How noisy are ostomies?

This is something I've been wondering about.... I've read that when you pass gass, you have no control over it and it just comes out.  Do you have no warning?  And is there anything you can do to muffle it?  Does it lessen over time?  This is something that makes me nervous (among other things!)when I think about having an ostomy and just thought I'd ask. Thanks in advance!

when you first get it, like the first two weeks or so, when you aren't really eating alot, it can be rather noisy. After that though, it's not very noisy at all. There are also things you can do to help keep it from being noisy. Like making sure you dont' let yourself get hungry, takign some gas-x before you go out, layering your clothes. Sometimes if i am going somewhere that is going to be really quiet, or if for some reason i get paranoid about it being noisy (i'm a freak sometimes, lol) i just put a few pieces of cut up washcloth on top of it. Muffles any noise there might be.
But really, it's not a worry at all. If people were to hear it they would either think it was your tummy, or that you passed gas.

I get the same problem sometimes =).. but its usually if i eat something gassy like baked beans lol.. and usually if i chew chewing gum for a while.. Or drinking a really fizzy drink or beer

Ull work out what makes you gassy and what helps.. with trial and error,

When it happens to me and people hear i just look at them and say "Ahh im starving =D"

something else you can do, if you are just sitting around with friends or something, is sit with a pillow over your stomach. I have noticed recently that alot of people do that.  And if noone is doing it, i kind of make it look like i am using it to lay on. 

hi KAP...

I had to respond because one thing none of the doctors even told me about before my surgery was Gas!...For the first month and a half or so after surgery, I had gas ALL the Time! :(.  And it was definitely loud--the "my stomach is growling" excuse would definitely not work.  It literally sounded like a whoopee cushion or something, almost 10 times per day... I was so alarmed because I thought how can I go throught the rest of my life making these sounds??  But the people here told me it would eventuially go away and it has almost completely!

Now, I can't even remember the last time I had a gassy sound (I am about 3 months postop)--it may happen once every 2 weeks for me, and now the sound is so quiet that if I am in a room with people talking or a radio on, no one would ever hear it, really.  I can always feel it coming, which is good bc you can put you hand over the stoma and muffle it as other said.  I don't even do that since the sound is so quiet now.  The only thing that I know gives me gas is ice cream, and thats because I am lactose intolerant!

Good luck.  If you have gas at the beginning, it will surely decrease greatly as you recoup. :)

E

Kim,

I agree, the people on this board are so encouranging, and I'm so thankful for everyone here. To answer your question, you can wear tight jeans, body shapers, pantyhose, and even sleep on your stomach with an ostomy. These little stomas can take a beating and keep on pooping!!

Cecilia

you can wear those things, easily, i just empty a little more often when i wear them

KAP, my stoma mostly goes 'pssshhhhh' instead of making a pooty sound. Very very rarely it makes a clattering noise but as others have said, when I hear it, I put my arm across my stomach and it stops. I wear spandex-y underpants when I'm going out and tuck the end of the bag to the side under my panties. When I'm Home Alone I usually take off my underpants so that nothing is constricted, especially if I'm having frequent output. I live alone and work from home so not having on underpants under my jeans doesn't bother me. But you can definitely wear tight clothes. As mentioned, you will empty more often just to keep a smoother silhouette.

yeah you get used to it being there, in fact a good bit of the time, i forget it is there. however, i find it's easier when it is tucked close to me, cause when it's loose it swings around, and i cant stand that! i can't imagine going without it under my undies! when you first get it, when it starts gettign full, it will kind of hurt your tummy cause of the way it will pull at it. After your tummy heals though, you probaboy won't even notice it. Which can be bad at times, yesterday i think, i was busy with my friends and didnt' think about my bag at all and when i finally did think to check it it was so full, lol. i am suprised it didnt' pop off and go flying across the room! LOL!!! that would have been soemthing to explain, especially since none of them know, lol.
youc an ask the ET nurse for samples, or you can call the companies and then just go ahead and hook it to you and fill it with applesauce or something then you can get used to it.
But honestly, after a while you will just forget about it.