Greetings everyone,
I am new to the ostomy world. My ileostomy surgery was 3 weeks ago.
I am hoping that all of you can help me. I am looking for a support belt that will help keep my ostomy bag from pulling my wafer away from my skin.
So, which belts have given you the best experience?
Thank you in advance!
G-Day Rocks,
First, I would find out why your bag is coming away from your skin.
Do you have a very uneven area where your bag is, or is it the adhesive not being strong enough?
Get all the companies to send you free samples and see if that fixes it.
Have a good talk with your stoma nurse.
Regards, IGGIE
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Geekyjen,
Thanks for the reply. I will be seeing my doctor on Friday and mention Entyvio. I did not remain paralyzed for more than 2 days, but it was terrible and I was so scared. The doctors just used alot of xanax and other drugs like that to UN paralyze my joints that were being attacked by the remicade. Turns out I have been diagnosed with LUPUS. It is attacking my nervous system. I had ulcerative colitis in 1996 and they had to remove my colon. Had a J pouch for 10 years, until it started failing. I then got a permanent iliosomy, and I suffer from severe chronic diareha, and I dehydrate frequently. I recently had a proctectomy, and that is when the new autoimmune disorder, Lupus, appeared. I have had two hospital stays now because of the blisters and the paralyzing incident. I will be dealing with this forever now. I have just been working on acceptance.
I love this website because of wonderful people like you!
Betty
Thank you, IGGIE! You're my first reply! Thank you for the warm welcome to the forum.
I noticed that as the weight of the bag's contents increases, the bag seems to pull the wafer away from the skin.
I cannot use stronger adhesives due to an extreme sensitivity to adhesives. I have been reaching out to the stoma nurse I had in the hospital, and she has been very helpful.
This is why I thought some sort of “support” belt would help.
Hi Rocks,
Sounds like you need a belt that goes completely around the barrier and keeps it all compressed to your skin. For that, you want to look at 'Hernia Belts' for ostomates. There's a ton of them out there, with those from NuHope Labs being my favorites. Just Google 'ostomy hernia belt' and you'll see lots of choices. You probably want one of the wider belts so there's good coverage of your whole barrier. Welcome aboard!
;O)
G-Day Rocks,
It's best not to let your bag get too full. I empty mine when it's 1/3 full and not a lot of weight to it.
What brand of bag are you using? If I were you, I would still try other brands; you will never know if you don't give them a try. Hollister is right for me, but other people can't use Hollister. It's all trial and error.
Regards, IGGIE
Hi rocks
Welcome from Oz 🇦🇺
There are many out there, from dirt cheap on eBay to ridiculously expensive elsewhere. I use the cheap ones while training. Some appliances come fitted with a narrow belt like the ones I use, which I wear 24/7.
Hi IGGIE,
I have to tell you, I had the chance to visit your beautiful country several years ago. I had a wonderful time.
I am using Hollister products at the moment. I will request samples from other providers to see how I respond to their adhesives. 🤞🏻
As for emptying, I too empty my bag when it's about 1/3 full. Admittedly, it's difficult sometimes because my stoma (the kraken) will suddenly release enough output to fill the bag more than halfway full. I will go from empty to over half full in the blink of an eye. I'm hoping this is due to the fact that I am still healing and my body is still adjusting. But I was hoping heading into week three post-op that it would begin to normalize. Probably wishful thinking. 😜
The learning curve of life with a stoma is interesting. But I'm excited to experience and learn all about my new life.
I am so grateful for the support and helpful comments from you and everyone else.
Hello and welcome 🤗
Try this one from Hollister. It helps hold your bag close to your body. It attaches to the tabs on the part of the bag that snaps onto the baseplate/wafer. I am unsure if Hollister one-piece bags have these “tabs,” but I think most two-piece ones do.
Hello, and welcome to our club that no one really wants to be a member of. Just one suggestion, I'm wondering why your appliance is pulling away from your skin. Maybe you aren't getting a good enough seal? You are a newbie, and finding the right products and a good system for making your appliance changes can be a learning curve. How often are you changing your appliance? It shouldn't be pulling away from your skin if it's applied properly and your skin is in good condition. Many ostomates just go with whatever the hospital gave them and don't bother trying other products. It's worth it to find the exact combination that works best for you. All the ostomy companies will send out free samples. Just give them a call.
Terry
G-Day Rocks,
You are still new to all this, and it will get better. Come on here whenever you need an answer to any question, but remember you are going to get better every day as you move along this new way of life.
Which parts of Australia did you visit?
Regards, IGGIE
This Nu Hope belt works for me.
https://nu-hope.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/05/Nu-Hope%20Nu-Comfort%20Belt.pdf
Welcome to the forum. I'm glad you found this site so soon after your ostomy (I didn't find the site until 2 years after). I promise that as time goes by, the feeling of being overwhelmed will fade.
I just recently tried out the support belts - which I found out about from this site. I've tried several that I ordered from Amazon. Just for a few days, and if you don't like it - return it.
I found that the location of my stoma affects how well any of the belts I tried worked for me.
Hi new friend! I'm feeling similarly, and I think emptying my bag whenever I feel its weight really helps. I was browsing the belts you mentioned too, and I think I might try one of those abdominal wraps that are more for exercising support and wrap it loose enough so it feels comfortable. They're more affordable and easier to find, so fingers crossed it helps!
Try Ostomy Secrets for light support band, or Comfizz makes the same. They are comfortable, lightweight.
Wash easily and last ages. They are not expensive, some on NHS in the UK.
I've been using them for 11 years, just pull up over the bag on each change.
I have a question about these “compression/hernia” bands and slings that hold the bag. Do they compress the bag? If the bag is compressed, does that affect how much it can hold? Does it affect how often you need to empty it? Lastly, does it increase the possibility of popping, leaking, or exploding? 😳
These lightweight support belts do not compress the bag or output. The level 1, which I use, does not
really offer support or hernia prevention. It is tube-shaped, comes in small, medium, or large, and is available in black, white, or nude colors.
When you are cleaned up and ready to put a new pouch on, step into the wrap, pull it up to your thighs, then
when the pouch is on, ease it up over your pouch; it will hold and help with adhesion. They are comfortable,
pants on top, and you're good to go. You can sleep in them (I do), pee without removing them; I wouldn't be without them. Good luck.
I don't know if Hollister will let you sample their belt. I got a free sample belt for the Coloplast flanges. The one-piece systems I used didn't have the connection for a belt, though.
I also use the Ostomy Secrets swim wraps. They really do last a long time. I now have about six! They are also great for rebuilding confidence in bed with your partner.
Depending on the size of the wrap you get, it can restrict stool movement. I have a colostomy, so if you have an ileostomy, it might not be as much of an issue. Your appliance will also be a factor if there is a flange to get over.
Hi George Porgy,
I too have a colostomy. I don't remember level one belts restricting flow.
I have been irrigating every 48 hours for almost 10 years now, so there is rarely any output. I use the tiny pouches for irrigating, but I still like the belts to hold everything in place, particularly for sports. They help streamline the body a little. (Any help in that dept. is a bonus)