Increased Staining of Hollister Pouch Filters - Anyone Else Experiencing This Issue?

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grahamditton
Hi, following 3 years of soiling under my pouch wafer and occasional blowouts, I finally found a regime which gave me peace of mind and less fear of venturing far. There was also the added bonus of reduced changing from 2 to 3 day intervals or 15 down to 10 times in an average month. Wonderful! If anyone wants to know what's changed, just ask and I'll explain.
However, that has changed this year, as I am now experiencing premature staining of my pouch filters. So far, I always get at least one day's use and, oddly, this can sometimes stretch to 4 days.
By the way, I use a drainable one-piece with a convex wafer and the 'improved' AF300 filter.
On checking my supplies, I have found slight differences in the appearance of the filters. Some are completely white, some have a small dark mark in the top right corner, and others have a dark portion right across the top edge; on some, the dark portion is solid black. My last pack of 30 had 11 white, 8 dark corner, 11 dark top edge.
Following 2 months' experience of this problem, I can now judge how long each bag will last, just by checking the filter:
White - up to 80 hours, Corner mark - 2 to 3 days, solid mark - 1 to 2 days
I have complained to Hollister and they asked me for samples which they have sent off for QA assessment. Is anyone else aware of this problem?
I suspect the incomplete or badly positioned white membrane over the filter is allowing in moisture when bathing and thereby degrading the filter, inviting soiling. As an experiment, I've begun to place sticking tape over the filter when bathing to see whether this helps the situation; I'll post an update in a couple of weeks. Feel I've turned into a bit of a geek but I do think it's important to report problems with products otherwise they don't get resolved. Regards.
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mild_mannered_super_hero

Great post, I admire your logical approach to problem solving. Well done.

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Pinky

Thanks for this, Graham. I use Hollister products too and have never been satisfied with the filter's performance. I'll check them out using your system. PS - you are not a geek.

Gwen in LA

Many thanks for this filter info. I've had some bags stop filtering almost immediately, if I laid down and the filter got damp 'from the inside".



I've also noticed the placement of the white fabric varies, and thought that had something to do with it.



Looking forward to the response from the mfg.



Gwen in L.A.

Mrs.A

Interesting, I have never looked that closely at the filter before. I do prefer them to non-filters if for nothing else but to let out the air when having gas. I did notice when I used M9 before bed, the filter would be stained/wet in the morning. I assume from lying down. I just stopped putting any liquid deodorizer in my bag at night and haven't had a problem since.
I am guessing you have an ileo and your output is more liquid than mine as I have a colo.
I will be looking out for when you post your results and those of the manufacturer.

 
Living with Your Ostomy | Hollister
grahamditton
Hi, it's been a little while since my original post regarding premature staining of the filters on my Hollister pouches.
Putting sticky tape over the filter made no difference; staining continued to occur around the 30-hour mark. I used only pouches with a "defective" filter for over 18 days and never got to the 2-day point without staining. Then I began using pouches with a complete filter. Now I change them at the 3-day point without any staining. Output makes no difference, whether it's dry or liquid, the result is the same. I just hope Hollister takes remedial action soon. Regards, John
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