Constant Cleaning with Sigmoid Colostomy: Seeking Advice

Since my sigmoid colostomy in December, my chosen appliance is the two-piece Hollister. My major complaint is that despite my carefully chosen foods, I produce constant waste requiring me to empty the clip-on rather than let the waste fill up the bag like the doctor said to reduce the frequency of bathroom trips during the day and 5-6 times after dinner. His suggestion, though logical, repulses me knowing that there's waste sitting there, so I clean out constantly. As an 83-year-old male, the bathroom trips are exhausting, but the thought of accumulating in the bag is gross as well. Yes, a conundrum, but I appreciate feedback. It seems like no matter what or how much I eat, I produce waste all day and night. I'm assuming this is simply the result of this type of surgery regardless of diet or quantity. Due to age and different doctors, I've chosen not to consider reversal. Perhaps there just isn't a resolution to this…? Tired, exhausted,

Guess it depends on a person's unique digestion. I'm 67 and have a sigmoid colostomy for 3 years. I use a 2-piece Hollister system. I have periods where nothing comes out for 2 days and periods where I'm emptying the bag 3 times a day. It doesn't really matter how much I eat. Although... I don't eat a lot.

No breakfast or lunch. In the morning, I drink an Ensure Enlive shake and sometimes have a banana. Usually, nothing for lunch. Dinner is salmon, chicken, or steak with rice and mashed potatoes. I do snack on a little junk food while watching TV at night. I drink lots of water and Gatorade G Fit sports drinks.

I let my bag get 1/4 to half full before emptying (I'm lazy). My wife is sensitive to smells. The only time she notices my bag is when I burp it, thinking she's not nearby. She has chewed my ass a few times about nuclear burps. Even my cat, The Weasel, gets jumpy.

Before the surgery, your waste was probably accumulating in your rectum (internal bag) until the volume was great enough to trigger your "need to go" response.

Now it accumulates in an external bag. There's nothing wrong with your system or your diet.

With colostomies, it seems nearly impossible to predict or time output. Some people are able to train their colons to follow a schedule, but I am completely random, and you are probably like me.

All very logical, but logic probably won't help you.

A couple of ideas:

1) Talk to your stoma nurse and doctor about irrigation. With a sigmoid colostomy, you may be a candidate. If this works for you, you will trade all the trips to the bathroom for a single hour in the morning. I really hope this is possible and it works for you.

2) Try adding a little wait to every bathroom trip. If you feel you need to empty... set a timer for 5 minutes, then go. Slowly increase the wait time until you are able to wait until the bag is half full.

Good luck!

I have a colostomy. The less I eat, the less I poop. You seem to be uncomfortable with poop in your bag.

It takes time and less thought on the poop sitting in your bag. Keep yourself busy and wear loose clothes, and as someone stated, do not let it get too filled. If the colostomy is new, in the first months you will have a lot of action; then it will settle down, and usually, there will be less poop and gas.

I have a colostomy with a very high volume of output, which usually starts very quickly after I eat. I don't find it a problem, as long as I am near a restroom. If I want to slow the output, I use Imodium. You may want to ask your doc if it would be okay for you.

Staying Hydrated with an Ostomy with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

Very much appreciate the reply. Of course, I know if I eat less, but when I try, I feel less filled, particularly at dinner, and weigh only 120. You're right, of course, just letting the waste fall into the bag, but when I do change, it's very messy at the stoma. Being extremely fastidious doesn't help, but it's clear there's no real solution except to pick one way or another, even after almost 12 months since surgery.

Like you, mine begins either during eating or minutes after and actually continues throughout the day, every day until 11 PM, and then I wake up with waste regardless. Kinda 24-hour factory, regardless of what I eat. I do take Imodium when I determine that the nightly output is way too much, but by then, I'm exhausted. Not sure if one can take this every night as a preventative measure. There are varying opinions on this. Appreciate the comments!

I made the mistake of not making sure my bag was empty and started my meal only to have a rush of output that blew my bag right off - what a mess. My output has a mind of its own, so I try to make sure I keep my bag empty, and I don't like knowing there is anything hanging around. If you have an issue at night, try Imodium - I wake up every two hours, so I have averted a few disasters - insomnia does actually come in handy.

If you stop eating at 7 PM, does your poop output slow down while sleeping? The goal is not to stop eating to lose weight but to regulate your input to regulate your output if possible.

G-Day Ojibwa,

When you say it's messy at the stoma, all you have to do is, after you have emptied the bag, pour 3/4 of a cup of water into the bag, seal it, and swish the water around in the bag, and then empty it. The stoma will now be clean.

Don't worry about the stoma getting dirty; the part of the stoma you can see is the inside wall of the colon, and as you are 83, then it has spent 83 years covered in shit. It won't hurt it.

Regards, IGGIE

Hi, I'm Marsha, and I'm 77 years old and have had my ileostomy for more than 60 years, since I was a kid of 15. Although you have a "sigmoid" colostomy, digestion issues vary. You might have what I've heard called a "wet" colostomy, which happens when most of the colon is removed. But when and how much one "poops" varies with the individual, with or without surgical intervention. Some people are 2x a day, others 1x, and others every other day. Not unusual to have multiple outputs a day, even with your colostomy. "Susan" suggested irrigation, which often helps people "regulate" when they "poop." That's another whole experience. One that might work for you. But oftentimes, it's more about "expectations." I had been so ill as a kid (25x a day/bloody output) that I never got out of the bathroom, and some nights slept on a bedpan (in the hospital) so I could just get some sleep. My ileostomy was a gift, truly a blessing. And in my 15-year-old mind, carrying a poop-laden pouch on my belly was so much more preferable than "pooping my pants," plus pain and suffering, out of school, and endless doctors and medication. Our body carries "poop" around all the time until we have the urge to expel it (potty breaks). The way I saw it, I was in control of when I emptied, and that was enough for me to get on with my life. Back to school, dating, swimming, marriage, having children, traveling. My surgery was and still is a blessing. I don't share with others (who don't know) that I'm carrying "poop" around with me. In fact, I don't even think about it any longer. Frankly, "gas" air is more of an issue. It fills up the pouch, and letting it out (even with vents in the pouch) requires another stop in a bathroom. I had a friend with an ileostomy (and hated it and her body) and tried to control output by not eating, especially if she was going out. I eat when, if, and where I want, and if I need a restroom, I find one, just like everyone else. Sometimes, what you tell yourself really can change your perspective. My one wish is that there was a pouch deodorant in tablet form, so I wouldn't have to carry around the liquid product. Yes, we can produce a lot of "stink." But with my pouch tucked under my clothes, I don't give it a thought. Best of luck to you. Feel free to write if you'd like. Marsha (PS my dear friend died recently (at 75) just as unhappy with herself as she was as a kid of 15. So sad.)

Love Iggie's sense of humor. Thanks, Iggy! Yes, the stoma can be "messy" when changing, but think of what the "rectum" must look like after a good, messy poop. It's lucky we can't see it, but we diligently use toilet paper or a wet wipe to "clean it off." Just like changing a baby. The "sad reality" is that we're dealing with an organ (the colon) that manages our respective poop. I'm just grateful that all works well with my ostomy, and I can live my life to the fullest. I didn't have that with the disease. Developed that pragmatic view at 15 when I was able to get back to living instead of getting close to dying. Forever grateful.

Also Ojibwa... you're just gonna have to get used to dealing with shit. You can empty your bag 10 times a day... and poop will still magically appear. The more you fuss with your bag, the more crap you'll notice in it.

Sometimes when I'm in a hurry emptying my bag O' brownish nuggets... shit gets everywhere. On my hands, fingers, thighs, Mr. Penis, toilet seat, feet, and floor. Bonus points if the ceiling gets peppered.

It's our new normal. And we learn to live with it.