Dana,
How about those extended tapes they sell? Like the ones that are supposed to increase wear time or the ones for swimming?

Hi Dana,

Coloplast has a special cream (under various names depending on the country) that's supposed to moisturize and protect the skin. I'm wondering if that might help.

Link: https://products.coloplast.co.uk/coloplast/ostomy-care/brava/brava-barrier/brava-barrier-cream/

Theresa, I thought of that a few months ago and cut up the tape and placed it around the stoma. No improvement. Layers of real skin seems to have disappeared. At first I thought it was like a pressure sore from constant pressure due to wearing convex. My stoma is a perfect length, but it sinks INWARD, pulling the skin with it, when it ejects liquid. If not for that, I'd never leak. Then I figured the ring of skin around the stoma (think 1/2" and full circle) looked odd and wasn't skin at all. Shiny, but transparent. Not wet, just not true skin. It's so slick that nothing wants to truly adhere to it. The doctor and ostomy nurse were totally useless, but in Florida, most of the medical providers are. I went to Amazon and ordered spray glue for around the wafer opening, and a tube of ceramide cream. I figured I'd rub the cream in (although this shiny skin will NOT absorb), layer tape over it, spray glue on the Hollister opening (Convatec caused this after 30 years. So I recently went to a cloth/soft wafer: Hollister) and try not to eat or move for three days. LOL

My mother has a black/blue ring around her stoma. Can you tell me what causes this?

Hi Barb,

Does it look like it could be bruising? This can happen if she's wearing a convex appliance or even a thick barrier ring. It's more common when someone is also using an accessory belt too tight. I would suggest having a stoma nurse have a look just in case.

Regards,

Eric

Hi
My mother has a temporary ileostomy since last 5 weeks (Post op Ca rectum) and she is now on chemotherapy. The skin around the stoma just keeps on eroding and changing the wafer is a nightmare for her. We switched to a 2piece bag 4 days back but the skin doesnt seem to be healing as she still finds every movement painful. The barrier ring seems to be really good, but the link provided mentions that it is to be applied to dry, UNBROKEN skin. So isnt it useful in healing the eroded area? Please advice.
Mom's so frustrated, she even contemplates stopping the chemo and getting an early reversal done.

Thanks in advance
Aishwarya Praveen Kumar

I also wrote about the purple/black ring around my stoma and got no reply.
So I don't think there's ANY help out there. It's not skin, but more like a shiny "glass" looking piece of Saran Wrap.

Remember, YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO. Instructions (if you followed them) would keep you from using the product for many reasons (that were why you bought it to begin with!!!) If there is alcohol in the product, I would advise common sense, knowing how bad it would sting.
Otherwise, there's no harm (compared to what's happening NOW) in using these products. They won't stay on as long as they promise, but nothing does.

Hi Aishwarya,

I'm sorry to hear that your mother is having these difficulties.

Yes, barrier rings are meant to be applied to unbroken skin, but I find that it works on broken skin if there isn't too much fluid oozing from the skin.

I would, however, advise that she gets looked at by a stoma nurse, because she needs to find out why her skin is eroding. It could be the appliance, an allergy, a fungal infection, improper appliance fit, etc.

I wish her all the best.

Eric

Hi Dana, what has your stoma nurse said? Does it look like scarring that's taken on that color?

Well....I’ve had my Ileostomy for 46 years....and STILL have raw, excoriated skin right around the stoma. NOTHING will stick to excoriated skin because as soon as you dry the skin, a wetness will reappear in a minute. I’ve tried Barrier Wipes, Powders, well - everything out there, with no luck. I’m somewhat of an “expert” after all these years at putting on appliances - and must have tried every brand out there. Friars Balsam does not heal that RAW skin either. Even if I apply a sticky, mouldable wafer, as soon as I bend down or move around, the carefully applied, snug mouldable seal just “lifts” away from the wettish skin. It only takes an hour or so with an “around the stoma” leak (even if the appliance wafer is still fitmly in place), and the skin is exposed to effluent - and becomes raw again. If anyone comes across anything that will STICK to RAW SKIN while it heals, PLEASE let me know by posting on here. I’ve seen Stoma Nurses, and appliance Reps.....and no-one has a fix for my problem.

Hi Teddy,

I don't know to what extent your skin has been damaged, but what I've done several times is to let my skin breath for prolonged periods of time (hours). That causes the wetness to dry up and begin the healing process. It helps to do this with shorter times between changes (i.e. every other day) so that you slow down any further damage to the skin.

Sometimes, I will even expose my skin while having stoma powder on it to absorb extra moisture.

The obvious question would be "what about the output coming from my stoma?", so for that, I simply keep a kitchen catcher bag hanging off my waist to collect anything that comes out of my stoma.

Once you've done that a few times, your skin should be healthy enough to act as a good substrate for your appliance. However, if this has been ongoing for years (or decades), I would seriously consider looking at other appliances or modifying the time between changes. Going back to your current routine will likely enable this problem to come up again.

For more suggestions, I would highly recommend that you post questions on the Community Forums: https://www.veganostomy.ca/community/

Good luck!

I have had my ostomy for about 25 years. The ostomy bags and wafers I used for almost 20 years is no longer available because the company stopped making them--I even called the company trying to get them. In the nightmare of finding some that will work I have had trouble with irritated skin. Using corn starch helps with absorbing the moisture. Additionally I use products made for babies diaper rash. But not the ones that have a greasy feeling.... Desitin and butt paste. I apply it while taking a bath or shower and let it set (the flange won't stick with it left on.) Hopefully this will help someone.

Thanks for sharing that, Dixie.

It's a shame that you can't find your previous appliance anymore. I can imagine how frustrating it must be for you.

I appreciate the tip as well :)

Do you have any home remedies to suggest? I am an RN, with "some" experience w/ stomas. My colleague is currently on a medical mission in Mongolia and has a young man w/ a post op Day 7 stoma. She's sending me pictures later today, but due to limited supplies, I was wondering if there is any household products one can use to protect the skin. I know corn starch may be available. Thank you!

Hi Aimee,

If no stoma powder is available, you may be able to use cornstarch to help absorb moisture, but there have some people who say this can increase the risk of fungal infections so I would use caution.

Does your patient not have access to stoma powder? It should be as common as the rest of the appliance - if you can't order any, see if you can get free samples to use (they can last a long time!).

I’m not sure. My colleague FaceTimed with me this morning but it was night time for her. She should be sending me pictures and more info tonight. I know they don’t have much.

Also, I don't know how practical it is, but I would often leave my appliance off for several hours to help sore/weepy areas to heal. I'd hang a plastic bag over my waist to catch anything that came out of my stoma.

This could help if no powders are available, but again, I don't know how practical it is for the patient.

I was able to FaceTime with my colleague and was shown the stoma. It appears as if it is retracted with some issues around the stoma but I couldn’t get a clear view. There is powder and paste available. There was an appliance/wafer on it yesterday but the bag kept coming off and the water was causing too much pain so they removed it.

I recommended applying powder and paste around the stoma to protect the intact skin might help. Leaving the stoma covered w a moist gauze.

I’m also thinking he may need to go back to the hospital to be evaluated. The stoma also may have been infected. It looked bad.

Thank you!

I forgot to mention this man is on hospice so I’m not sure what they’re willing to do for him. :(