Ohhhh... shoot!  I lost the response to you.  My sister texted when I was almost done with an emergency about my Mom, so I went to text messages to find out what's going on & when I came back my whole response to you was gone... oh well! Thus is life! . . .  ..  ..  ..   ...   ...   ... 

I'll try again later today to come back & rewrite what I was telling you.  In the meantime,  I hated those rings to.  They were messy, gross and really more of a pain than anything.  The stoma nurse put it on my in hospital with my stoma & figuring I needed to use them, I used them I used it the first Aggravating few years until I Found VO!

In the mean time please tell me what products you use for pouch changes and you bath soap/ shampoo too...

Melty barrier rings are the worst, and I'm sorry that you're going through that right now.

Posted by: @chelly

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I've had this issue on and off with these things.

Did you discover what caused this issue in the past? Do you think it's the same as what's going on now?

I find that barrier rings that melt tend to do so more when there's liquid or loose output. Sweat can work the same way as the rings try to absorb moisture.

Posted by: @chelly

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Not sure if they have made changes to it recently.

You can inquire with Hollister directly to ask. I have in the past, and it might help to eliminate other factors.

Posted by: @chelly

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I was told by a nurse you can use just plain water but if you use adhesive remover I dint see that plain water would be getting off all of the adhesive remover. 

This can depend on the adhesive remover. 

I've used some that are oily, and those require more than plain water to clean up. Oily adhesive remover would not be my first choice.

There are other types that leave no residue that you can feel (i.e. Niltac), but I do always follow up with plain water just to prep the skin.

For what it’s worth here is my experience:

I experimented with not using a barrier ring earlier this week - for me not an option as within a day there was output seepage under the plate onto the skin all around the stoma, so back to the ring. They do melt some. I started out with the regular Hollister rings, then switched to the  CeraRings awhile ago; my skin looks good. They do add some bulk. But I do want my skin to be as healthy as possible. I tried some sample “slim” rings and liked them, might switch back or else try just half a regular ring and reshape to a flatter circle.

LL

@dlkfiretruck my products are:

Convatec active life one piece convex durahesive  pouch

Hollister cera ring

Dial white bar soap

Prell shampoo and NO conditioner 

I don't use adhesive remover regularly but when I do I have to use Smith and nephew unisolve or resolve wipes and sometimes just alcohol pads. I have allergies go things so this is what I can use. 

FYI: in my 4th hospitalization since December thread you asked me this. I did put my whole routine down as you asked. You probably got busy. 

@veganostomy good idea Eric, maybe I should call Hollister and inquire. They have done this before and I'm trying to remember what may have caused it and I dint believe I ever found out. I know that if a lot of cleaning supplies are used around me it gets into the air. Maybe laundry soap residue from these apt Washing machines on my clothing ? I'm not quite sure. It's a big pain though as my bags are not holding up and 'm pushing it till 24 hours just to Make them last at least that long. I do believe niltac is the convatec brand and they call them essenta here in the United States. After they changed the formula I'm now allergic and get red rashes from them. They used to be called sensicare.  They used to have one called allkare that I like as well but discontinued that one. 

I have a question for you . I do rinse my pouch and I do use a water wipe brand baby wipe to wipe the end and the inside of the end with that. I do rinse the wipe really good under hot running water before using it as well. Do you think the wipes could be contributing? If so how will I clean the bottom of my pouch? Toilet paper is not going to be enough. There would be a stool smell if I did that. I did try just using a fresh wet paper towel for a whole day was a little better , but did not seem to make much difference. 

You may have something there when you mentioned moisture and sweat. I do sweat especially in humidity. I do rinse and I do notice there is condensation in my bag. I should watch to see if when the humidity goes down regularly if it stops. 

@llholiday ok , it's good to know it's not just me. I totally get that when you say without a ring you leak under the wafer. It happens to me too. My rings of course normally melt to a degree bit nothing like they have been the past month or so. I mean they are getting really, really melty. But yes the cera ring does save the skin. I'm a little red under there but not much at the moment.

i use the thin cera ring and its random whether they melt a bit or not , i change every 3 days any way but its weird when I'm cleaning around the stoma (i use sealed bags) that some of the ring comes away sometimes and other times it doesn't , I find the cera rings quite good at protecting the skin though ,

it might have something to do with how acidic the output is .

Hi,

Yes I used to have random melting. Now it seems all the time.  This melting is happening very quickly and shortly after changing it. 

your maybe right about the acidic stool though. I do get green and yellow bile like stools. They want me to test for SIBO. This could be a possibility.it just stumps me because other times I'll go through spurts where they hold up nicely.

What worries me is they are melting so bad the the stoma is sinking into them and below the barrier. I also dont think my stoma cooperated  to come out right with my last revision. I think we are going to have to go in and take this one down and make a new one. That will be in the future though. I'm really not excited about the thought of getting opened up again. This stoma for me just seems so never ending. I miss the days it wasn't causing me this much issues. 

Posted by: @chelly

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I have a question for you . I do rinse my pouch and I do use a water wipe brand baby wipe to wipe the end and the inside of the end with that. I do rinse the wipe really good under hot running water before using it as well. Do you think the wipes could be contributing?

I haven't used wipes to clean my appliance, but I can't see how wiping the tail and outlet of the bag could cause the issues with your rings. 

Do you use any pouch deodorant or add anything else to the inside of your bag?

Posted by: @chelly

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your maybe right about the acidic stool though. I do get green and yellow bile like stools.

Yes, I can see this being a possible contributor. Even though the rings are designed to handle the environment they are being exposed to, excessive bile or digestive juices could break them down sooner.

You wouldn't happen to have gelling products to put in your pouch, would you? I wonder if using them to see if they can absorb excess output, before they spend too much time around the ring, could help.

@veganostomy hello,

The reason I asked about the wipes was that my thoughts are I use them to wipe the outside end and inside end of my pouch,  but I'm thinking that I rinse. So I'm thinking the next time I'm emptying  and rinsing that maybe some of the wipes residue might be getting up there. 

As far as pouch deodorant I stopped using it because I'm on a fixed budget now and I just can't afford it. This was happening at one point though when I was using m9 and my ostomy nurse thought that maybe it was the cause. 

No I don't have any gel to absorb the output. The output has been greasy and I think they call that steatorrhea. They've been trying to figure out why I keep getting this. Plus high output. I need to get a breath test done . They want to check for SIBO.

Posted by: @chelly

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The output has been greasy and I think they call that steatorrhea. They've been trying to figure out why I keep getting this. Plus high output. I need to get a breath test done .

This might be the most likely reason for it happening, since it sounds like you have ruled out other variables (except, maybe Hollister secretly changing the formula!).

Continue to try other brands of rings that you might not have already. I know it's challenging with allergies and sensitivities, but you never know if a new one comes up that just works better for your body's chemistry.

Today the melting is so bad and the bag is literally trashed already just in a few hours. I don't get this. I can even smell string odor coming from the pouch. I'm really analyzing the situation because I've never had melting happen this long before and so badly . I mean this thing started melting immediately. It causes the stoma to sink under the convex wafer even. My nurse ordered protective 4x4 sheets for my next order and I'm seriously going to try that instead of these melty rings. I've never had this much trouble with bags going bad that I can remember. I'm.beyond frustrated and won't leave the house in fear odor and leaks. Not to mention my peristomal area is a mess from the surgeries.

The awning or shelf is back and now even another big dip that is making things really hard for me to get the bag on quite right. I'm trying to pull the shelf up with one hand so I can see and holding the bag in my other hand while using the side of that hand to try and pull the dip smooth and trying to plop the hole of the bag on just right. Its crazy and I'm wasting bags due to having to pull them back off and running to get a new one. This is all not good. I guess I'm going to need to go back to the surgeon. I'll make another stoma nurse appt. I want to stand up this time and show them what I'm dealing with because it don't appear that way laying down. Looks perfect laying down. 

Also recently I'm getting abdominal pain here and there again and feelings of intestine getting stuck when bending down. I'm hoping these adhesions are not back. I really felt as if I were going to call the ambulance but I'm so sick of going into the hospital so I just laid here trying to see if it would settle out and it did.

I don't feel I'm fully fixed. They did tell me that the surgery for the adhesions can cause more adhesions.i had to get the surgery though . I mean, I was in hospital once or twice a month with obstructions. I don't know what to do anymore. I'm at a loss here.

Yes, I'm a hot mess with this ileostomy lately. 

@veganostomy yes I need to call and get samples of different rings to try at least. I'm thinking of a barrier sheet as well. I've been so distracted with so many things I have going on that I've put calling on the back burner and I'm moving in a week. But I guess Monday I should do some phone calls to all the suppliers and have them sent to my new address. Thank you for your input and advice. It's much appreciated.

@chelly I am so sorry that you are going through all of this. Is it possible for you to get a second opinion?

Yes, make an appointment with your stoma nurse again. They know the difference between standing up vs. lying down.

I was in a terrible mess with my surgeries also. It will get better.

meredith

@gardengypsy thanks Meridith for your encouraging words. It's upsetting but it is what it is. There's a multitude of barriers that are resulting in this outcome. We have mesh inside me etc... due to that factor the stoma  may never get right, at least not without causing further problems. As far as adhesions, they did tell me that the adhesion surgery can and usually does cause more adhesions. Uggh i feel doomed but I'm a survivor. God willing I will get through it. 

As for the rings. They are really melting a whole lot still. 

I'd love to hear your story Meridith with your surgery woes . Maybe it will give me some hope in the end. 

@chelly 

    i bought a box of the white non silicon rings shortly after surgery and chucked wgat was left after they melted in less than 24hrs. 

     i have found the cheap silicon rings available on amazon work best for me.   

   i also have very sensitive skin.    Esenta adhesive remover works best for me.     i find if i dont use remover my skin is a mess from bag removal.   i use cavilon skin barrier ( 2 coats making sure its completely dry before bag goes on.   a small cordless fan works great to reduce drying time )   

    good luck finding something that works for you 

@davidinthailand something you said here about using the cavillon . Maybe I should try using a barrier wipes again to see if that might help. I stopped using them due to I was getting too much build up.

@chelly 

      id give it cavilon a shot.   and get some adhesive remover and some soap with as few chemicals as possible.     i wash the area around my stoma twice ( and then shave )  to make sure i get as much of the old adhesive off as possible.    

       for me,  the silicon rings were a gamechanger !!     good luck

@davidinthailand thanks for the tip. Since they have changed all of our soaps it's so hard to find one that is good for pouch prep. They have changed them all to plant based and fragrance. I've found even dial has done this. Dial is now advertised as moisturizing. If you know of a good soap , please list it here. I'm currently looking.

I wish pouch manufacturers would start making a good soap just for this. I know there are wipes but I'd like a good soap and preferably in a pump..whole foods used to sell a good fragrance free hand soap I used to use and it worked great but then they too changed the formula. 

Yes I really need to get this problem in check. I still haven't called for samples yet for some silicon rings but I was busy having surgeries and then moving. Now that I'm settled I should be able to do this.