My stoma nurse came to visit today and introduced me to an ostomy bag liner that she suggested I try: The Colo-Majic ostomy pouch liner.
I had seen this product before, but never looked into reviews or anything, so I was pretty much new to the entire thing when she showed me how they work.
Basically, with a standard, drainable pouch, you empty your stoma’s output through the bottom of the pouch and then change that appliance between 3-7 days or so. With liners, they collect the stool and you simply remove them from your pouch and replace it with a new liner. Sounds pretty easy and convenient – in writing at least.
The product samples I have are from Colo-Majic. I believe they are the first company to come out with liners. I’ve seen a few others, which I’ll be (hopefully) testing once I get their samples in.
The Colo-Majic products are the most expensive and the most well-known, so I’d like to shop around before committing to a box.
Here’s what they look like:
With this particular liner, you’re supposed to poke pinholes in a designated spot to allow gas to escape, and if your pouch has a filter, the gas will leave the pouch from there and the idea is that the filter stays dry.
Sounds great, but my experience so far with the first two liners is that I should probably not poke those holes and let the gas collect and then “burp” the pouch, as I’ve noticed leaking from the liner into the bag, despite the fact that my output isn’t very liquid.
Another problem I’ve encountered, and this could be because I don’t have a good workflow figured out yet, is that while I’m removing one liner and inserting another, my stoma is exposed and will happily spew forth whatever it desires – whether I want it to or not.
Fortunately, my toilet caught the output on my last attempt and my pants didn’t, but it’s a great lesson to learn before taking these liners out into public, where an accident could be a bit of a nightmare to deal with.
So for now, I’ll be using the bags without the pinholes, and I’ll try to find a better way to change the liner without allowing for too much play time for my stoma… perhaps preloading another clean pouch with a liner and quickly swapping it when it’s time to empty the pouch attached to me might work… but it means carrying more supplies.
I’ll be back with an update after I experiment a bit further. If you’ve had any experience with ostomy pouch liners, please feel free to share your thoughts or techniques on how to effectively use them.
I found that this brand is to say the least VERY biodegradable as it was disintegrating before I even pulled them out which was a mess the wall didn’t need. I use a brand called Attiva they hold up so much better. I do agree that at times when doing a change the stoma can have a mind of it’s own which is why I call mine squirt. I have had a few bad moments and lets say I will never eat Pistachio’s again EVER That was a nightmare I never want to relive. I use Dog poop bags to dispose of my bag (septic system not friendly to these bags no matter what they tell you) Cheaper then the other bags and you can get scented.
I find Milk makes me very gassy I would be burping my bag a lot I say to my hubby woops I farted and then I go out side.
I have had mine for 10 months now and I still have mini breakdowns and well think I am hideous because of it.. The why me and why didn’t they listen and find my cancer earlier is my go to bad thoughts.
My favorite thing is marshmallows if I’m too runny It’s my go to.
I’m quite new in the Game of Ostomate (6 mo.!) and have spent a good deal of effort to get over the learning curve with as few nightmare lessons as possible. I was introduced to the Color Majic pouch liners recently, and am impressed with the ease and speed I can potentially clear the pouch of stomal output. With only a couple frustrating episodes (while traveling with friends, of course!), I am becoming more adept at disappearing for a few moments, to complete a “bag change”. I always carry an extra pouch, with liner inserted, in my “accessories bag”. If all goes as planned, I can change pouches, flush the partially filled liner, and insert a new one for next time, quicker than a non-ostomate can complete his mission.
My NEW question/concern is the biodegradability of the liners; what is a great new improvement for me might be “not so much” for everyone else!
Unfortunately, not even the “biodegradable” ones are very biodegradable in any practical sense: https://www.veganostomy.ca/are-pouch-liner-flushable/
Have you had any further comments on these liners? I’m wondering if these may be good for me
Hey, Stacy.
If you have a colostomy, then I’d suggest at least giving them a try (you should be able to get samples). But if you have an ileostomy, you may find it too mess to remove and replace multiple times throughout the day – especially if your output is more on the liquid side.
If you do try them out, let me know how it goes.
Eric
Let me know how they work for you. I think they’ll offer a lot more for colostomates, who don’t have to worry so much about frequent or loose stools.
I am ordering some now to try them out. I guess anything new is better than nothing new when it comes to this.