Anti-fungal Powders

Hey everyone,

My stoma nurse mentioned using anti-fungal powder for certain “rashes” that are closer to athlete's foot than other skin breakdowns we suffer.

I was wondering if anyone had better luck with one anti-fungal powder than another.

All I know is I now “come with” more accessories than I ever imagined I would need to carry. 🤣

Thanks, everyone!

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Hi 👋

I use Desenex antifungal powder with every appliance change and crust it with a barrier wipe. This is just my personal preference, and it makes me feel more confident not having to worry about skin irritations.

Ah yes, the accessories we carry with us now, so true 😊

Well..... if a rash develops, the first thing you want to check is an allergic reaction. Which can occur at any time. Changing to a different ostomy product manufacturer usually solves this skin problem.

I used to get a red, itchy rash at the bottom of my wafer/flange under the fabric tape border. It's caused by my lower abdomen pushing up against my hernia support belt when I sit or ride my bike. The belt pushes against the fabric tape. To fix this, I now use a 2-inch wide Nu-Hope support belt that doesn't impinge on the tape area.

I was trying barrier wipes, different lotions, and cutting the tape off. Nothing worked until I stopped wearing a belt for a week. The rash went away. So I knew the belt was involved. It was easy to fix from there.

Fungal rashes are very common. I thought I was allergic to adhesive for years because it was such a frequent occurrence with dressings. When I first got my ostomies, I thought I was having a reaction to the adhesive, and my stoma nurse pointed out that it was less than a quarter of the area in contact with the adhesive. If I were allergic to the adhesive, then the entire area would react. She told me it was a fungal reaction of the skin. I seem very prone to these.

I crust with Desonex, and that has fixed the problem for me.

I do have an adhesive allergy. I discovered that the only product I am not allergic to is the Coloplast SENSURA MIO.

I find that if I wear my wafer longer than 2.5-3 days, I develop fungal rashes. The moisture from showers and sweat is getting the better of me.

I'm trying to angle my wafer away from my belly button and manage a skin fold too because moisture is getting in through the belly button and skin fold.

Who knew I would need a PhD in puzzle assembly to manage wafers and stomas effectively? 😉

My Ostomy Journey: April | Hollister

I sometimes attach my wafer at a 45-degree angle. Let's some of the skin usually under the fabric tape breathe for a while.

I am going to need a third bathroom with a large storage area and file cabinets for all the products I have purchased in an effort to fight a rash I acquired about 2 months ago. My doc (not a specialist in anything) peeked at the rash and commented, “bacteria,” prescribed Clotrimazole cream USP, 1%…made it worse. I don't even want to list other remedies I have tried that have not worked. I have seen Desenex mentioned a couple of times (by Susan), sooooo helloooooo Amazon, I'm gonna need a delivery of Desenex powder to try on my so-called bacterial, not fungal, rash.

Fingers crossed…will post any miracle I may experience…as a side note…the backside of the pouch I currently wear is not material but a plastic mesh. This pressed against my lower belly causes a heat rash (in our Florida weather). I have tried the cotton covers, but they do not fit my “gettup,” so as a buffer, I place a mini-pad (adhesive side) to the pouch…this allows a lightweight cushion against my belly, and that rash is better…oh my, for a person whose favorite motto is “less is more,” I am failing miserably….I have tried other pouches but find the one I have is very lightweight with no snap-on tools and works well for me with less bulk. I have only recently developed this rash in the last couple of months but have had a stoma for 5 years and basically used the same equipment…jb

Post a picture. I have an English medical hospital textbook about ostomy skin care. It's very detailed. Pictures, causes, diagnostic criteria, treatment, and prevention.

Hey JustBreathe,

What company is your kit?

I have noticed some people making “company-specific cotton covers.”

I would be more than willing to help you hunt for one to help you find relief.

Also, have you thought about reaching out to your local library or religious groups that might host a sewing group? Maybe one of the sewers in the group would be willing to help you out by making you a few cotton covers?

I know there are sewing ministries that are always looking for projects, big and small, to help people in their community. They do not care if you are a church member or not… they just want to help.

My fingers are crossed for your rash's improvement. I won't lie, when I see my rashes start, I always take a Benadryl at bed no matter what. I find the Benadryl helps the rash from being exacerbated and compounding - becoming fungal & allergy.

My heart goes out to you. Sending you all of the good thoughts.

Thanks for your response. I am guessing there are covers that fit, but having ordered some, I find I do not like the additional bulk on my belly setup. The very thin mini-pad has proven to be effective - thanks to early advice on this site by Bill to DIY (do it yourself). I continue to try alternative methods for my ostomy issues - some work, some don't. Again, I tend to go with “less is more” - I am small in stature, so belly bulk is always a concern and discomfort for me. Again, thanks for your suggestions, though they may be very helpful for ostomates on this site….jb

Uh, no, but thanks for the offer to research. I can hardly stand viewing this foreign beast myself, let alone sharing it in a picture 😳🤢…jb

Hi all, I sure love how this group jumps into DIY mode to solve our problems, especially when there isn't an ostomy nurse within 100 miles.

My book. Got it on Amazon.

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BB…..Thanks! jb

P.S. Amazoned it…$45…no thanks…don't even like to look at my own rashes, definitely not paying $45 to look at others…there's always Google/AI…jb

What a great idea!

I do the same thing by applying my wafer at a 45-degree angle. It has helped me with rashes, and I also use a powder from my pharmacy called Nystatin Topical Powder USP. You will need a prescription for this powder, but it has helped me. I have tried so many different bags and wafers, and I really like the ones from Hollister that are two parts and the bags snap on instead of sticking with an adhesive. Ask your doctor for a prescription for Nystatin Powder. I hope this helps.

Hi Justbreathe, clotrimazole is an antifungal, not for bacterial infections. If it is bacterial, you could try an over-the-counter product like Neosporin. For yeast/fungal skin rashes in the past, I have used nystatin powder (it's a prescription). It's very gentle on the skin.

I have a semi-annual doc appointment tomorrow; I will discuss the use of Nystatin Powder - thanks for the recco….jb

Hi, when I have a yeast infection, I use NYSTOP, Nystatin Topical Powder, RX only. Also, I was having some rashes with my skin prep; I was using the regular one and then changed to the no-sting skin prep. I use Smith & Nephew kind. Hope this helps. Joe Mendiola

Hi Rocks. Got many in my brain and kidneys. Climbed big ones. Grew up in Flatbush. I miss Lobster Cantonese on Mott St.

Had the same issue. My Ostomy RN put me on Nyamyc® (Nystatin Topical Powder). Cleaned it up fast. Need a prescription.

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Stony Man, last month.

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It's helpful to know what antifungals work with our ostomies. 

I thank all of you for your suggestions and input. 

No lotions or creams under the flange; it will leak. I found some flanges made me itch more than others. Some fell apart faster, too. I hate snap-on tools. Thanks to Eric the Vegan Osteomate, I discovered that putting two tiny drops of machine oil in the snap-on area allows you to safely rotate the pouch. A Convetec RN at a UOAA meeting showed me that wiping the flange's edges with water makes snapping it on easy. I and other Mao's recommend

Nyamyc® (Nystatin Topical Powder, USP ... Nystatin is a polyene antifungal antibiotic obtained from Streptomyces nursei.

Does anyone use the antifungal powder with a barrier wipe/spray every wafer change?

I have a “moisture” rash, which can become fungal. I used the antifungal powder with a barrier for the first time. I noticed that the wafer stuck to my skin better using the antifungal powder with the barrier wipe.

When I do not use this antifungal powder, I notice that after 2 days my skin begins to “reject” the wafer. It's like my skin produces more “oils” and sweat just under the wafer, forcing it to loosen and lift off my skin relatively quickly.

I will admit, I thought I would have figured out some basic “best practices” for the Kraken (my stoma) by now. The Kraken and I have been together for 3 months. At this rate, I may not have my basic “best practices” until well after the New Year. 😆

I think it's fine to use the antifungal powder at every change. The weepy skin you describe would certainly interfere with adhesion. The powder may help by absorbing moisture. So if you worry about using the antifungal powder at every change, you might experiment with plain corn starch. I have no idea if that works, so it would be a total experiment.

PS I looked up Desonex powder, and it looks like it contains corn starch, so maybe I'm not completely crazy... or no more crazy than usual?