Hi Bill from NZ its John from NI, I have heard of folk putting some crazy stuff in the bag to combat odour that's not safe!! but I like that idea of the Tic Tacs! yep they must be worldwide and only 2 calories each if eaten :-) 

I love these DIY solutions, but use caution when putting anything that's not been made for use in an ostomy bag inside of your ostomy bag. 

We have to consider a few things:

• Will these things lead to premature appliance failure (common when using oils inside of the bag). 
• Will these things cause harm to the stoma or peristomal skin? A concern with things like hydrogen peroxide, acids (vinegar), etc.
• Will these things absorb into the body and cause harm? Our bowels are meant to reabsorb nutrients and fluids back into the body, this may include chemicals we put into our bag. 
• Will these things increase the chance of bacterial growth? Likely possible when using things that contain sugars. 

I've heard of Tic Tacs being used for many years without issues, so that's probably going be a safe and easy option for you! Glad it works :) 

Hi all,

I realize that this has to do with deodorizing, but I was wondering about mineral oil for lubrication?  My ostomy nurse recommended it and suggested using Altoids (which I decided against) for the deodorizing.  

Stella

Hi Stella, both options should be "safe", however, keep an eye on your wafer in case the mineral oil causes any problems. 

I personally like to use products made for ostomy bags, mostly because they are covered by insurance.