HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Leaks make no sense!

Support Forums
>
Ostomies
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 7/21/2011 12:48 AM (GMT 0)
You know, I'm already having kind of a rough time and in a bad mood because of this dumb Candida diet I'm on for all of these fungal infections under my wafer, and now I've got to deal with stupid leaks too??! rolleyes

I shouldn't complain because this is still better than no ostomy...but:

I have had a few leaks within the last couple weeks, and the other times I didn't have a leak, I changed my wafer after only two days because I felt a leak beginning. So finally tonight after 3 days, had another leak, and of course wasn't planning to change my wafer, so I was mid-meal (organic chicken hot dogs for this dumb diet...ugh), and of course Zoe was spouting stuff like crazy during the whole change!! ARG.

ANYWAY, now that I've ranted...my stoma sticks out a good half inch. During peristalsis she leans a bit to the left, and the smallest she gets is maybe a 1/4 inch but definitely not any shorter than that, and I tend to have leaks on the right. But lately I've been having leaks on  the right and then all over as well. Unsure of why. It doesn't seem that I'd need convexity because of the length of my stoma...right? Or am I wrong? I put a convex wafer on tonight just in case.

option #2: I use adapt rings. Should I try eakin seals? Are they different/better? I used to be perfectly happy with adapt because they came off so clean.

option #3: I've been using pre-cut 1" wafers since my last surgery (to re-do my stoma in January), and slowly my stoma is getting smaller. Right now I could really use a 7/8" or a tiny bit smaller. Could that be part of the reason it's leaking?

Any ideas would be great. This is my second round of all of this leak crap and I ended up having my stoma re-done to avoid this. GRrr!!!

Thanks guys; I love that you understand.

Posted 7/21/2011 1:16 AM (GMT 0)
80's chick:

My best suggestion: Orlando Health Wound Center - Ask for Donna (WOCN). Don't have their number now but I believe you can google them...If you need it let me know and I will get the number...Donna made things a lot better with my stoma (even thought I wasn't having leaks), and told me several things I had not been told....
Posted 7/21/2011 2:27 AM (GMT 0)
I have great luck with Eakin Thins and cutting the wafer so it is a bit closer to the stoma. Also I use All Care wipes as a base after I get all the old stuff off and wash with water and dry my skin.

You aren't using a soap with lotion or scents in it before applying your wafer are you? As these don't rinse well like Ivory or Jergens' mild and can make the wafer stick to you less well.

Rosemary

PS the Orland Would Center sounds good. Check that out too.
Posted 7/21/2011 2:27 AM (GMT 0)
My stoma is the same dimensions as yours exactly and I don't have to use a covex wafer. Rosemary
Posted 7/21/2011 3:40 AM (GMT 0)
maybe you have a bad batch of wafers?

i think also cut it smaller, i cut mine at a smaller line than my stoma, but since i always get it a little wrong i have some space around, when i was trying to cut it the right size i ended up with too much room!

i use convex ones, thats just what they gave me, and mine is really long and hangs straight down. 

and you know it might just be this super hot weather and all the extra sweating, we had heat index of 105 today, and its going to be 107 tomorrow, so i'm sure its hotter for you.

Posted 7/21/2011 4:05 AM (GMT 0)
mine sticks out about like yours does and I had leaks until I switched to convex. no more leaks!
Posted 7/21/2011 6:26 AM (GMT 0)
Convex worked for me when I was having leaks and adding Eakin Seals too. Definitely watch your soaps - I use Neutrogena for Sensive Skin and have since 1984. Keep in mind that when the stoma is active and trying to eliminate, it can receed quite a bit. Mine sure does. Depends on my food intake too. Chin up. It's a puzzle worth putting together and figuring out!
Posted 7/21/2011 11:41 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks all. I just don't want to be forced to use convex...it leaves less options as far as the kinds of wafers I want to try.

I don't think it's anything soap-related...the outside is always sticking great! It's just where the stool has gotten under the seal. Maybe I will try some eakins. I haven't found them in my edgepark catalogue but hopefully they have them.
Posted 7/21/2011 12:47 PM (GMT 0)
I would recommend trying the Eakins. I used Adapts and thought I liked them, but found that the Eakins stuck and turtlenecked a lot better for me. The same residue that is a little hard to remove also means that they are sticking really well.

Not sure about the convexity... my stoma is 1.25 inches tall and never retracts at all. During peristalsis it gets longer:) I have used flat wafers from the start.

I too wonder if your extra leaks have to do with the hot weather.
Posted 7/21/2011 2:54 PM (GMT 0)
Have you tried the mouldable wafers as they create a really close, tight seal against the stoma and so stop leaks getting under the wafer. I swopped to them earlier this year and use half of a coloplast ring that I roll into a long snake and then put this directly around the stoma after wiping it completely dry and then push the mouldable wafer over the top. Then I press down all around inside of wafer ring to get the coloplast seal to adhere to the mouldable wafer and this works brilliantly. Much more comfortable as well as the mouldable ring moves with you but keeps snug around the stoma.

Sometimes it is a case or trial and error to find what suits you. Get loads of samples and play around with them and if worried about skin irritation issues cut little bits of the wafer and stick to stomach area away from stoma and see if it causes any skin problems after few days.
Posted 7/21/2011 4:41 PM (GMT 0)
I doubt it's the weather...last summer I worked outside dancing at Disney and sweating more than is humanly possible, and never had a leak. This summer I'm teaching summer school in an air-condtioned classroom.

Are the moldable ones from convatec or coloplast? I'm severely allergic to convatec adhesives, so I can't try that if that's the case.
Posted 7/21/2011 6:28 PM (GMT 0)
The ones I use are from convatec, I don't know if other companies do them as well. Luckily, I'm not allergic to any adhesives I just find that certain ones don't stick to me.
Posted 7/21/2011 7:14 PM (GMT 0)
definitely use eakin/adapt rings. ever since i started using adapt rings - no leaks (we don't have eakin). another thing is that i also thought my stoma was 32 ml. i havn't noticed it shrunk a little more lately, so for a while i was cutting the wafer too big. that caused leaks. now that i cut it smaller, as precise to the size of my stoma as posible, it works better now.
Posted 7/21/2011 8:30 PM (GMT 0)
Honestly, try convexity...I was having issues with my 'new' stoma being short and within a few months of using Coloplast's convexity my stoma stuck out about 1" (which was the length of my stoma I had for 8 years that worked perfectly!). I know it does retract during peristalsis and the convexity is the only thing that saves me.

Adapt and Eakin Seals are essentially the same, but our bodies react differently to them. I use Eakin and don't get a lot of residue but have adhering issues with Adapt...you really have to try it to see.

Can you try the convexity inserts instead of changing your wafer? That way you don't have to experiment with your sensitivity problems....just a thought.

Let us know how it goes:)
Posted 7/22/2011 11:57 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for all the input.

I currently use adapt rings. I will try eakin. I've tried the convex rings and I think they are completely garbage. I don't get how they are supposed to work! They put the hole for your stoma so far up that it's like digging into a tunnel to get to your stoma...looks like a holding receptacle for stool to me and a recipe for leaks.

I guess I can't try the moldable since I'm allergic to convatec.

I have like no hair on my body. I will have to see how the covex ones work.
Posted 7/22/2011 12:04 PM (GMT 0)
I will but as of right now I have a yeast infection under my wafer and I'm not shaving over irritation. Also the only thing that doesn't stick is the leak area. The rest is fine.
Posted 7/23/2011 3:54 AM (GMT 0)
Honestly, its probably only leaking because of the yeast infection. When i had a yeast infection with my colostomy, i had to change every other day for almost 2 weeks because the microgaurd (anti-fungal) powder made nothing stick. I leaked quite a few times while my infection was healing, but once I healed my same old routine started working again. If you have enough supplies, maybe you should just plan on changing more frequently while you get the infection under control.

Also, maybe you have lost or gained some weight recently? a few pounds might slip your notice. Have you remeasured your stoma recently? Maybe something changed slightly and your old wafers just aren't the right size anymore.

I feel your frustration! I hope you can figure it out and beat that infection fast!
Posted 7/24/2011 9:28 PM (GMT 0)
I was using Adapt rings and switched to using paste that I apply myself which helped me a lot. I use a convex wafer not because my stoma doesn't stick out enough, but because my stomach is "soft" (nice way of saying I'm a tad pudgy, I guess!). I hope you figure out what will help. If not, think about a WOCN. Good luck!
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply