Welcome to the forums, Liz.

Posted by: @liz

But the filters on the bags seem useless.

You aren't doing anything wrong - nearly all filters are less than ideal.

If you have an ileostomy, then filters won't be effective for long, but if you have a colostomy and drier stools then you may get a few good days out of the filter. 

How long ago did you have your surgery?

Ballooning may be temporary until your body adapts. I used to have terrible ballooning and now I wear filterless bags with no trouble. 

For the most part, it can be diet-related or even related to specific foods (tofu, ironically, causes guaranteed ballooning). If you suspect that food may be exacerbating the problem, a food diary may be helpful. 

thanks for the speedy reply. I don’t think I made my point clearly. I don’t understand how the filters ever work. It’s not that mine works for even a short while and then stops. It never lets any air out. I tested this by taking a new bag, sealing the bottom (lock and roll) and then putting it against my face and sealing where the wafer would be with my mouth and exhaling. The bag completely ballooned and when I pressed on it, no air at all escaped through the filter. There’s nothing obvious to peel away at the filter. I tried not inflating it as much, and still no air came out through the filter. So it’s not an issue of it clogging, unless the tiny bit of moisture from my breath is doing it. It never lets air out, even when new. Has anyone else tried this? 

@liz You are right in the sense that they don't release air quickly (i.e. when you try to force air out) and they are designed to be very slow and passive so that they don't create a vacuum effect (it still happens, but not as bad as if filters let air out quickly).

That said, if you apply pressure to a new filtered bag, it should be releasing air. I've done the experiment quite a few times and it always works, but very slowly. What's the part number on your bag?

The Hollister filter uses a gas permeable membrane that should only allow air to escape without you needing to do anything else. Some other brands use a slightly different style of filter that is more susceptible to clogging as they don't have the same membrane on them. 

I hope that helps :) 

Hi Liz, And Welcome, As Eric says your stoma will settle down. Mine too will all over the shop for the first while. I have very little trouble with ballooning and also don’t wear a bag with a filter. Many ostomates say a filter can be a cause for pancaking. 

Thanks for your help. I am about 3.5 months post surgery.  

I have Hollister 18193 and 18293 bags. If I blow air into them it really seems like absolutely no air is coming out from the filter. They inflate and even if I press on them I can’t feel any air coming out and they don’t lose pressure.

The ballooning has gotten worse recently but it may be because I have been eating more to try to gain back some weight and also been eating a little differently bc of the holidays. I’ve also started chemo, and I’m sure that is affecting my intestines as well as my microbiome. I’m already mostly vegan and always dairy-free and gluten-free so I’m not enthusiastic about cutting out too many more foods but I’ll consider a food diary to see if I can get any insights.  

When you have tested them for air flow, how do you do it? Maybe I’m having too high of expectations about the flow. 

thank you! 

@liz ...Hello Liz and welcome to VO!! I think you'll find this a very helpful site. We are here and glad to help anytime! 

 I wear a Hollister...lol, I'll check in the morning the number but it's a filtered bag. The filter is at the top, 2 small rectangles connected. One side on the right is covered with a white patch over it.   I have an ileostomy, 12 plus years &  lots of gas going on most of the time, but I also have short gut syndrome so  I just expect it now! Lol!  The filters work about 8 hours...if that at best.  Just enough for my arthritic hands to rest before needing to let loose the air. They also work very slowly when & if they work at all. 

Have you seen Erics video on Osto E Z Vents? They're a little vent like on a beach ball and we need to attach them ourselves. This is what I & some others have had to resort to bc using  the bags built in vent fails badly! I'm sure if they actually worked well we'd have output coming out of them a lot sooner then when the paper ¿ breaks down on the built in ones. A prime reason I'll be switching to ventless soon! 

The Osto E Z Vents they will send you a couple samples if you ask. Anytime you want to try something ask for samples.  Hollister is very good about sending them.   I've had samples of M9, the liquid deoderant for in pouch use, they also have an odour eliminator air spray that works fabulously too.

I hope you can find a resolution to your issue but I wouldn't put my money on any built in filtered bag. These vents are a breeze to put on as some of us have worked out a far better method then the company suggests.  So if you want a less time consuming  method just say so & we or I'd sure be glad to tell you how I put these little wonderful suckers on now compared to before! 

All the best to you in 2022 !   Stay as healthy as can be & don't be a stranger here! Its always nice for a newby to help another newby even if its just letting them know your situation too. 

Linda

I use the Sensura Mio Click two piece. Seems the filter also does not do much good. But otherwise I love it.

This thread on ballooning got me thinking about farting.

Many decades of Crohn's did leave me in fear of sharting. But I do miss a good fart. I always kept them as private as possible. But a good dry fearless fart was somewhat of a treat for me. Of course I do still have the expelling of gas. But sadly so less musical. Can't save it up to a crescendo. Or a controlled little ditty.

Never did light one up. Now, never will. One of life's missed opportunities.

Nevermore on a cold winters day will I warm my butt with a toasty blast. Nor have it's effect also waft up inside my winter coat. Cough.

Bag filter. You mock me. Say you will control what was meant to be free. And fail even at that. Looking so much like a Whoopee cushion, but failing even that.

Rest in peace fart.

I've been using Hollister filter bags for 7 years. They have never ever worked for me. I like the bottom closure on them a lot though, so I keep using them. If they fill up with gas, I just lift the top of the bag to wafer connection to "burp" the bag and I'm good.

@dlkfiretruck Thank you for your thoughts and ideas!  Much appreciated.  I may try the Osto E-Z vents.  For me, it is not a big deal to just open up the bottom and vent that way when necessary since my output is usually fairly thick.  It is just frustrating and was surprising to me that the vent seems to never do anything even with a brand new bag.

@goatherder I think I am in exactly the same spot.  I like the bags/bottom closure and also the wafer - I am getting good seals and my skin is in good shape.  Thanks for your input (about your output - teehee)!

@kedikat ...Well that was a good funny read,  Thank you for the laugh! Such a truthful event missing from all our lives I'm sure. Those farts often relieved what felt like gut splitting  pain for me if it had built up enough! My dear sweet deceased hubby would be so proud of your honesty! His favorite was a good elongated loud hot blast of often rotten fowl air in bed next to me then pulling the blankets over my head untill I had fought them off enough or he figured the air cleared!!!  To this day I'm grateful that event was not very often!! Though I was developing some useful skills at escaping his full on grasp around me! Its qas amazing what a good pinch in the right area will do for a release of his grip.  Lolol! But, it would have been his b'day the other day & I do miss him greatly. He really was very loving & kind & so much fun... not just with his gifted lower vocals either! 

@liz & GoatHerder... Same! The Wafer  is great & no allergy issues for my sensitive skin & amazingly never bothered my eczema much at all. The  the velcro closure has only come undone 2ce on me in 13 years.  Likely something I managed with my clothing as the company denied any changes or product failures. Though 2ce in one box did make me question them in the 1st place. I use a Hollister one pice so no way to release air with my pouch other the the Osto EZ Vents or the velcro drain opening.

I would encourage anyone to ask for samples of the osto e z vent & give it a good try. I was sold on the 1st I ever tried but the company instructions...ugh!! I spent too much time prepping the area it was going on. It quickly became a live hate relationship. But the it has made my life a whole lot easier. With eczema & the short gut syndrome I do get a lot of gas & before the vents I was always washing my hands everytime I emptied thru the velcro drain plus being liquid output I mostly had to lay down to manage the deflating progress which aggravated the eczema & then me!! As a reminder there are much easier ways to adhere & open the hole in the pouch for the vents then the company "safely" recommends so if you want some help either pass it off to a spouse, lol, or let us know. I'd be willing to share our secrets! Lol! 

Hi Liz, I am new to vegan ostomy and the ostimy world in general. I too have found a lot of ballooning issues with the Hollister products supplied by the ostomy nurse at my local hospital. I lost track of how many times I woke up in the middle of the night or the morning and found my pouch looking like the Good Year blimp. I recently tried some sample pouches from a company called Coloplast and find their filters actually work. Just thought you might want to contact them for some free samples. They take a while to get back to you...good things come to those who wait I guess  :)