Bag changes

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Kat24

Kat24

Joined
Aug 16, 2013
Messages
86
Hi all,I have an ileostomy and use a one piece bag.since surgery six weeks ago I have been changing my bag daily but am just wondering if this is necessary and if I can leave it for two days as obviously I'm getting through quite a lot of bags!any advice would be great thanks :)
 
Hi kat,
I have had the same for a year now and found bag changes depend on what you are up to on a daily basis.
When I was recovering at home, 3 months of being really ill, I once managed 6 days on the same bag, stoma nurse said it was a record lol.
Since going back to work I now change daily as I don't want to risk those leaky moments. They still happen once in a while btw! Also you get to know how the bag feels, I can usually tell if its gonna cause an issue. Itchy or burning sensation on skin, badly fitted bag or ever changing stoma size all contribute to an ostomy wearing disaster!
My advice is keep getting that prescription and keep getting enough to cover you. I get two months worth at a time, if I have bits left over then it a bonus!
 
Thanks for the advice maybe ile stick with changing daily as I'm back at work this week and don't want to risk any leaks!i must not be ordering enough as I only get one box of bags at a time and it doesn't seem to last more than a couple of weeks that's why I wondered if I should be making them last longer!
 
If your bag doesn't seem to have broken down at all when you take the bag off, I'd say you can keep it on for more than a day. I use a 2 piece set up and usually get about 6 to 8 days out of one flange. I change the bag itself more often, but I reuse my bags (I just clean them out with soap and water and dry them). I can get months of use out of one bag.
 
No it doesn't nyx all looks fine when I take bag off which is why I feel like I'm wasting them,also my skin is abit irritated and I'm wondering if I'm making it worse by changing daily?6-8 days sounds very impressive how come a two piece lasts so much longer?
 
My stoma nurse said to aim for once every three days, or about twice a week. I usually change it every other day though, because I like the idea that I'm keeping it clean.
 
I have an ileostomy too and wear a two piece. I change the base plate every other day and the bags 3-4 times a day. I find that if I have a long hot shower I have to change everyday. What I tend to do is have a long shower every other day and change the base plate, then the next day I just have a short shower and dry the base plate well. I think though once mine gets wet I don't really trust it as it sometimes leaks. I asked my stoma nurse about changing base plates as I have been reading on here about people who can make theirs last 6-8 days but she said anything from 2 days was normal.

Does anyone else find getting theirs wet causes leaking?
 
I always change mine after a shower but I want to take my children swimming soon and have been worrying about it!very scared about having a leak in the pool that wouldn't be pleasant for anyone!
 
I don't think I would worry about leaking in the pool. My issues occur about an hour after the base plate is soaked. I was on holiday this year and was too scared to go into the sea incase it leaked afterwards and I was a good distance from the hotel. Although, other people seem to have no problems going swimming, maybe it's just a confidence thing.
 
Yes I agree its definitely confidence I've only and mine for 6 weeks so I'm sure ile stop worrying so much soon!
 
Gosh you are doing really well! I was still in hospital after 6 weeks. It took me months to get better and accept my little side kick :)
 
I've had mine about 8 weeks and am not back to full strength yet. You're doing brilliantly Kat24! I found the emotional adjustment very easy - I'd had a long time to prepare in advance, and was very happy with the idea of getting a stoma. But physically the surgery wiped me out!
 
I had 2 days to prepare, I had emergency surgery and it was very hard on me. I'm grand now though and back working full time :)
 
Ah thanks it was a relief to have it done really and I'm very happy with mr blob (as my kids have named him) I'm back to work tomorrow evening which is abit scary but I'm sure ile be fine if I have an afternoon nap!
 
Initially, I needed to change every other day, as the baseplate was breaking down quickly around the stoma and causing skin irritation. Eventually I was able to extend that time to 3 or 4 days. If your baseplate looks fine and you don't have any itching, you should be able to extend the time between changing bags. Try every other day for awhile, and if that works, stretch it out to another day, etc.
 
Mine changes with what I eat. I haven't quite figured out the pattern yet, but yes, sometimes the itching comes on quickly. Argh!
 
I've figured out that vegetables, mashed potato, coleslaw and rice cause my output to thicken. When this happens my stoma retracts to push it out and it goes below the base plate. The itching drives me crazy!! Then it's get to a bathroom as soon as possible to get it all changed! If I eat unhealthy food I am totally fine and my output never goes below the baseplate.
 
After my surgery I was changing my wafer every 4 days. I was able to get 7 days once, but haven't tried that since. I've been aiming for 5 days, but since my last surgery in November, I've been getting a lot of irritation on the side closest to my Abdominal incision and on the bottom where my belt line is. I may go back to changing every 4 days in order to keep an eye on the skin there and actively find ways to avoid the belt line problem.
 
I get itchy and burning feeling within a few hours after a new baseplate change. I'm trying to ignore it because I can't differentiate between a leak and just irritation because they both drive me nuts.
 
At the start I was always irritated under my base plate but it turned out I was allergic to the barrier ring. My stoma nurse gave me different types to try and the only one which didn't make me itchy was a Salts one. I only now get itchy if I am starting to leak. Maybe you may be allergic to something as well??
 
My stoma nurse thinks my skin is just irritated so even a new appliance can annoy me and my skin is just aggravated. She didn't think it's an allergy because I get them with all the ones I tried.
 
Ah right. Hopefully once you can get the irritation healed things will feel more comfortable. I used stoma powder when I had my irritation but was always concerned the base plate wouldn't stick properly!
 
I feel very itchy a lot of the time and its not because I'm leaking,I thought this was due to my skin not being used to having something stuck to it all the time but maybe ile have a chat with my stoma nurse about it.
 
I think for when it's not visibly leaked but it's irritated that gastric juices are seeping through. So while it looks like there is no leak I'm guessing there is some.
 
Oh really that doesn't sound nice!ile add that to my list of questions for the nurse!
 

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