Excessive Pouch Ballooning: Causes and Solutions?

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ronjeff

What causes so much ballooning? What causes so much ballooning? Some days it is constant.

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NJ Bain

Ronjeff,

Plenty of foods cause gas. Which of course causes ballooning. Carbonated drinks, beer, and chewing gum to mention a few. Because you're always swallowing air.

Are there foods or drinks you have often?

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Penguins7

Look into getting a pouch that has a filter and the air won't fill up in the pouch. Penguins7

Hermit

Won't last a day

Puppyluv56

Ronjeff,

Mine does the same thing. I have a filter and it still does it, but I can always go back to the last food I ate. Those frosted mini wheats and those Brussels sprouts are major contributors! Guess you have to weigh the bad with the good! Sometimes you just gotta eat the stuff you like!

 
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Morning glory

Ronjeff,

Gas-X is great to help with the gas.

Immarsh

Hi Ronjeff Friends..... Re Gas. I never had a real problem with gas until the last few years (of 50 years with an ostomy). I guess my digestion has changed. I asked a gastro Dr. recently "WHY" I would have so much gas if I didn't have a colon (I don't drink carbonated beverages or very gassy foods). He told me that an excess of carbs (safe food? bread, pasta, rice, etc.) can cause excess gas. I didn't know that. I'm a diabetic anyway and limit the amount of carbs and sugars that I consume....but I guess I have to eat less of it... The filter pouches (Convatec) didn't work for me. They got clogged easily, and I was changing pouches daily, especially if I wanted to shower... Sometimes, I find I need a restroom just to let out the air in my pouch. Good luck to all. Marsha

NJ Bain

Yeah, I'm not a fan of the filter pouches. Having an ileostomy and loose stool with a filter is more trouble than it's worth. Maybe they are more geared toward colostomies. I just burp my pouch if I'm not emptying it. Just my 2 cents.

Bain

Cplumber

I found that anything with yeasty causes me gas.

Hermit

True.

mild_mannered_super_hero

Cut out breads and cereals... a high protein and low fiber diet will go a long way towards eliminating gas. I use this diet myself but still drink 4-5 caffeine-free diet Cokes a day, there is little to no gas. I

Xerxes

Ronjeff,

As NJ Bain says, it really comes down to what you eat and drink and the combinations thereof. I too have found those filter pouches to be totally useless, at least with an ileostomy.

X_

Bill

I only notice the gas at night  when I wear a bag as during the day I wear a plug and it allows the gas to escape. My diet is much the same from one week to the next and what I have found is that my gas output varies considerably. My logic, therefore, is that the amount of gas cannot just be explained by diet. It  must also be something to do with my constitution in some way.  I do have enormous empathy for those who have faecal output as well as gas as this will inevitably increase the likelihood of leaks and/or complete failures of adhesion. I sometimes wonder if a 'chimney' type addition to the bag might help so that the gas can escape without it filling up or getting blocked. The way I figure it, a small tube would probably do the trick. However, on second thoughts, it would still pose the problem of leaks if the bag were to overfill with waste. Maybe a bigger bag is the way to go or, as many do, burping it regularly. This latter approach can be tricky at nights if you don't wake up in time. 

Just a thought!

Best wishes

Bill

cruiseguy

Filter pouches don't work that great at expelling gas from your pouch. I like to use the Osto-EZ-vents. You attach them to the top of your pouch and let the air out manually. More info on them at their website https://kemonline.com/content/home/

Bill

Hello cruiseguy. Thanks for the link. I had a look and this product sounds ideal for eliminating the problem of gas in the pouch. It will save me trying to invent one of my own.

Best wishes

Bill

Puppyluv56

Hi Cruiseguy! Your username has attracted me because I am a huge cruiser as well. I think we have cruised most of the Eastern and Western Caribbean! Only a few places to go. We go on at least two a year and sometimes I sneak a girls cruise in! Would love to cruise around Greece, Crete, Turkey etc. Hopefully this will be in the near future. I have my first cruise scheduled since surgery. Any problems you have had or advice on what to do that is different now that I have a colostomy? We are scheduled in Nov and I am starting to irrigate this week because it seems to be least invasive to my lifestyle.

Puppyluv

freedancer

Usually, it is caused by gas. You can burp the bag to expel it. The bags with vents do not work well. Examine your diet and notice when it happens. Mine happens a lot throughout the night, so I have to be careful what time I eat at night and what I eat. Good luck to you!

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