Rinsing ileostomy bag: necessary or not?

Hi Juliantheory: You are right. I have been rinsing my pouch for two years. Many times our output is very liquidy, so water should not hurt it. To me, if you do not rinse, things will build up around the stoma, and could make changing the flange not only messy, but painful. Mostly I use cold water, but on occasion, I will use warm water. I even will use a light spray of household deodorizer to keep it from smelling. As mentioned earlier in a post, I also use a paste, and don't have a problem even at night. Keep it up, and stay in touch. As a rule, I will get 6-8 days with my flange. Something worth mentioning also, is that I purchased a bidet, and what a difference it has made in cleaning out my pouch.

Best regards,

Raydog

I am Jan, 77 years old, and a new member. I noticed that you also use Convatec. Have you had any problems getting them? I'm only about 5 months post-surgery for cancer, and I never had a problem until about 2-3 weeks ago when I tried placing an order and was told they were back-ordered due to a flood. They had no idea when they would get them in. When I googled it, apparently Convatec moved from the US to the Caribbean and was hit by a hurricane in October. They did send me a Convatec bag, which I suspect to be an old model, to use in the meantime. The good part about this bag is that it has a wider funnel end, making it easier to clean out the bag. However, there is more leakage at the closure. Unfortunately, they have no idea when they might get supplies in. I was using the wafers and transparent bags, which were cleanable, rather than the throw-away bags that I have tried and dislike at this point. I have never tried any other brand. I use Edgepark to order my supplies.

Just wondered if there are others of you having problems ordering and getting your Convatec bags.

I too rinse out my bag several times a day with hot tap water with no problems and change the bag about every 4 - 5 days. My stoma nurse told me if odor was a problem to put several drops of Cepacol mouthwash in the bag. I was told to only rinse up to 1/3 the length of the bag. However, I now rinse and clean everything out up to the bottom of the flange with no problems. At first, I couldn't attach the bag onto the already attached wafer, so I attached everything together first and then attached the wafer and bag to the skin. My stoma nurse suggested I try foaming soap and put a little inside the recessed area in the flange, and it then allowed me to easily attach the bag while the wafer was already attached to the stomach. Thus, I line the recess with the foam, put the wafer on, and can hear the clicks when I press on all sides of the wafer so I know it is well attached. I just put some foam on my finger and put it through the entire recessed area. Made it much easier. I am currently using Dial foaming soap, but I would imagine any foaming soap would work well.

I have, on rare occasions, rinsed out my stoma bag. I have done it only if the stomahesive wafer is somewhat new. If it is more than two days old, I just change both.

X_

Since I am limited to only 20 bags and wafers per month, I try to stretch out the amount of time I wear my wafer and bag. However, I have never had a problem with the wafer or stoma. I rinse my bag out regularly because I am too fussy and fastidious to be sitting to eat with a bag of crap on my lap. I also rinse before bedtime for the same reason, just don't want to be lying and crushing any stool in the bag. I have also been lucky to eat about anything I want with no problems yet. I just wish Medicare and BC-BS would allow a bag every day if needed.

Hi,

I am confused. Are you talking about emptying or rinsing? It seems that you mean the former.

X_

Sorry for the confusing post. I have never had a problem with the wafer. They stick well for me. I rinse and drain the bag 2 - 4 times a day. I change wafer and bag around day 4 or 5. Only problem I found with the replacement Convatec bag is that there is more drainage of liquid from the sides of the closed tightly closure. No feces, just liquid which stains clothing. It doesn't seem as good as the original transparent post-surgery bag with the Invisiclose tight closure.

To clarify further, to me rinsing and emptying are synonymous. I cannot empty a bag without rinsing on a two-part system. Therefore, I use a peribottle of water and squirt it into the bag several times, which helps liquefy any solid to semi-solid stool and allows one to empty the bag. If I am wrong on using these terms, please do let me know.

Hey Mamatembo, I think you're right and using the correct terms.  I am concerned about the leakage you alude to.  I'm not sure why that is.  Stained clothing and/or odor should not be accepted.  You could call Convatec for help.  They want to know stuff like this.

Please keep us posted.

Respectfully,

Mike

Hi Mike:

Thank you for your reply. Glad I got the terms correctly. I have let Edge Park know about this, but they are in a difficult place with not being able to get some of the Convatec bags due to the factory moving from NC to Puerto Rico and being hit by the hurricane. They have no idea when they will be able to get the backordered bags. Will try to see if I can contact Convatec directly about the issue as you suggest. I see the stoma nurse next month and will ask them to suggest a bag just like the Convatec transparent 2-piece bag where I can request samples.

Thank you again for your reply.

Jan

Hi Jan.  Please let us know how you make out.  Lots of us could be affected.

Appreciate your help,

Mike

Hi, I am like you. I have an ostomy also. I just got my colostomy reconnected 2 years ago, and now I have an ileostomy. But I have leaks just like you. I have a two-piece. No matter what you put, it leaks. Not a lot, but enough. I buy from Byram Health, and they give you 4 boxes of bags, 2 of curved plastic things on top of it, and then I tape the thing, and it still leaks. I do clean the bag with water after every time it gets filled because you don't want it dirty. Boy, does this suck. And when you're trying to date, people are very judgmental, so it's hard. And not only that, there are only certain things you can eat. Oh well, I guess we are all in the same place. Talk soon.

Will do, Mike. Thanks again.

Hi Rhdjailer:

Yes, the leakage from the sides of the exit point (funnel) is annoying. Luckily, I've had no problems with the wafer as others have. But I really don't mind the colostomy itself or rinsing out the bag when needed. What bothers me is that occasionally I have pancaking on the stoma, usually just after a change of wafer and bag. I suspect that even though I blow into the new bag and put Adapt in it, perhaps the upper part of the bag isn't resilient enough and sits on the stoma. It doesn't happen all the time, but I have to gently push the feces off the stoma and down into the bag before it could damage the stoma. So glad I don't have your problem of dating. I can see where it might be problematic. Luckily, I haven't had any food problems and can eat just about anything I want, for which I am thankful.

Thank you for your reply.

Hi Mike:

Update: I called Convatec today, 3-16-18, and spoke with a nurse there. She explained that their branch that had been "down" was their Dominican Republic plant. They were not flooded out but did have some issues that have now been rectified. She told me Convatec here in the US was due to receive an order this week from the plant and they would most likely be received by their suppliers next week.

I told her I had had no problems with the 2-piece transparent 413312 bag, but had a lot of seepage from the substitute bag, 416418. She asked me for the lot number and said she would report it.

Thus, hopefully, it appears that Convatec is on their way to being up and running successfully again. Will keep fingers crossed that it is so.

I personally rinse my bag after emptying. I have a low output ileostomy (due to my motility issues) and my output is typically very liquid. I tend to have more gas than anything. No one told me to do it or not, I just started doing it on my own. I use a disposable cup to empty my ostomy 2-3 times a day and I only empty at home (unless I am on a road trip, I always empty whenever we stop, and even though gas station bathrooms are almost always private). So I squeeze all the contents out of my bag, pour the contents into the toilet, rinse the cup out, fill the cup up with water, pour it into my ostomy bag, massage the bag, pour the contents from the bag out, and wipe off the end of the bag with toilet paper. Then I rinse the cup out, put the lid on, and go on with my business. I have never had any issues with leaking since I perfected my supplies about 5 weeks ago. I use the Eakin rings as well and they are my favorite rings. The Adapt ones are fine but are thick, and the Coloplast ones are too thick for me and they really expand too much. If you are having issues with leaking, get the Coloplast Barrier Strips. They are like bandaids for your wafer or bag border. I have been using them for 5 weeks and no joke, I have had one leak in the past 5 weeks. I change my bag Mondays and Thursdays like clockwork, right after my bath, and I have had one leak. Before I got my bags and those barrier strips (I use the Marlen Minimax One Piece Drainable Convex Opaque Bags with filters, so they have to be special ordered), I was having to change my bag every day or every 2 days due to leaks and blowouts from too much gas in the pouch at night. I like rinsing the pouch because it makes me feel clean, similar to how someone after they poop would wipe their butt lol

Hi Julian: I always rinse my bag out with warm water. Just my opinion, but it makes for a more sanitized bag, and it makes it a lot easier when it is time to change the flange. I still get between 7-8 days before I have to change. I guess what it comes down to is what you are most comfortable with.

I am about to have surgery and am very concerned about odor and cleanliness. Always have been!

Please don't be worried about odor or cleanliness. Hopefully, your hospital will have stoma nurses who can advise you so that you will feel comfortable before going home. If it is a colostomy you are having, they will most likely give you a peribottle to take home. When the bag is about 1/3 full, put some water in the peribottle and spray into the bottom of the bag, then gently massage the bag and empty the contents into the toilet. Add more water until the bag is clean. I usually do this 2 - 4 times a day (only takes about 5 minutes) each time, so the bag always appears clean except for the area directly over the stoma. They do advise not to get the stoma wet while cleaning the bag. People differ on how frequently they change the bag. I change mine every 3 - 5 days - some go longer with the cleanable 2-part bag with adhesive wafer which can be cleaned out. There are also 1-part bags which you can change twice a day and then just throw out (Medicare allows 2 bags a day but you will need to re-use the wafer again as Medicare allows only 20 wafers a month). You can get bags with filters. I prefer not to use one with a filter because I want to control when gas is expressed from the bag, not having it done automatically. If the bag becomes bloated, on a 2-part bag with wafer it is easy. Just go to the bathroom or empty room and lift one of the 3 plastic "handles" gently and gas will escape. Then you can freshen the room with air spray.

A hint the stoma nurses gave me was to purchase BagItaway X-bags. When I am ready to put a new bag on, I place the old bag and wafer in one of these X-bags and seal them and just put in the regular garbage bin. There is no odor that escapes from the sealed bag and because of its dark color, there is no visibility of what is in the bag. http://bagitaway.com/

Good luck with your upcoming surgery and please do let us know how you are getting on after.

I don't know what type of surgery you are going to have, but that should not be a big concern. When I had my ostomy about 7-8 years ago, unfortunately, the hospital did not have an ostomy nurse handy to explain things to me. A nurse who has dealt with just a few patients was able to help me out a little bit. I basically had to learn how to do all the changing and cleaning business. I had some severe problems with leakage and developed a severe skin rash due to my skin reaction and my skin wafer would not stay on due to the moisture caused by my skin rash. For almost 3 months, I had to deal with this problem on my own. Yes, I did have an "in-home" nurse come by 2 times per week which helped me somewhat, but she was not an ostomy nurse. I had to tell her what needed to be done.

I finally got a full-time ostomy nurse, from the old school I might add, who really basically saved my "arse". We tried several different skin wafers and finally settled on Coloplast, which did not give me any skin rashes at all. But other problems kind of came up. My skin wafer would not stay attached to my body very well. Every time that I would bend over to put on socks, put on shoes, etc., the wafer would pop off. Thank goodness Coloplast had those Brava (sp) strips. That basically saved my life. Not really, but you know what I mean.

Anyway, I have pretty much become a "pro" when it comes to changing, fixing, and coming up with some of my own ideas on how to help myself to make this situation that I will have to deal with for the rest of my life much easier and much more in step with the things that I enjoy doing without too many problems with my ostomy.

I hope that you get a good ostomy nurse who will help you get a handle on how to deal with your situation. Proper changing and keeping things clean, etc.

I wish you the best, Akail. There are many people on this site that can give you suggestions and good advice as to help you out with almost any problem(s) that may come up.

Take care and be safe out there,

rongarm

I've rinsed with water since my surgery in 2005. It's the only way to properly clean without leaving material behind. I use stomahesive, which I believe helps keep the wafer protected from infiltration. I will always use water to clean. The "sit on the toilet and use toilet paper" method is terribly ineffective.

Hi Juli, I've got both a colostomy and a urostomy. When cleaning the colostomy bag, I use either warm water, which helps flush out the stuff, or cold water. I use a Convetic 2-piece system, and the bag has a charcoal pouch at the top, which is brown. I got my colostomy done in Colorado, but I live in Texas. I went to Colorado back in April 2011 and found out I had rectal cancer. I underwent chemo and radiation, which burned me inside and melted my penis to my groin, so I can't have regular sex and can't even get an erection. I asked the doctors up there in Colorado, and only two of them knew what radiation did to me, but they said nothing. I found out through a medical transcript that radiation caused all this damage. Oh, and in 2014, I lost my bladder and prostate, so I've been pretty pissed since. I'm 58 and fixing to be 59 in 2 months, and I'm sorry, but I hate my life. Sorry for the long message.

I do not rinse and the bag clears nicely.. If you do rinse, it will make the bag's life shorter. I was told to rinse in the shower if I felt the need to, but once they are rinsed, they seem to last less than a day.

I have a colostomy. I rinse my bag out probably three times a day. I have very soft liquid output, and it is basically all day. It is always soft. My diet, I am sure, causes this. I don't eat a lot of meat. I do eat a lot of veggies and fruit smoothies. I do eat nuts. But when rinsing my bag, I hold the bag tight around the flange to keep the seal intact and shake the water all over inside so that it cleans it well. I agree that when securing the bag, you need to get a secure seal. I found that I liked the paste better than the wafers. It is softer than the wafer, and I can get it spread easier, and I leave a good seal on the flange. In the beginning, my home health care nurse used wafers, and they leaked, and I would have the bag fall off. With the paste, I have never had a problem with it falling off or a leak unless when I clean the bag, I don't hold the flange and give it support. Then it seems to cause weakening of the paste seal, and then it will leak. I hated having my ostomy, and I am still not happy with it. Now I have had it since April of 2017. I have accepted it, and that was the key for me: acceptance. I never have the pain and blockages that I had for over 30 years. Now I wonder why this surgery wasn't given to me before because of all my hospital visits, two or three a year. I am still learning about my ostomy and have decided that I don't want the reversal because of the fear of having all the blockages again and the pain return. This devil is new to me, so now I live with the devil I know rather than a devil I don't know. Good luck on your journey to finding the right solution for you, and you will.

For all of you who clean your bags with water, I have come across something that has made this job a lot easier. On Amazon, there is a bidet sprayer that attaches to your toilet and is just a hose with a sprayer on the end. It has variable pressure with the handle on it so you can spray very gently into the bag or you can use the more powerful spray for cleaning the toilet afterwards. I have actually used it more for toilet cleaning than anything else. Anyway, this has been a game changer for me and I believe it was less than $20. They have more fancy ones that have hot/cold and other features, but I just went with the cheapest option and it's great. Super easy install anyone could do, and it doesn't leak at all.

Sorry for the late reply. Yes, I always rinse my appliance with water. I use stomahesive to protect the integrity of the seal but rarely have any problems. I use a large plastic pop bottle to pour the water inside and it works great provided I don't shake the contents like a can of spray paint. My appliance lasts 5-6 days on average depending on activity levels, sweating, etc. I couldn't imagine not cleaning my appliance thoroughly.

I like the feel of a clean pouch, so after a poop I use a styrofoam cup of warm water and slush it around and drain it. The bag is nice and soft after as well. I guess it's up to each his own, whatever makes you feel better, go for it...

I rinse my bag... with cold water. No issues.

A good tool to use for rinsing out a pouch is a "Cleansing Bottle" filled with water. Any medical supply or Amazon carries them. Stay well! Penguins7

I am using a baby bottle. Give it a squeeze, and all is good!!!