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Noisy, crinkly Hollister pouches

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LLNorth
(@llholiday)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 562
Topic starter  

Does anybody have any tricks for lessening the noise from the newer Hollister pouches?

These new pouches rattle/crackle every time I move. It is noticeable enough that my husband commented on it - horrifying to realize that he could hear this but I’m glad he said something - no use pretending to myself that I wasn’t hearing anything.

I have some StomaCloak covers, but they are no match for the rattle/crackle

The information sheet inside the boxes of pouches says that Hollister didn’t make this change to save money. Why did they do it, then - to ensure that everyone in a gift shop, or book store, or even at my house, can hear and know that I am wearing a Hollister ostomy appliance?

Colostomy 4/30/18.
I love the smell of coffee in the morning. It smells like .... victory.


   
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(@squeakyandliza)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 1036
 

I’m sure your husband didn’t want you to be horrified that he could hear your bag. It was nice of him to let you know. If I had a noisy bag, I would hope my husband would tell me. 😀

I definitely don’t have that problem with my Coloplast bags.  I know it would take something big to get me to change what I am comfortable with, but I think a noisy bag would do it. 😂

Hopefully Hollister will get enough feedback that they go back to what they were using before. 

-Liza
Ileostomy 6/18/2018
“May your day be bright and your bag be light.”


   
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VeganOstomy
(@veganostomy)
Admin
Joined: 11 years ago
Posts: 4372
 
Posted by: @llholiday

The information sheet inside the boxes of pouches says that Hollister didn’t make this change to save money. Why did they do it, then

You wouldn't happen to have a photo of this information sheet, would you? 

I imagine they're explaining about the chlorine free plastic they use now, but I'd be really interested in knowing if it's something else. 

For the noise, which i also find excessive, cloth covered bags are quieter than the transparent ones and I do find that pouch covers, wraps, or something like the StealthBelt also helps. Noise is most noticeable when I'm emptying the bag or adjusting it... not something that needs to be done often or in the presence of others. 

But if anyone else has any suggestion, please share them 😀

Just your friendly neighborhood ostomate.
~ Crohn's Disease ¦ Ileostomy ~


   
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 LK
(@dlkfiretruck)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1557
 

LLNorth & @veganostomy...so now its not just me...deep sigh! This is the rattle that brought my 14 mth grand to lifting my shirt & trying to find the noise beneath my pants! I could not believe the noise either ! I was actually down right embarrassed by it & I mostly live alone, that is until my basement dwellers come upstairs.  I feel like I'm wear noisey rubber pants you put on a baby in a cloth diaper. What can I say, my kids wore cloth diapers & rubber pants. 

When I phoned Hollister & I really pushed for a reason for this change & l got no answer.  I asked where they get the plastic &  I asked if this was a COVID19 issue of supply being available or NOT, still no answer. If I have to wear this noisey thing I should at least know why!!! After about 15 seconds I asked about covid again,  more silence,  then finally a definite YES. Really not a great explanation if you ask me.  I  understand  if thats truly the reason but her hesitancy to be honest about it to begin with really ticked me off.

The end result...I was sent 2 new bags with a cloth covering on both sides & a peaking  window to lift on the front upper half of the pouch but its the same noisey plastic. The difference is the cloth is on both sides. The wafer is a lighter colour  and feels much harder then the ones I wear. The pouch number is HOLLISTER 8901.  It has dotted circles between solid lines where we cut to fit.  I have not even tried it because I'm worried the difference in the wafer will affect my stupid sensitive skin. I respect honesty so much more then  dodging answers!! 

I was also sent 2 others, Hollister 8931. The plastic for the back of it is beige in colour , the front clear & just as noisey.   It has the same harder wafer.  I wear a Hollister 8331 for now and tho the number never changed the plastic sure did....I'm So not impressed!! 

Linda


   
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Robert
(@njewell1)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 709
 

Hello LLNorth 

I too have noticed the change in the bags . I agree they can be noisy . I use the Hollister 18113 bags with the cloth on both sides but I wear a wrap maybe this is why I have no problem with the noise . The wrap seems to keep it quieter and also more canceled and for me more comfortable  . 

Proctectomy , Ileostomy , Ulcerative Colitis


   
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LLNorth
(@llholiday)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 562
Topic starter  

Photo - they are trying to make my life more dignified? Doesn’t work!

1610736969-97EA00C3-A3E1-4313-8DA3-1F0143E059BF.jpeg

Colostomy 4/30/18.
I love the smell of coffee in the morning. It smells like .... victory.


   
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(@squeakyandliza)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 1036
 

@llholiday

It is interesting that they say the change was not made as part of a cost saving initiative, but they don’t actually say why the change was made. It seems like people would be more interested in why it was made than reasons it wasn’t made for.   😂

-Liza
Ileostomy 6/18/2018
“May your day be bright and your bag be light.”


   
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GoatHerder
(@goatherder)
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 162
 

Oh man, don't get me started!

I had a long conversation with Hollister about this problem. As an engineer, I noticed immediately from one shipment to the next that the composition of the plastic used had changed.

They explained that they changed the formula of the plastic to eliminate a specific compound that tended to leach into the soil and ground water when sent to the landfill. Their goal of course, to be more environmentally friendly.

I get that.

Still, as one UK doctor with an ostomy who follows us on Twitter mentioned a few months ago, "I was using the restroom, and someone thought I was trying to open a bag of crisps (British speak for potato chips) in the stall"

Hollister happily sent me several different bags to try, but with the new formulation, they were all noisy.

My wife and I are most distressed about the crunching noise when we are intimate, as it can be a huge distraction!

Our current solution,  I wrap a washcloth around the bag, and then bind everything in a wonderful Ostomy Secrets  wrap.

 

Retired engineer, now goatherd
Ostomate since 2015: Mid transverse after cancer
Our goats always live at GoatsLive.com


   
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 LK
(@dlkfiretruck)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1557
 

@goatherder...I also noticed it immediatly as well on opening the box. Normally mine are opaque so I thought the Pharmacy had made an error, so I called them.  All the product numbers  were correct. After the 2nd order came, I called Hollister. I mark that as a failed call. 

The description of "opening a bag of crisps" is right on. My little dog even looked at me with great suspicion when I walked in the room, when I sat down, she jumped on my lap & started digging at my tummy!  Oddly enough, when I gave her a treat that night, the bag they come in  made the same noise!! ugh🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️!  It was bad enough my 14 month old granddaughter did as much as she could to find the noise, but honestly, there is no dignity in this new plastic at all! As far as I feel,  its like I'm right back to where I was before I could buy the M9!!!!!!! I like to wear skirts & dresses in spring & summer, its gets pretty darn 🔥 hot here, not a time for layers.

Linda


   
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VeganOstomy
(@veganostomy)
Admin
Joined: 11 years ago
Posts: 4372
 

That note is way different than the one I received in 2019.

1610893806-20190816_1711282.jpg

Just your friendly neighborhood ostomate.
~ Crohn's Disease ¦ Ileostomy ~


   
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Bill Bell
(@bago)
Joined: 8 years ago
Posts: 68
 

I have the exact same notice from Hollister as @llholiday on my 18182 pouches.

I haven't noticed a real change in the noise from the old, but there is a little noise from the pouches.

Bill
Ulcerative Colitis... Ileostomy June 2016


   
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(@dogtalkerer)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 323
 

I'd like to see the study that suggests how many ostomy bags are in a typical landfill compared to all the other plastics?  my guess,  in the millions to 1 category.

we have a much bigger problem if landfills are leaching into ground water with all that gets tossed into garage. 

 

yeah, the enviromentialists could care less about our dignity, their adgenda is far more important, even if insignificant. .  my guess Hollister caved under pressure. 


   
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VeganOstomy
(@veganostomy)
Admin
Joined: 11 years ago
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Posted by: @dogtalkerer

I'd like to see the study that suggests how many ostomy bags are in a typical landfill compared to all the other plastics?  my guess,  in the millions to 1 category.

While I do imagine that ostomy bags are a drop in the bucket compared to other plastics, I'm all for making less evil plastic. 

The real issue here is that it seems this "improvement" has created more problems than it solves. 

It's possible that European environmental policies forced Hollister to make these changes, but that's pure speculation. 

Just your friendly neighborhood ostomate.
~ Crohn's Disease ¦ Ileostomy ~


   
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LLNorth
(@llholiday)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 562
Topic starter  

I emailed to Hollister with my concerns, and they asked me to call them to talk about my “experience.” The woman on the phone said that this is a temporary situation while they find a film formula that does not use chlorine, which she informed me leeches into landfills.  I must say here that I thought of Dogtalkerer right away and told her that I cannot imagine that this could much chlorine at all, but that I understand Hollister’s reasoning. (Quite tactful of me, really)

She said that Hollister is greatly concerned for the dignity of ostomates and so I thought I would tell her how this is affecting the dignity of my life: I am generally happy with my Hollister system, however 1) the new pouches crackle whenever I move; I was trying to ignore it but last month my husband finally mentioned it so I know it can be heard, 2) I have developed a habit of clearing my throat whenever I change positions, say, when I am sitting on the couch reading and wanting to cross my legs, or bending to pick something up, to cover the crackling sound. It often crackles while I walk. 3) I dread going into a quiet bookstore or gift shop, 4) I am thankful that I work online for now and don’t have to be in the office with other people surrounding me.

Then, without my asking, she told me that they do not know when there might be a solution found for this. 

She said that Hollister really wants to hear about people’s concerns. I believe her; I felt that she was sympathetic - and she is, after all, the customer service representative and not in charge of the company.

LL

Colostomy 4/30/18.
I love the smell of coffee in the morning. It smells like .... victory.


   
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LLNorth
(@llholiday)
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 562
Topic starter  

About the chlorine - what in the world happens to the chlorine in the water from swimming pools? Just a thought. I am no scientist but I would bet that the chlorine in one swimming pool is many, many times what is used during the lifetimes of many, many ostomy appliance users.  

Colostomy 4/30/18.
I love the smell of coffee in the morning. It smells like .... victory.


   
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(@dogtalkerer)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 323
 

the Coloplast bags are a bit noisy.   I seem to recall cymed telling me  theirs are EVA.  I think they were a bit noisy too.

US pop. is 328million, UOAA  estimates 400,000 ostomies. so 1 in 820.  the amount of plastics in the waste stream are enormous compared to the ostomy bag..

landfills in US required to have liners to prevent leaching.  

 

I'll get your chlorine answer, there's a retired chemist working at local hardware store, he hates PVC .

it's probably similar to the difference between NaCl (table salt) and Na and Cl by themselves.  Na would burn if you ingested it. fire burn, not hot pepper burn.


   
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 LK
(@dlkfiretruck)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1557
 

Well...I phoned Hollister again because without even noticing it I had shot thru another bottle of M9 due to a small, but to my nose loud amount of odour seeping from the new pouches.  My dog has become a real sniffer over something she ignored before unless there was a real leak.  I was actually in tears because within 1 hr. not just my grand, again,  but my dog too was determined to see what was under my clothes...I wanted to say in my pants but...well, that may sound wierd. Lol!   My pup has a new Christmas toy that sounds just like I do now. While resting on my bed she started digging at my tummy to find her toy! I'll admit, it was a bit funny but my goodness, this is almost too much.  The embarrassment is hard on me!! 

While speaking to a most kind Hollister lady she told me Hollister is looking into making their own supply of plastic because "they do not ever want to be in this situation again" and she stated that COVID9 played a role in plastic availability and that they take seriously our concerns over the noise & yes, odour seeping much earlier then before these pouches ever did. They are hearing from otstomates they never heard from before from all over the world. It has not just been hard on us, but on the folks answering the phones at Hollister too. But don't let that stop you from calling, they NEED to HEAR about it in order to ACT on it.  The squeaky wheel gets the grease, so squeak folks, loud & clear about how this affects your life in all ways.   There's a lot of "stress happening because of the noisey new plastic"  she said,   there are big environmental concerns as well that helped  lead to supply issues.

We in Canada know that Canadian Gov't is clamping down hard on environmental issues and  that's a good thing. We do have future generations we are responsible for & thats an important consideration here too. Our Children & those that follow do not need to be cleaning up our messes which are big enough already when we are gone. Though this wreaks havoc in my life I can't imagine ostomates in a business meeting or at work crackling as they go about their day  & the silent impact it will have on them.  Ugh!! My heart ❤  honestly goes out to anyone in this situation.  I had just become really very comfortable & content with being in public with a pouch, I owe that to Hollister efforts and especially to the folks here at VO in making sure I felt this way.  Thank you Eric!! Without this site I would likely still be dealing with a lot of uncomfortable issues.

On speaking with this gal who stayed overtime at work to take one more call & speak to me, she did what she could do to help.  She is sending me a free bottle of M9 & to help with explaining to my granddaughter, she told me that there is a doll available with a stoma, male, female, all  races in consideration available as much as possible to help explain to children & to my little Gwen what her Gramma has. There is even a small pouch she can use to put on & off the doll. Its used to help children in need of an ostomy or needing education about it & its free too. 

I was so glad she realized that because I'm now changing my pouch on the 2nd or 3rd day instead of 4 to 7 days depending on activity level, that my cost of Osto EZ Vents has gone way up too. These vents & what was the much quieter 8331 pouch & the M9 were what finally put me at ease in public with a pouch. She gave a phone number to a company that carries the Vents and M9 as well as other products at a much more reasonable cost & with free shipping after $28.00.  

***The company is Pay Less, phone number          1-866-533-0772.  The M9 $28.00 and the vents $22.81 for 10 !   I am charged thru my eye teeth thru my Pharmacy for Vents @ $45.00+ for 10  & $50.00 + for the M9. She also recommended using wraps over the pouches to help stiffle noises.  I can't imagine wearing more let alone a heavier material wrap during the heat we get here in Canadas ONLY desert in Summer!!! Yes, cactusses grow in the wild here, I have 2 in my back garden. I think with a heavier wrap & added heat it will only add to leaks as materials of the wafer soften.  This brings me to another point.

I spoke before of the wafer changes.  Lighter in colour & harder to bend off of my tummy. I worried about the changes because of my sensitive skin.  She says they are made of the same environmentally friendly material and should not cause an issue because of colour &  flexibility as they "will soften" the same as the old wafer on the 8331 Hollister pouches.  My thoughts...though one side is quieter, the other not, how long before that plastic or supply is no longer available over both CO19 & environmental issues? Very deep sigh...! I asked how long the wafer is good for off of a person, she said 5 years. 

We spoke for 40 min. & I really appreciated her time & what felt was sincere concerns. It sounds like Hollister is doing there best to accommodate with these forced changes. so...I guess in the mean time,  we can hope they soon set up a new shop to accommodate a better quiet plastic. Still, call them & if you can, write a letter too.

Linda


   
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glenn.giroir
(@glenn-giroir)
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 298
 

Could someone give me an expiration date on the noisy bags?  I'm a newbie, so not sure if I'm using the bags in question or not.  Most of my 18113 bags have an expiration date of 2025, and they are a bit noisy.  

BTW, I wear a wrap at most times, which eliminates most if not all of the noise for me.        

Ulcerative Colitis (1995)
Permanent Ileostomy (2019)
Doing what it takes to enjoy life to its fullest.


   
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 LK
(@dlkfiretruck)
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1557
 

@glenn-giroir...I got my first order of the noisey pouches back in May 2020. I truly thought it was  because the pharmacy put in a wrong order....but no such luck!! By the 3rd order... I checked with them at Hollister before they put it in learning about these changes.  I Hope that helps Glen. If the ones you have now are not noisey sorry to say my friend, but you will notice a change pretty quickly!  

Your a  teacher, I have a few suggestions just for your!! lol! You could have a small chip bag that you scrunch in front of every class & stuff noticeably into your pocket  & leave some hang out & squish it a time or two to make the noise known  so you can blame it on that! No mysterious noises in front of the class that way!! You could keep the chip bag noticeably in your hands & call it a stress bag...Or...your a Science teacher, you could use it as a future History lesson & how CO19  has affected not just the TP supply, but  plastics too.  Any rude student remarks could turn into an environmental report or lesson on how plastics affect the environment. Have fun with it, keep them guessing how you can eat all those chips & not gain weight. Lol!  Maybe you can put five or six  small table top fountains in your room to run during class time. lol...I'm sorry...I couldn't resist, l just can't imagine simply having to stand in front of my mirror with this noisey pouch & try & keep it quiet while moving let alone standing in front of a classroom of teens!  Wow, that's a test only a seasoned teacher can deal with & I'm sure you can!!!  At 1st I thought just maybe  I developed super hero hearing powers but to me this rattle can be heard across any noisey classroom!!! LOL!!! 

Ugh!! I hope l haven't destroyed your confidence & made you worry too much,  but be sure & let us know how this goes for you! I truly hope its not an issue at all though! Last time I was in a classroom the kids shuffling about in their desks it out rattled these pouches! 

Linda


   
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glenn.giroir
(@glenn-giroir)
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 298
 

I'm pretty sure I'm on the crinkly pouches.  But, the wrap that I use eliminates pretty much all crinkles unless I rub my tummy. 😁

 

Ulcerative Colitis (1995)
Permanent Ileostomy (2019)
Doing what it takes to enjoy life to its fullest.


   
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