Hi Jonathan. I don't use filter stickers at all for my Hollister bag, but that's because they tend to repel water quite well and are not really needed. Bags that come with filter stickers should have them on when getting wet.

That said, filters tend to stop working after a day or two, regardless of your best effots to keep the filter away from water. Use your best judement when showering. I usually change my appliance after my shower, so even if I forgot to put a filter sticker on, it's not big deal.

I am going to revisit covering the filters in my pouches. I have an ileostomy and use a Hollister appliance.

My ongoing issue has been that I smell a constant odor. In my house, on me, bedding, clothing. No matter how clean I keep myself. It is NOT a "poop" odor. It's a weird, sour chemical smell. What has made me avoid dealing with it is because I have a really acute sense of smell. My family claims they smell nothing. Also, I wonder if what I smell is coming from inside me. (I promise I'm not a lunatic..) For ex. when I blow my nose, that smell is heightened in the tissue.

If I start covering the filter with stickers, do you think this will be helped? And is this smell something you have experienced or have heard about?

Thank you!

Hi Kelley, I have always thought that we can get a smell in our nose after emptying and it stays there. When others say they can’t smell I would take comfort from that. As for thinking you’re a lunatic!! Well I have been a fully signed up member for years. Makes life more interesting 🤪😂

Hi Kelley, When my ostomy was new I was certain that I could smell something awful - I still don’t know if my husband was just being nice when he said he couldn’t smell anything.

This passed, more or less, but now if I think I can smell something I still check. After all, just because I, myself, am a lunatic doesn’t necessarily mean that I am imagining things!

LL

If I start covering the filter with stickers, do you think this will be helped? And is this smell something you have experienced or have heard about?

If the smell is coming from your filter (which is very, very possible), then it could certainly help! 

Do you notice these smells even with a new appliance or after you've had it on for several days? 

yes wirh a new appliance

Posted by: @John B Duncan

yes wirh a new appliance

This would not be normal. I would personally try a different appliance (totally different brand) and see if the problem persists.

If it does appear as if a new appliance is letting smells through, you might want to let the manufacturer know, as your feedback may be the only way for them to know there's a problem.

I use Coloplast Sensura Mio with the filter. This model also has a pre-filter that is supposed to keep output from clogging the charcoal one, but it just collects output and contributes to the smell and pancaking. When using a deodorizing lubricant with an oily consistency, the charcoal filter gets saturated with it and stops working. It even leaks out from under the sticker that comes with the bag! So I've started putting on the sticker and leaving it on, and sealing it with two layers of waterproof medical tape as soon as a fresh bag is applied. I just leave all the layers on and deal with excess gas via the drainage opening. It's aggravating, but it's the only thing that seems to control the odor for the entire 3-4 days between bag changes. The next time I order bags, I'm requesting filterless.

Thanks for Sharing, CB.

Yes, that was also my experience with the Mio pre-filters. It would be nice if the Mio bags came in a filterless option, since the bag and wafer are still top-shelf products!

I had this very same problem so I changed bags and use pelican now and they are soooo much better.

Hello,  they DO make the mio without the filter. I know because when I was using it I was ordering the one piece mio with no fliter. I cannot remember the product number but if you call coloplast they will give you the product number that you can give to your supplier.

I stopped using mio because I was getting leakage at the velcro closure  at the bottom of the pouch but I found this to be a problem with other pouches that have the vel ro type ends. I now use a pouch that has a clip Instead and I feel more secure and no leaks in that area. Only thing is to always bring an extra clip with me in  case my clip falls into the toilet or something. 

Also I've found that those lubricating droderants would loosen my pouch even though it was only at the bottom. I stopped using it and started using hollister M9 which is absolutly the best deoderant out there in my opinion. 

As for the pancaking I like Eric's method of leaving a little air in the pouch so the bag is not sitting flat against the stoma. I also will rinse my bag sometimes if it gets bad enough. I use a bottled water bottle that I just fill up at my sink and carefully while holding the end of the bag closed and I slush the water around up there to get the output off the area. This sometimes can affect the seal but not usually. The output is far worse at effecting the seal than any water that I rinse with. I do change my bag daily though.