Need help with nighttime leaks!

Hello, everyone! I have had my urostomy for 2 1/2 years. I often have leaks in the middle of the night and wake up with soaked sheets. Any advice on how to get these leaks to stop?

I've had 3 night leaks in 8 years, so how do your leaks occur? Flange adhesive breaking down, flange pulling off, bag punctured, bag bursting, night bag pulling out, etc?

I use a one-piece bag, only wear it for a maximum of 24 hours. I have a stoma on my right side, lie on my back & place the night bag drain pipe under my right knee with the night bag just resting on the floor. I don't use a N/Bag rack or frame. If I move in the night, I want the N/Bag to have free movement, not tethered to anything.

If it's a flange adhesive problem... Try a different manufacturer (they will send you free samples)

Hello poohsticks. I have recently been to a meeting and collected loads of different samples of barrier sprays,creams etc. along with adhesive remover sprays which I intend to experiment with over the next few months. What I have found is that some wafers stick better to certain barrier protections than to others and the ones that I've been using have not been entirely to my liking as they stick far too hard and make my skin sore. I'm also convinced that sometimes the adhesion is affected by things that I eat and possibly comes out through the skin. Hopefully I can find some combination of barrier protection and wafer that suits my needs. Also, in the past I found that laying on a flat bed allowed me to roll onto my side and this would sometimes dislodge the wafer at nights ( it also dislodged my CPAP mask but that's another story!) I decided to buy one of these adjustable beds that allows me to sleep in a slightly elevated positon which helped with my hiatus hernia, my CPAP problem and the wafer dislodging problem because it encouraged me to lay still and comfortable all night long without being able to roll over on my side. Obviously I'm very pleased with the results of this expermentation with a new bed as it resolved three problems with one solution.  The decision to try changing the bed was difficult at first because it is quite a big financial outlay without any certainty as to whether it would work for any of the problems. However, I resolved this dilemma by trying to sleep in my reclining chair for a few nights just to see how I got on. It was only after that worked for me that I decided to give the bed a go!  It's a pity that you cannot have these sorts of expensive things on a month's approval basis before perchasing them but itdoes make me apprecaite firms like Braun who did in fact let me use their electric irrigator on a trial basis.

I hope my comments are helpful and that you manage to find a solution to your own problems soon.  Best wishes  Bill   

Don't forget poosticks is Urostomy not Colostomy. Different output, different problems?

Very true Vulcan. I can only say what I think might be helpful based on my own experiences. However, I was having a long chat with one of the manufacturers reprepresentatives at the recent Stevenage meeting and she had a urostomy. During the discusion it seemed that there were many things we had in common regarding wafers leaking and skin soreness so I figure that it wouldn't do any harm to share. Even people with the same condition have vastly differing experiences. Indeed my own condition and ways of coping with it have changed a few times over the years -hence the need for further experimentation with new products. It has been helpful to me to read all the posts on this site no matter what the reason for the stoma because sometimes it's about sharing the feelings surrounding the problems as well as the practical issues. I have often pondered on what I would need to experiment with if I needed to have an ileostomy or a urostomy so some of my ramblings might well reflect that internal projection of 'what-if'. Maybe I should make that type of projection a bit more clear within my posts in future.

Best wishes

bill  

Hello Bill, no probs (Seasons Greeting to you and yours). It's just that I have noticed that some people on here have either never heard of a Urostomy and have no idea what it entails, but as you so rightly say, our common denominator is we all have a stoma. BUT!! The internals are different, so is the output.

I go on various motor-related forums and a number of people try answering posts that are not relevant to them. People with diesel cars trying to answer petrol problems. I sometimes have to remind them, "This query is about a PETROL car. It does not have a DPF filter, an EGR valve, or injectors. So thanks for your answer, but it's totally irrelevant."

However, Bill, this has no bearing on your informative answer to poosticks... Cheers, Pete...

Hi there, I find that if I don't eat a couple of hours before bedtime, this usually prevents leakage. Crisps, fizzy drinks, and fries all seem to make for leaking during the night. Also, have a pint of water, although you may be up to pee, the fluids will help break down any food stuffs xx

Hi, have you tried meeting with a stoma nurse to discuss the leaking problems? She/he may have some useful advice. Take care. I have an ileostomy which is completely different, so my suggestions would not be helpful. Good luck and keep us posted. Someone on this site may be having the same concerns as you regarding nightly leakage with an urostomy. LH

I have not had any nighttime leaks since I started using Safe and Simple Moldable Rings. It is a product a Wound Ostomy Nurse recommended. Thanks, everyone.