Stoma Pouch Leakage Issues - Seeking Advice

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3898
streetrod
Sep 07, 2016 12:28 am

Hi I been using the stoma paste to seal my pouch. Smetimes I have problems with leakage. Not sure if its because I have a physical job or not thats why its leaking. sometimes I have to change it as many times as 3 times a day before it works very fustrating. Any suggestions???

Primeboy
Sep 07, 2016 4:10 am

Hi Streetrod.

Three changes a day is completely unacceptable and understandably frustrating. I am not sure that a "physical job" is necessarily the cause of your leakage. Is your work putting any direct pressure on your appliance? Do you examine it when you remove it to see if your leak is always in the same place? Is your stoma located where you have a belly crease? There could be a lot of possible explanations for your frequent leakages. You need to continue to investigate and experiment to find the best answer.  In the meantime, you may find some very helpful suggestions in the "Collections" section which is on the menu of this website. You will find tons of suggestions which might be very useful. Good luck!

   PB

Posted by: Karen & Stella
Fay,

I am one of those few people who still have a lot of output at night. However, I suffer from short gut syndrome after seven bowel surgeries that led to the loss of much of my small intestine as well as my large intestine from the initial bowel cancer surgery. It does get better over time as your system adjusts, but an ileostomy can be a challenging adjustment. It's important to connect with a good Enterostomal Nurse - ET nurses who can help you problem-solve over time. It's been five years since my initial surgery, and I had a great visit with a new ET nurse in December. He really helped me with the problem of high output at night. I had been getting up every 90-120 minutes to empty my high output bag because of filling. If I slept for three hours without emptying, I would have problems. My ET nurse helped my husband and me make a nighttime collection system using a Rubbermaid juice container with a handle and my old CPAP hose. This is connected to one of my two-piece high output bags and allows for continual drainage. It isn't pretty, but it has been a real lifesaver. I guess the real message I want to share is to stick with it, find a nurse who you can work with, and together you will find solutions to whatever challenges you face. This website is also an important support for me and others. There is nothing you will go through that others haven't already faced and figured out. There is so much wisdom here. Read the materials they've put together for newbies. There are a lot of great suggestions to use. I hope things get better quickly for you.
Karen
October Born
Sep 07, 2016 1:13 pm

Hi Streetrod,

I too have struggled with this very problem. There is nothing more frustrating than having this problem not to mention it leaves you feeling totally defeated and left me with terrible skin irritation. I obviously don't know where your stoma is but mine is in a bad place on my belly, right where my having had babies fat is. I found using convex bags has helped greatly. They push down the skin around the stoma thus creating a better seal. I have found paste does work better with these bags than the rings do as well. I know leakage can be caused by many factors but maybe this change in bag can prevent one of these factors. I haven't had a leak since I started using these bags, I get sensura-mio by coloplast. I hope I didn't just jinx myself. Best of luck to you.

Darlene

Emra
Sep 11, 2016 2:51 pm

I too had leakage problems....my ET nurse changed the wafer to a convex type ....worked better but still leaked.  Then we added in the stoma paste.  She flattened out the paste around the stoma (like smoothing out frosting?).  That worked better but it still leaked.  My husband, a retired engineer, came up with a new solution and it has worked flawlessly for months! 

We put the paste around the stoma but DO NOT SMOOTH IT OUT....we leave it be.  He puts an identical ring of paste on the wafer side and, after waiting for it to set up for a minute, we put the wafer on my stoma (lining up the two paste rings) and hold it down for one minute using the warmth of my hands to set up the seal. I have had NO LEAKS. 

I hope this helps.

Mrs.A
Sep 11, 2016 9:12 pm

Goodness, leaks are always a hasle. I too have had my fair share, and then some. I noticed if I change my appliance before bed I don't have any issues till it's time for a change. If I shower and change in the morning, I have had some issues. Not sure if it was because I wan't dry enough or what but I now only change before bed unless it's an emergency. For sure the right products are a must. Send for free samples and see if any can help once you do some investigaing to see where your leaks are starting from.

Do you cut to fit or do you have pre-cut? My stoma changes size in thickness depending on what I eat so I prefer to cut to fit. I have more control and know when I need to have either a little more room or a little less.

 

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