Managing Skin Irritation Around My Stoma

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Katerina.kits
Apr 23, 2017 11:16 am

hi everyone, it has been a while since I posted in here. 

Just to recap, I had a panproctocolectomy in September due to  colitis and low grade dysplasia cells found in my rectum. However, my colitis has been in remission for 6 years and I just needed the surgery for precaution. I will be having my reversal (j pouch) in may. 

I have a continuous problem of the skin around my stoma being red and sore, I saw my stoma nurse and she put it down to being allergic to the Brava mouldable rings I was using. We changed them to the Adapt rings and my skin started to get better after a week, however I quite regularly leak and output seeps under the bag, my skin then gets really irritated again. It's a vicious circle, just as I get my skin to start healing, I leak and I'm back to square one. 

 

Any ideas how I can prevent leaks so often or help the skin heal? I have tried the powder and the cream and none make a difference. My output is normal too. Many thanks xx

Bill
Apr 24, 2017 5:29 am
Very helpful

Hello Katerina.

Have you tried a 'stoma-collar' called 'Dermacol' made by Salts healthcare, based in Birmingham UK. www.salts.co.uk

 

A brilliantly designed device that is a soft rubberised collar, moulded and attached to a ring a bit like the adapt ones.

Although I do not use it for this purpose, I found that it guides the output away from the surrounding skin, which is what seems to be the problemn in your case.

A Salts rep. gave me me samples at a meeting I went to so I presume that the company would send you one or two to try if you contacted them.

MIne are 35mm which fortunately fit precisely around my stoma but I am presuming they do them in different sizes so it might be worth knowing your size before you contact them.

I hope this works for you

Best wishes

BIll

Posted by: Audrey Warren

This site is a godsend. As a newbie (colostomy on Nov 8, '21), I look at it every day for a number of reasons. Reading what people are going through makes me grateful that my elective surgery because of a severe case of IBS-C is nothing compared to what they have been through and are still living with.

I don't have to go to the hospital for anything related to my ostomy. I feel sorry for those who do and am in awe of those who can use humor to describe their ordeal. I identify with those who express their fears. I especially identify with those who are depressed because I am clinically depressed and have general anxiety disorder. How ironic that having a colostomy eliminated some of the depression and anxiety that the IBS created. I've been widowed twice and I'm on match.com.
I immediately included my operation in my profile and am pleased to say it doesn't seem to make a difference.

And there is much humor on this site and it's one of the reasons I enjoy it so much.

I could name numerous things I've learned from reading people's comments/questions/answers.

After months following on a daily basis, my only negative comment is I don't like listing the most popular members.
It's not that I don't like these people; I do. It's that I think it elicits some "Facebook"-like banter or comments that are gratuitous.

I don't do any social media and think that its merits are overshadowed by too much negativity.

Meetanostomate is in no way negative. I just think the gallery of "popularity" detracts from what is an excellent website that deals with a serious issue that causes a myriad of emotions.

Katerina.kits
Apr 24, 2017 11:41 am

Many thanks Bill. You are right about the adapt rings, I do find these are what's causing the problem but my nurse wanted me to wear them so I haven't tried without a ring. I look in to what you suggested. Thank you x

DonBrown1943
Apr 24, 2017 11:13 pm

Katerina, as long as I used paste I had sore skin, as long as I used rings I had leaks. I now use barrier strips, cut them to length, form them to a circle exactly the size of my stoma, and I don't have leaks or sore skin. I also use no sting skin barrier and stoma powder. I'll be glad to describe the process if you want me to.