Wafer Erosion: Normal or Cause for Concern?

Hi friends, I have a question about my wafer. Lately, I have been noticing a change when I change the wafer. The inside of the wafer next to my skin is turning white and puffing up. I usually change my wafer every 3-4 days and I only use a barrier wipe, no eakins or brave seal or paste. My question to you is... is the wafer supposed to puff up and change color from beige to white over time? And if it does, is it doing its job or breaking down and ready to leak? So far, so good... no leaks, but I am just concerned. I contacted Coloplast the other day to talk about my concern, but of course, their answer did not address my question and the representative was not an ostomate, so I was left wondering if everything was fine. In addition, I check my wafer when I change it to see if I have any effluent under the seal, and currently, I do not see anything. Thank you very much for any input. It is very much appreciated. Have a great evening! Talk to you soon. Sincerely, LH

Hello LadyHope. This sort of thing sometimes happens with my wafers and I put it down to moisture, either from my skin or possibly from mucus emanting from the stoma itself and seeping under the wafer. Because it happens more often in the summertime, I was more inclined to think it was sweat but as it doesn't happen all the time I haven't really been able to pin it down to anything specific. What I would say is that, in my case, it seems to disintigrate the adhesive because as I take it off it's like sticky chewing gum where some of it remains on the skin and some on the wafer. I then find that the residue on the skin is quite difficult to remove, even with medical adhesive remover.  Ive never had a leakage problem, but then I irrigate, so I would not know whether it might leak if I did have output. I also change everyday.  Just to clarify things. I'm talking about wafers on the stoma plugs I wear but the same thing used to happen when I was wearing bags.  The thought had occurred to me that it might be something I ate that had worked its way through to my skin, but I discounted that idea as my diet doesn't change very much from day to day and it often happens when I've been working physically hard - which points to a sweat problem.

Hope this helps ( although it hasn't helped me!!!)

Best wishes

Bill

Thank you, Bill, for your input on this situation. I really appreciate it. I do agree with you....I believe it is moisture causing the wafer to puff up. Is the moisture ruining the integrity of the wafer or am I safe if I change my wafer regularly - every 3-4 days? I am curious to learn if this is just part of the design of the wafer as it wears in order to protect the skin from a leak. If anyone else has any thoughts about wafers and wearage, I look forward to the response. Thank you again, Bill, for your help and enjoy your week. LH

Hello LH.

I have absolutely no idea whether the wafer loses its integrity or whether it will leak in that condition. As with many things 'stoma' it may well be a question of trial and error. So, if you continue changing every 3-4 days and it does or doesn't leak, then I hope you will share your experiences with the rest of us so that it adds to our knowledge base.

Best wishes

Bill   

Hi LH,

For me, around the fourth day, I'll see the inside of the wafer turn white and puffy. That's usually when I change it out anyways, and I haven't had a leak yet. It does mean the adhesive is breaking down. I wouldn't wait any longer to change it. I also use a barrier strip just to be safe. It goes around the outside of the wafer. If you have a leak with that on, then there's no stopping it.

Take care.

Mark

I would agree that it's just from the moisture. An easy test would be to put a wafer in a dish of water and see what happens and how quickly it happens. Perhaps they have changed the composition of the "sticky" part as companies are want to do, most of the time to cut costs or make manufacture of the item easier. I would just watch the performance and judge accordingly. You might want to try a different brand. Keep us posted, please.

Thank you very much MMSH for your response. I was thinking the same thing. I am going to try your test and keep everyone posted on the results. I am also going to wear the wafer the same amount of time and judge the amount of erosion experienced. To think we have to worry about the profits of a medical device company and how their bottom line impacts ostomates. Wow...what happened to making a product great and standing by the quality. Take care and thank you again for your input!! It is very much appreciated. LH

Hi Mark, thank you for your response to my question. I think the puffiness of the inside of the wafer means that it is absorbing the moisture and is in the process of breaking down. Isn't it interesting that the medical device companies forget to share this crucial information with the consumers....all of us. Maybe they think ....what does it matter anyway, the insurance company pays for the product and no one will expect a 100% refund satisfaction guarantee. I will keep everyone posted on my findings. I feel like the Sherlock Holmes of ostomy life. Take care and thank you again. LH

Hello 'Sherlock'.

You are doing a great job investigating the mysteries of the stoma products and the seeming near  'criminality' of the manufacturers.

Keep up the good work and keep us posted.

Best wishes

Bill

And the saga continues.....I spoke with a Coloplast representative today. They actually called me to follow up and see how I am getting along with their products. We had a very nice chat about the extended wafer, erosion, integrity, and what the puffing up really means. Guess what....I know more about the wafer than the representative. How about this answer....everyone's stoma is different so I can't really answer your question about the integrity of the puffing wafer. Are you kidding me.....I work in sales too, and the customer should be provided an answer about the product in question. At least have some sort of script to respond. I also shared with the rep how disappointed I am with their new product called Mio. I really like the color of the pouch and the way the pouch feels against my skin, but the 2-piece system is a higher profile than their older system. Ostomates want a low profile or no profile at all product.....Do we really want the world to see the outline of our medical pouch? Come on manufacturers... don't you know that we are looking for a streamlined pouch-wear that is low profile, lightweight, super adhesive, and of course allergy-free. In conclusion, my conversation was pleasant but not helpful, and my search continues about the wafer puffing. And, is puffing a sign to change the system immediately or do I have a day or two before potentially springing a leak. Thank you, everyone, for your input. I really appreciate it. LH

Hi lady,

I also thought there may be a problem with my appliance. It's normal for me to see the whitish/puffiness under my appliance after a few days. I have never leaked because of it. I do cut it away so that my BM doesn't get stuck under there. I can do that because I use a two-piece system.

Hello Ladyhope.

You got my curiosity working about this subject and I HAD A CLOSER LOOK AT THE PUFFINESS.

It looks as if there is an inset of different material in the wafer that reacts to the moisture and then expands slightly and goes puffy. It still sticks to both the wafer and the skin even more than it does when its not moist, So, my conclusion is that it might be designed that way so that if there is output the barrier becomes more efficient rather than less. I know the gunk is more difficult to remove once the wafer has been taken off.

I hope this helps

Best wishes

Bill

Hi Bill, yes, I believe you are absolutely correct. The puffiness helps seal the wafer to the skin which is why it is recommended to wait a day after applying a new wafer to go swimming or hot tubbing, etc. I actually decided not to change my wafer when it was scheduled and go another day to review the outcome. Fortunately, nothing leaked under the wafer and everything looked intact. We solved this mystery...on to the next one...Lol. Thank you again for your help. Take care and have a great week. Sincerely, LH

Hi all. Well, that was good reading as I had that exact question about the white puffiness occurring on my Hollister wafer. Just the part around the stoma gets white after a day or two. Never had a leak. So then I thought I would get a sample of the Coloplast moldable barrier wafer so that if the original puffs up, nothing will go under to the skin. Haven't tried it yet. Got these other samples from them but I don't think it's something for me, hard plastic that has a little bowl around the center also Coloplast. I'm getting used to Hollister; it's been 5 months and I got the smaller wafer now by 1/2" which digs into my gut much less when sitting up. There's so much in the catalog I don't know what to think. I do know that I have tubes of paste that are a waste! Take care all

I also posted a question in the wrong place about how tight or how much you can flatten the stoma when it is not active, like if I wear a band and tighter high-waisted pants, will it cause damage to my stoma, when not active that is.

Hi Newstom, thank you for jumping in the conversation about wafer puffiness. I wanted to respond to your question about support hose/support high-waisted items. I always wear support items because it helps smooth out my profile. I do not go overboard....I wear my size or a size larger and found every little bit helps with the profile. I have not experienced any problems but I do have occasional bleeding (very slight) from my stoma. I believe it is a result of taking a baby aspirin every evening which thins my blood. Thank you so much for posting. Have a great evening. LH

Hello Newstom.

Thanks for asking the question about how tight can you flatten your stoma as it was some time ago that I was asking myself the same question.

I irrigate, so I don't have to worry about output. However, I do have a hernia and wear a hernia belt which flattens the stoma a bit.

A few month past I developed a bad back and decided to buy a back brace to see if it would help. I wear this over the top of my hernia belt because the two things do slightly different jobs.

The back brace puts a lot more pressure on the stoma but so far I have had no ill-effects from it.

I hope this helps with your question

Best wishes

Bill

Interesting post!

Hi LH....It's been a long time since we spoke, or right, but recovery here is moving right along. Gym 3 x a week, and some additional classes, tai chi, chair yoga, are really helping. But stamina is difficult to get back, and I'm learning yet again to have patience.

I get a long wear (7 days) with my wafer, but I noticed that the same thing happens... The wafer "puffs up" and although it may not leak, it allows waste to fester underneath. But my skin stays healthy, so I don't really question it. But I do use Stomahesive powder to fill in the gap just under the stoma, AFTER I put on the wafer. It's just some additional protection and provides some healing to the sensitive skin around the stoma...

I hope this tip helps. Best wishes to all of you for a very Happy Thanksgiving. Have to get back to bed.....

Marsha

Hi Marsha, nice to hear from you. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and are feeling better each day. Thank you for the response because I was getting concerned with my wafer puffing up and turning white. I do examine it every change and so far it has been doing its job. I do not get 7 days wear, usually 3-4 is typical for me. I have pushed it to 5 days but my skin starts to feel it. Thanks again Marsha! Take care and I hope you gain your energy back soon. Sincerely, LH