You're always so informative! :) Great post!

Need free bags for my girlfriend she is homeless and uninsured. How can I get some free bags. I am Low income and can not afford to buy them all the time.

Hey Curtis,

This article may help you find some free or low-cost supplies:
https://www.veganostomy.ca/finding-ostomy-supplies-when-stuck/

There's also a list of places to donate supplies in this article: https://www.veganostomy.ca/unused-ostomy-supplies/ and those organizations also give out free or low-cost supplies as well.

Best to you and your girlfriend.

I'm looking for the right bag for my 9 month old son. Can't seem to keep one bag on for an entire day. I change his bag like 4 times a day. Were in need of something better. I'd like some samples or some ideas on how to fix the problem.

Hi Sierra,

Do you have access to a stoma nurse who works with pediatric patients? They will likely get you to sample various products by different brands until you find one that works. But they will also help to find out why the appliance isn't sticking onto your son's skin.

Without knowing more about your situation, I would like to ask whether you're using any skin products, including shampoo or soap, that contain moisturizer when bathing your son? These may cause the wafer to not stick very well (among other things).

If the problem is being caused by leaks, your nurse will be able to help with that :)

Best of luck!

I am now 6 weeks into having a colostomy bag and need to make a choice on which product to go with, does anyone have a product or brand that they love? It seems like the Hollister seems popular. That is the brand I am seeing on all the videos that I have watched. All I am looking for is some guidance in this process.. thx

Hi Cyndi,

You'll find that what works for some, may not work for all, and what you like may not be someone else's cup of tea :) 

Hollister, Coloplast, ConvaTec, and B. Braun are the largest manufacturers, so you'll see their names pop up quite often. Depending on what country you live in, there may be other brands that come up too. 

My suggestion is always to sample and see what works for you. If you can identify what your needs are (i.e. drainable or closed pouch; one piece or two; clear or opaque...) then you can narrow down specific products to try. 

Best of luck! Let us know what you settle on :)

Hi Cyndi, Their is a lot of choice and not always a case of one size fits all. Stick with the big familiar brands. As Eric points out they are big for a reason! From a personal point of view I  like a 2 piece but for a lower profile one piece is not as bulky. My thoughts would be read the reviews and request samples. plus it takes a little time to adapt to a new system not just a few days. And the golden rule is keep it simple, the rings etc are great but you may not need them.

I have a colostomy myself.  certainly try as many samples as possible.   2 big points for me are: easy of emptying and wear time/failure early warning signs.  I use 1 piece, 2 piece does not suit a  very active lifestyle, in my opinion.

cymed was on top of my list til they made changes this spring, now at bottom.

hollister worked pretty good, would fail without warning from lots of flexing/bending. wouldn't fall off but I would get stink leaks without warning.

coloplast has the absolute best tail piece for cleaning, i think.  i would modify hollister bags so they emptied like coloplast.    also coloplast sensura can withstand a lot of bending with far less failure and I usually can predict a failure several hours in advance.

I never liked convatec.

I also look for a bag that doesn't droop on body(stick out). like to wear a tee shirt without hardly knowing a bag is underneath.

Good luck!

Thank you to all for your input. I am looking at using the 2 piece from coloplast sensura 2. I seem to be having better luck on not having blow outs/leaks like have had with the Hollister products. I have noticed that if I use the silicon barrier I have better luck with all the products. I have ordered a stoma shield from Stoma Gear. Since my stoma is located where the seat belt sits and also my pants waist band is. I'll let you all know who the stoma shield works for me..

thanks Cyndi

Can some one tell me if I Need a prescription to get the coloplast bags

Do the coloplast bags feat everyone.

Hi Georgia,

I don't know what country you are from, but you may need to inquire with your insurance company or the place you plan to order them from. In Canada, you don't need a prescription to buy these products, but your insurance company will often require a prescription to reimburse certain products like hernia belts. 

I’m new to this world
I’m having problems with my 2 piece blowing off at night
I empty it before bed. Then wake up to a smell I can’t describe !!
Any suggestions!

Hi Lou,

Is the bag blowing out under your wafer or is the bag actually separating from the wafer entirely? Nights were difficult for me for a little while until my body and routine were consisted and I adjusted to things. 

You may, at least temporarily, set yourself an alarm to wake you during the night so you can empty your appliance again before morning. Many people, especially those with an ileostomy, find that they can't go the entire night without emptying their appliance at least once at some point. 

Posted by: @dauniis

Need free bags for my girlfriend she is homeless and uninsured. How can I get some free bags. I am Low income and can not afford to buy them all the time.

Not sure where you guys live, but this article might offer some suggestions : https://www.veganostomy.ca/ostomy-supply-costs-canada/

When lying down at night the bag I have breaks down the seal even if I use powder and paste. I think seems that even when the bag is not full lying flat allows the urine to break the seal down causing it to leak badly wetting me each night. How do I get around this issue

Hi Andrew, I'm sorry that you're having these nighttime leaks.

It sounds like you have a urostomy, is this correct?

Has your stoma nurse recommended using powder and paste? Both of those are generally not required unless indicated and using them when you don't need to may create more problems for you.

If you find that your seal is being broken down more quickly because urine is sitting in one place for too long, do you have the option of laying down slightly raised up so that the urine can collect towards the bottom of your bag?

Change it out of the stoma grows to at least 6 inches! It bleeds when I change the bag because the hole is too small! I need help!!