Help with Pancake Lubricant Alternatives

Replies
9
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195
jalrein
Oct 16, 2025 9:56 pm

I have been buying adapt lubricant to help with pancaking, etc. for 5 years now. It's getting expensive, so I'm looking for something else to use. Hopefully, something less expensive. I remember reading somewhere long ago to use olive oil to coat the inside of my bag. Has anyone tried this? Does anyone have other suggestions? I bought a small bottle of olive oil and a small brush, but I haven't used it yet. I'm a little apprehensive. Help?

Hugo
Oct 16, 2025 11:05 pm
Very helpful

Olive oil will work as well as KY lubricant. I'm sure you will get many more suggestions.

SusanT
Oct 16, 2025 11:16 pm
Very helpful

I use cheap cooking spray. I don't think the oil matters as long as it's oil (and therefore slick).

Justbreathe

MeetAnOstoMate website turned out to be a lifesaver for me. I say this because, for me, this ostomy journey was a devastating event both physically and mentally.
Here, I found folks who understood my feelings even better than my family or friends could. Only a fellow ostomate can understand how you really feel.

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For me, anonymity was very helpful in seeking answers to each phase of this life changing medical and mental event. Sharing initial trauma feelings, ongoing support and finally acceptance was what I found with my membership here. I am not sure what my mental and physical attitude would be today without having found this site.

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I have been a member for 3 years, an ostomate for 4 years - yes, I certainly wish I would have found it immediately after surgery but so very thankful I finally found it when I did as I truly believe it turned my troubled depression and situation into a more positive attitude and acceptance.

Sincerely,
An Ileostomate nicknamed Justbreathe 🫶🏼

GoinWithTheFlow
Oct 16, 2025 11:46 pm
Very helpful

We haven't tried it yet, but have heard baby oil is an inexpensive alternative. We even bought a small bottle with lavender scent to try if and when we run out.

IGGIE
Oct 17, 2025 2:27 am

Be careful; if you use too much oil, it can make the opening of the bag become compromised if it's the one with Velcro.

If you get pancaking, just open the end of the bag and put 3/4 of a cup of water in, then close it and swish it around, and the pancake will break up and the problem will be gone.

Regards, IGGIE

 

How to Manage Emotions with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

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jalrein
Oct 17, 2025 4:12 am

Thanks "I," but I want to see if something will make it slide down. Also, do you empty the water out right after it slides down?

IGGIE
Oct 17, 2025 4:57 am
Very helpful

Hi Jalrein,

After you have swished the water around in the bag, then you just empty it as you normally would after a couple of minutes of swishing and loosening the pancake.

Vegetable oil would do the trick.

IGGIE

Justbreathe
Oct 17, 2025 9:47 pm
Very helpful

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Small bottle of Johnson's Baby Oil

Disposable Fleet Enema bottle top fits perfectly on the baby oil bottle

I purchase a large bottle of baby oil to refill the small bottle

First, flush with plain water

Place the long spout well into the bag opening

Give a couple of squirts

Just like Teflon coating

Some say this does not work well with fabric Velcro

GoinWithTheFlow
Oct 17, 2025 11:11 pm

Hubz' biggest issue has been with pancaking. Heavy output would get stuck at the stoma, building enough pressure to push out sideways behind the wafer, especially along the low area toward the belly button.

Because the loop stoma is below the skin plane, he was told convex wafers would be ideal and was given three different brands to try. Every one pancaked; two failed within a few hours.

He noticed the pouches were always in a vacuum, and output had zero space to enter no matter how lubed the pouch was. So here's what's been working for five weeks straight (knock on wood).

He went back to a flat wafer, 2-piece drainable with no filter. He pushes air into the pouch and keeps a space of air so output can come out forward and fall down into the well-lubed pouch.

There were a couple of pouches that wouldn't hold air, which didn't end well, so that buffer of air really seems to be helping. If that happens again, he'll toss that pouch.

We were also shown how to shape a barrier ring to have more thickness on the bellybutton side, giving a protective barrier for the gap between the wafer and the skin around the stoma.

The barrier ring provides the convex shape he needs and blocks material from going anywhere but toward the gap of air in the well-lubed pouch.


Someone in this group suggested using 3M Cavilon spray over stoma powder to protect ouchy skin, and since we've made these adjustments, no leaks, no redness, just happy skin from a well-sealed wafer and only the good kind of pancakes for us!


We still think it should be called a cow-pie! We'd hate to see pancakes as anything other than the warm maple syrup and butter delivery system they were designed for!


Here's a series of photos of how the Ostomy Nurse showed us how to easily build up one side of the barrier ring. No scissors required!
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SusanT
Oct 18, 2025 12:12 am

It really should be called a cow pie. I like that!