That's going to make it difficult. I think that if you suspect an infection then he should be seen at the hospital to at least try to get things controlled. Wishing you guys the best of luck!

For those having difficulty with an appliance sticking to deteriorated skin, or to cover challenged skin around the stoma and protect it, have you tried Hollihesive? It is a large square patch that you cut a hole in for your stoma, but it doesn't act like a barrier ring and respond to the wetness. I used the stoma powder in the holes around my entire stoma which had fully separated the skin from my stoma and was cleared up very quickly. I use Convatec Mio Sensura pouch but used the Hollihesive product with it until it was healed. I also did a Domboro soak around my stoma for 15 minutes with each change which helped the healing tremendously. It is a safe antiseptic powder you mix with water, soak paper towel in it and surround your stoma with it to soak. Worked wonders.
Good luck!
Rachelle

Great suggest, Rachelle. The Hollihesive may not be available everywhere, but the type of product is called a protective sheet (although, some brands call it a barrier sheet :

More info : https://www.veganostomy.ca/a-mini-guide-to-ostomy-supplies-protective-sheets-w-video/

My boyfriends stoma was injured and he had to have his stoma repaired. The surgery change the size of his stoma.
He has stoma supplies that he no longer can use. Is there a way that he can donate them?

I'm sure anyone would take them. I am only allowed enough for 8 a month

Here are some ideas: https://www.veganostomy.ca/unused-ostomy-supplies/

I hope your boyfriend is ok!

I've had my ostomy for 10 years now and I've tried so many things to help with skin erosion, oddly enough after all the expensive treatments I found that plain old diaper rash cream works best for me. If it gets real bad there's a product called Marathon liquid skin protectant.... Its pricy but works of you have a large affected area and lasts about 3 days.

Yes, diaper rash cream (which usually contains zinc oxide) can help with skin irritation, but it's often difficult to get an adhesive to stick on top of it. Do you do anything special before applying your wafer?

Marathon is something I've used in the past - it is VERY expensive, but also quite unique in what it can do.

I will likely do other videos on other ways to help with broken/irritated skin :)

Have you asked, your Doctor, to send a request to the insurance company, explain that you need more then right a month. Between my Doctor and Stoma nurse, I know can get 20 of wafers and 30 bags a month. I have a lot of leakage, do to a crease right next to my stoma. I also have to use a convex wafer, because I have a innie stoma.

for those who are having rashes etc. I swear by calalum lotion it has helped me in a big way . doesn't cost a lot , just make sure it is dry before you but the bag on can buy it in the drug store . belive me it works .I I was beside myself with raw skin . great stuff and you save a ton of money . I don't spend money on all this stuff they have out , good luck

Hey Sally,

Is that "calamine lotion" (the pink stuff)? If so, I'll correct your post :)

I used calamine lotion several times under my nurses recommendation. It was a while ago, but I did have some success with it! Glad it works for you!

My urostomy is 7 months old and buried. I have lots of bumps and folds in my belly which made it very difficult to find products. I finally found a bag and wafer that works for me but the area around my stoma has broken down. My doctor says the longer I keep the bag on the better, but it’s not getting any better. I am using calamine lotion and airing out the stoma for about an hour. Is it better to change the bag more often?

Hi Reva, changing too often or not often enough can both cause problems. I personally don't wear my appliance for longer than two or three days if the skin is raw and sore. I find that keeping it on longer causes more skin erosion and removing it more often than that just irritates my skin. I do find that my skin will heal very quickly (a few days) if given the right conditions, so if you have ongoing trouble, I'd suggest having a stoma nurse look at it for an assessment.

My stoma nurse recommended two products that healed my very deteriorated skin surrounding my stoma super quick. The first was using Domboro soaks for 15 minutes on the skin around my stoma for 15 minutes with every change. It is found at a pharmacy and is an antiseptic powder you mix with water. I would simply soak paper towel strips in the solution and wrap around my stoma. After dry, I applied Hollihesive under my flange and within a few weeks (4-5 changes every 3-4 days) the skin was tremendously improved. Good luck!

I have had my ileostomy for about 3 months. Recently I have noticed breakdown of the skin just underneath my stoma. I use the stoma powder and then apply the barrier ring and the the wafer. And I was changing about every 3-4 days. But the last couple changes I noticed the red skin not healing. It is not bleeding or oozing anything but I am concerned with it seeming to get larger every time I change. I am not having any leaks, I just notice this when I change the bag. I called my nurse and she said it sounded like I was doing everything right and maybe I need to change more often. But that concerns me of what it will do to the rest of my skin, especially the already irritated part. I use all Hollister products and through trial and error thought I had it mostly figured out. But now I am not so sure. I just don’t want the irritated skin to get worse and am not sure what to do next? My stoma does contract and sink down at times so I am not sure besides the barrier ring what else to do to help with that? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

How do you use the Marathon liquid skin protectant with irritated skin around a stoma?

Hey Sarah,

I agree with your nurse and you might want to try changing maybe every 2-3 days for a few weeks to see if that improves things.

Generally speaking, I don't use the stoma powder unless the skin is weepy (if it's just red or irritated, the stoma powder won't help with much).

Best of luck to you!

So, Marathon comes in this little applicator that's almost like applying lipstick. The liquid that comes out is spread thinly over the affected areas and when it dries it forms like a plastic layer on the skin to help protect it.

So what product would you suggest?

I would stick with your current appliance and barrier ring, but change them a day sooner than normal. Unless you're having specific trouble with the particular supplies you're using, I see no reason to change them for anything else.

You'll probably find that once your skin has healed and is back to normal, you'll be able to wear your appliance longer again. Damaged skin makes it very difficult to wear an appliance for very long, and many times the irritation leads to weepy skin, then problems with the adhesive sticking.

Update me in a few weeks and hopefully your skin will be happy again :)