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How long do your bags last

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Posted 7/29/2014 7:23 AM (GMT 0)
I guess it depends on one or two-piece systems. I use a one-piece convex bag and my aim is to change it on Tues, Thurs and Sat and shower at the same time. My bags after two days are getting quite shabby and starting to fall apart and the velcro is no longer sticking properly.

Part of this, I'm sure, is due to me having to empty so often and therefore the bag handled more, although hopefully I've taken steps to reduce this. However, I have read some people are keeping the same bag on for 7-10 days - difficult to see how that's Possible.

Never used a two-piece system, but I assumed the theory was that you keep the wafer on for quite a time, while you change the actual bag more often, but in the company blurb, they seem to suggest changing the wafer every two days, which seems to defeat the object to me.

Just curious about peoples routines
Posted 7/29/2014 8:05 AM (GMT 0)
I use the two piece hollister, change the wafer every two days, but only replace the bag every 3rd change. I empty often also, but it takes about 6 days before the velcro end starts to come apart. It is not leaking, but the reinforcment strips at the outlet are starting to come loose.
Posted 7/29/2014 12:15 PM (GMT 0)
I use a one-piece Coloplast Sensura and I change it once every two days. The bag always holds up just fine, it's the wafer that won't last longer than that.
Posted 7/29/2014 1:20 PM (GMT 0)
I use the Coloplast Sensura and I change the whole set up every 6-7 days. I too empty often and rinse my pouch when needed but everything lasts me 6 - 7 days. Even being in the heat and pool this summer hasn't reduced wear time. I have had my loop for just about two years so I have my system (if you can call a shower, Friars and apply set up a system) down pat. If I were to change every two days my skin would likely be raw and sore.

Everyone seems to have different routines and different wear times. I think it has to do with a persons body composition as well.

K
Posted 7/29/2014 1:31 PM (GMT 0)

Larasmom said...
I use the Coloplast Sensura and I change the whole set up every 6-7 days. I too empty often and rinse my pouch when needed but everything lasts me 6 - 7 days. Even being in the heat and pool this summer hasn't reduced wear time. I have had my loop for just about two years so I have my system (if you can call a shower, Friars and apply set up a system) down pat. If I were to change every two days my skin would likely be raw and sore.

Everyone seems to have different routines and different wear times. I think it has to do with a persons body composition as well.

K

Maybr I'm too rough on the bag when I'm emptying it, but with my Salts one-piece bag, it the end tabs that almost disintegrate, the tabs at the end where the contents exit. Then the side velcros become unreliable, presumably as they're getting dirty.

I do have a complication as it's not always me that empties my bag. I am on dialysis 3 times a week for 4 hours a time, and during this I can't move my right arm, so the nurses have to do the emptying for me, and they don't tend to be so gentle, or clean the end as thoroughly.
Posted 7/29/2014 1:36 PM (GMT 0)
I use a 2 piece system- change bags every 2-3 days, change wafers every 4-5 days. Usually 5 days. Like Larasmom, my skin will get irritated if I change too frequently. I don't really need to change the bag out every 2-3 days, but they do get sort of grody... and I find with a new bag, it must have some sort of coating on the inside, cause output just slides right out. After a day or so, you have to work to get it out! I use Hollister Flex-tend wafers, & whatever bags correspond with that. My routine is just powder, an Eakin seal, wafer & bag. Pretty straightforward.
Posted 7/30/2014 1:27 AM (GMT 0)
I don't get how people get a week's wear time either, even with a 2-piece. If I left it a week, the skin round my stoma would be a ruin - there's a constant sore patch underneath it as it is, which nothing gets rid of.

I change my bag every 2 days; the skin is fine. Could probably change it every day and my skin would still be fine. I just use adhesive remover which makes the bag peel off easily. I've gotten better at cleaning the velcro tab, so that there is less seepage in between emptyings: hated having a manky, soiled tab. I use Coloplast Sensure 1-piece bags now, but used to use Salts 1-pieces. I liked the salts bags but for one thing: the adhesiveness was too unreliable. The Coloplast bags have a few minor irritations but they do always stick properly.
Posted 7/30/2014 8:25 AM (GMT 0)

NiceCupOfTea said...
I don't get how people get a week's wear time either, even with a 2-piece. If I left it a week, the skin round my stoma would be a ruin - there's a constant sore patch underneath it as it is, which nothing gets rid of.

I change my bag every 2 days; the skin is fine. Could probably change it every day and my skin would still be fine. I just use adhesive remover which makes the bag peel off easily. I've gotten better at cleaning the velcro tab, so that there is less seepage in between emptyings: hated having a manky, soiled tab. I use Coloplast Sensure 1-piece bags now, but used to use Salts 1-pieces. I liked the salts bags but for one thing: the adhesiveness was too unreliable. The Coloplast bags have a few minor irritations but they do always stick properly.

I like the Salts one-pieve convex, but find I do need stomahesive to add to the stickyness and to make it stick to my body contours. Every 2days is what I want andtnay timescale seems to work on several levels.
Posted 7/30/2014 12:39 PM (GMT 0)
I use a 2 piece Convatec system. The wafer I use has no tape edge and I use a convex insert. I average 5-8 days between wafer changes, but most usually it is 6 or 7. I also typically only use 1 bag during that time. Once in a while I will change halfway through the week. That said, I do use a different bag at night for high output, and I don't shower with my bag on, which probably increases it's life. For the shower I either go bagless, or wear a spare one that is made of a material that dries more easily. I never have trouble with the end staying clean or the velcro wearing out.
Posted 7/31/2014 2:12 AM (GMT 0)
I use a 2 piece and change once a week. I change the whole thing I hate to change just bags! I find the more often I change the worse my skin gets.
Posted 7/31/2014 5:41 AM (GMT 0)
When I first got home (before my leakage issues im dealing with now) I was doing a 5 day change. I use clear convatec bags. Never had any issues with the Velcro or any other issues with the bags. Now that I am changing every 2 days, I save the bag and use it again... so 4 days wear time.

If you are having issues with your bag but not your wafer... maybe try another bag? Or if the velcro is an issue, try a clasp closing bag?
One of the convatec bags I used seemed to be poorly designed in that a heavy bag seemed to pull on the velcro and it would start to peel off a little. Nothing too crazy, I still trusted it... but kept a closer eye on it.
Posted 8/3/2014 11:36 PM (GMT 0)
     I use the Coloplast Sensura one piece bags and change every third day.  I find the more frequent you change the one piece, the more irritated the skin becomes.
Posted 8/4/2014 7:53 AM (GMT 0)

embersglow1 said...
When I first got home (before my leakage issues im dealing with now) I was doing a 5 day change. I use clear convatec bags. Never had any issues with the Velcro or any other issues with the bags. Now that I am changing every 2 days, I save the bag and use it again... so 4 days wear time.

If you are having issues with your bag but not your wafer... maybe try another bag? Or if the velcro is an issue, try a clasp closing bag?
One of the convatec bags I used seemed to be poorly designed in that a heavy bag seemed to pull on the velcro and it would start to peel off a little. Nothing too crazy, I still trusted it... but kept a closer eye on it.

Not having tried all the products, I don't know how they all work, but this sounds nothing like my bag. The only velcro on my Salts one-piece convex bags is on the tabs that hold the emptying end closed, so nothing to peel off the way you describe.

The only reason my velcro becomes less reliable is that while I am on dialysis 3 times a week, I cannot empty my bag myself, the nurses have to do it. Whilst I am grateful for them helping me with this, they tend to be not as careful as I am, and the velcro gets a little "dirty" once it is dirty, the effectiveness of the velcro working reduces and becomes a little unreliable.
Posted 8/4/2014 9:21 PM (GMT 0)
Hollister 2 piece, 4-6 days. I rarely bother changing pouches in between wafer changes although I could. No issues with velcro wearing out or dirty tips even if I was to push it to 7 days. Occasionally such as yesterday I did too much deep bending with a full pouch and had to change wafer at 2 days due to a blow out, patient induced. No problem with skin irritation at 2 days and no need to use adhesive remover or anything, just wafer, eakin seal, and pouch, and good ol' M9 blue juice squirts that annihilate odor.
Posted 8/16/2014 11:52 AM (GMT 0)
1 piece ...five days
Posted 8/16/2014 6:21 PM (GMT 0)

Ouchie2 said...
1 piece ...five days

I don't really understand, my bags are falling to pieces if I try to keep them any longer than two days. My stoma nurse also told me repeatedly to change every other day.
Posted 8/16/2014 11:02 PM (GMT 0)
Coloplast Sensura 1 piece and I change on the 5th day, I could go 6 if needed but it starts to become itchy then

I do nothing special either, literally shower with dove soap, dry skin. Use a adhesive strip and put on bag, nothing else. no skin prep, nothing.

I have no issue with the velcro holding that long and I empty easily 10x a day with an ileostomy and Crohns
Posted 8/17/2014 10:04 AM (GMT 0)
I change my bag every day during the week while working. I use the welland freestyle one piece. I'll usually skip a day on the weekends when i'm not as active. ( or hungover) If i were to change to a 2 day routine i would end up with a ring of excoriated skin around my stoma.Its ok for me to skip a day maybe twice a week. Took me ages to 'go against the grain' and change everyday because it was supposedly 'wrong' to change every day. But i soon noticed a massive improvement on my skin when doing it. And i also notice that bags get really tatty after 2 days, the fabric gets really grotty looking.

I am in uk so it is a lot easier to do this because of free healthcare. I'm sure if i had to pay for my bags my wear time would increase dramatically.
Posted 8/17/2014 11:36 AM (GMT 0)

letthepeoplesing said...
I
I am in uk so it is a lot easier to do this because of free healthcare. I'm sure if i had to pay for my bags my wear time would increase dramatically.

Would make a difference, I'm sure if we paid for each item.

Just to be pedantic, it's not free - we pay for it through taxes, but I know what you mean.
Posted 8/17/2014 1:47 PM (GMT 0)
Your spot on Tricky about taxes paying for the nhs. Although if i were to be unfortunate enough to be unemployed, its a relief to know that the nhs is there regardless, while out of work.
Posted 8/17/2014 2:01 PM (GMT 0)

letthepeoplesing said...
Your spot on Tricky about taxes paying for the nhs. Although if i were to be unfortunate enough to be unemployed, its a relief to know that the nhs is there regardless, while out of work.

Indeed, and I am currently unmployed after 30 years of working and paying my taxes. I am though getting more than my share of NHS resourcex.

With my recent surgery for bowel cancer and now being on kidney dialysis 3 days a week, it 's difficult to see how I can get back to work any time soon.
Posted 8/18/2014 12:42 AM (GMT 0)
Funny how different all of the information and advice we are given can be! A few different WOCN's advised me to NOT change the wafer too often if possible. I was told this could cause more skin irritation, which totally makes sense to me. Every time you peel off that adhesive, a little bit of skin is coming with it and it IS irritating the skin for at least a little while. They said that as long as my seal seems strong and I don't feel like there are any leaks or seepage under my wafer, to go ahead and wear it as long as it will last.

For the record...I am in the US and my insurance "covers" enough supplies for me to have 20 wafers/bags a month, so I could easily change every other day, and sometimes more, if I wanted. Of course, I do have to pay a percentage of the cost of those supplies, but it's a small portion of the total cost. At the end of last year I had blown out my deductible due to surgery, hospital, etc...so everything was FREE :) I went ahead and ordered as much as I could, which worked out to be about a years worth. Of course, that is with my average change that occurs every 6-8 days...sometimes less if I have an unexpected problem. I might end up changing my set up a bit in the near future...but I'll wait till I'm almost done with my stock pile!!
Posted 8/18/2014 12:46 AM (GMT 0)

letthepeoplesing said...
I change my bag every day during the week while working. I use the welland freestyle one piece. I'll usually skip a day on the weekends when i'm not as active. ( or hungover) If i were to change to a 2 day routine i would end up with a ring of excoriated skin around my stoma.Its ok for me to skip a day maybe twice a week. Took me ages to 'go against the grain' and change everyday because it was supposedly 'wrong' to change every day. But i soon noticed a massive improvement on my skin when doing it. And i also notice that bags get really tatty after 2 days, the fabric gets really grotty looking.

I am in uk so it is a lot easier to do this because of free healthcare. I'm sure if i had to pay for my bags my wear time would increase dramatically.

Entire post is spot on. Except I'm too lazy to change my bag every day, so I compromise and change it every other day instead. As long as I use an Eakin seal, the skin around my stoma doesn't get any worse. However, if I left it for 3 or 4 days, it probably would.

The bags do become grotsville after just a couple of days as well. Usually want to change it for that reason alone.
Posted 8/18/2014 12:52 AM (GMT 0)
I go 2-3-2 for the week. I could go longer between changes but that seems to work well for me. Insurance pays for 20 a month so that isn't a problem.
Posted 8/18/2014 7:16 AM (GMT 0)
I am trying to settle into a regime where I change my bag on a tues. thurs, sat and sun and shower at the same time. This fits around my dialysis session days which are mon, wed and fri. This allows me to change the bag and shower at leisure, when the stoma is not active - changing the bag when the little b*gger is active is awful.

This routine works for me but I adapt it if necessary, for example if I get a leak and have to do an emergency change.

When I started this lark a few weeks ago and I didn't like changing the bag, I tried to put it off as long as possible, but now I'm used to it and don't mind changing, the routine above suits me fine.
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