I'm leaning towards closed pouches because my output is on the thick side. I'm having a difficult time emptying out a drainable when it fills fast. It's like I'm trying to force ball of peanut butter out thru a small opening. Sorry for the visual LOL 🤣 

I use lubricant deodorant and it works when it wants to. I sometimes have to bring out the water bottle and try to fill the pouch with it and this doesn't help me much.

So I'm thinking closed pouches and throw them away when full, and if it means replacing the pouch 3-4 times a day maybe that is what will work best.

Anyone here wear closed pouches?

One nurse told me to use chopsticks to empty my pouch. Found that odd!! 🤣 

Hi Johnny5,

My name is Dan, and been a member since 2017, though I not logging in as much as I should.

I have got a colostomy ( you don't tell if you have colostomy or Illiostomy).

You say that your stoma changes size so I tend to believe you also have colostomy. Here is what I have learned in 6 year of dealing with this:

1 - Drainable I found is much better, if you have a sudden run of watery stool, you can change the bag only and clean the Stoma with a wet gauze, you can also rinse the bag and re use it. With closed you don't have a choice but change the whole thing.

2 - Convex or flat depend if your Stoma stick out of your abdominal wall, or is below the abdominal wall, if it is below use convex, otherwise use the flat rings. I use the ring so when I have the runs it keeps it from leaking.

3 - I also added to my protection of leaks the Brava barrier strips (moon shaped strips to cover all sides of  your barrier)

4 - being that you say you Stoma changes size cut the hole bigger so when the Stoma enlarges, it does not create a problem.

This is how I do it, experiment and you will figure it out in no time

Good luck.

Dan

Hi Dan 

Thank you for the reply. Very good information.

I have a colostomy some days its easy to empty, other days not so much. I will keep experimenting.

Posted by: @johnny5

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One nurse told me to use chopsticks to empty my pouch. Found that odd!! 🤣 

I wonder if the idea was to use it to empty your pouch, like the way this product works. Still, I think it would be awkward.

Interesting device in lieu of chopsticks , probably something I wouldn't use. 

Currently I'm using the Coloplast convex soft one piece 13672. So far so good, I'm on day 3 with limited issues. 

Will the pancaking ever go away or get better for me? It's been only 2 months since surgery but will it eventually get better. Will this be the normal forever?

I've tried the lubricants from adapt and they don't work that great and yesterday I tried heavy mineral oil and that was a big failure as it destroyed 2 bags. The filter and lining was destroyed instantly.

Any help would be great.

Hi Johnny, I can hear your frustration, Medication can affect the output and of course diet. Keep tabs on what you are eating and see if there’s anything helping or making it worse. Fruit juices are a natural way to thin output. Keep the faith you will figure this out 👍👍

For me, leaving a little air in the pouch seems to help, also that little bit of water that gets left in the pouch after I rinse (when emptying).  Filters seem to create big-time pancaking, probably because they squeeze/suck the air right out of the pouch - that is my experience, so I don’t use them.

Adapt lubricant - I use it when the pouch is new, but not usually after that. It doesn’t help much, and because I am a rinser it mostly disappears after my first empty.

LLnorth what bag do you use? I haven't experimented with no filtered bags yet. 

I have a colostomy, also, and I use a Hollister 2-piece, no filter, with an Adapt barrier ring. This was what the ostomy nurse selected for me five years ago. I’ve tried a few samples of other brands/types, but this has worked the best for me. It is not perfect (but then, what is?).

Pancaking - it seems to come and go, but it is easier to deal with than when Ruby was new. John68 recommended drinking a little prune juice every day, which for me was good advice as it seems to help, too.  

Dogtalkerer has recommended cabbage soup., which I am going to try.

Posted by: @john68

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Fruit juices are a natural way to thin output.

Posted by: @llholiday

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For me, leaving a little air in the pouch seems to help, also that little bit of water that gets left in the pouch after I rinse (when emptying).

Good tips!

If you are strategic in this approach, you might be able to find a good balance between convenience and effectiveness.

And if juice doesn't work, some people find that coffee (even decaf) can do the same. Other people find that drinking more water can also help.

But we should be realistic. Colostomy output isn't normally going to be loose or liquid like ileostomy output, so the goal is to find a way to make it more manageable using one or more strategies. 

@veganostomy Ah, so it's like a tube squeezer!! Makes sense for thicker output maybe... I'm currently in 'practice mode' and using oatmeal in varying consistencies. When it's thicker, it clings to the sides and doesn't want to slide down easily. I can see how chopsticks or this product could help with that.

Posted by: @cat-momma

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When it's thicker, it clings to the sides and doesn't want to slide down easily.

Speaking purely as an anecdote, when I add chia seed to my meals (they become very gelatinous when wet), it helps the output to slide out of the bag by gravity alone. Even when it's thicker output.

It's not 100% consistent, but it happens often enough when I add chia seed that it's more than a coincidence.

Great tip! I love chia seed pudding, so it's comforting to know that it will actually help me drain my bag more easily ;)

I also love chia seeds for making berry jam.

@cat-momma And if chia isn't available or is too expensive, flax seed should have the same effect 😀

@veganostomy I know, but flax seed pudding just isn't the same... lol. Chia seeds are available here and affordable. I make chia seed pudding at least once a week, and sometimes bring it to work as an afternoon snack.