when I took them off and was constantly spraying Lysol on my clothes. I was not eating foods that would cause odors, but when I smelled it the worst, I did discover that the bag was leaking. You may be like me and have a divot in your stomach just enough that my stool goes over the flange. I was using Convatec bags, but the visiting nurse ordered the wrong one. When I ran out, I had to use the Hollister ostomy bag, and I'm smelling nothing. I don't know if the bag made the difference; can anyone say different bags have better plastic? I too use the lubricant and the drops; they seem to help out. If you're worried about going out in public, I have just used the filter covers that come with the bags and remove them at night. You've come to a great website to get answers.

I don't think it's better plastic; I think it's a better fit.

Stick with this setup. It clearly works better for you.

To the fearmongers and naysayers, has it occurred to any of you that hydrochloric acid is already present in your digestive tract? Everyone gets to decide whether they want to try my mixture, and since I have experienced no adverse effects, I am confident that there is no danger. As I said, I use hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash and tooth cleanser as per my periodontist, and my stoma exposure is minimal - I guess you could even use any mouthwash in your bag. I haven't had any issues with my bag being damaged either. Some asked me if I would use peroxide on my anus - yes! As acid drips out of my vagina through a fistula on a regular basis, I know what it's like to have a puffed-up vulva that bleeds. If you pour peroxide on undamaged skin, nothing happens, but pour hydrochloric acid or feces on undamaged skin, and you get burnt. Irrespective of other opinions, I will continue to use and recommend my mixture as it gets rid of output odors efficiently.

G-Day Kyle,

You asked me originally to Google hydrogen peroxide, and I did.

It stated that it was not a good idea, and that was not my statement but a statement from the Google search.

So if you want to keep using it, that's fine; go ahead, but do not keep recommending it to others.

By the way, hydrogen peroxide and hydrochloric acid are two different things.

Regards, IGGIE

Yes, that's why I pointed it out. I guess in a world with 8 billion people, your word is paramount.

For pity's sake, people. Kyle is not the only one to suggest using hydrogen peroxide in the bag to handle odors.

I don't love the idea myself, but it probably depends on how concentrated the hydrogen peroxide is. In the US, it would be hard to find a higher concentration than 3% hydrogen peroxide. That's pretty tame. I doubt that higher concentrations like 30% would be safe even in the mouth, but I'm betting folks are mostly talking about 3%.

I don't have a problem with that suggestion. People can take what they like and leave the rest. And again, even if Kyle stopped making the suggestion, there are others saying the same thing.

Let it rest.

I have been using this (Na'Scent), and it does make the smell more tolerable for others in my house, though I find the lubrication it provides even more helpful.

I guess what we're learning is that what works for one person may not work for another. It's always good to get lots of suggestions.