Hi Gang,

Alright, I'm getting really fed up with my skin problems. February will mark my one year anniversary as an (permantent) ostimate, and my skin has yet to be unbroken and healthy for more than a few days at a time.

I use the moldable convex durhaesive wafers from ConvaTec with a drainable pouch fromColplast- and I use the adhesive coupling system (the type where the pouch sticks to a flimsy plastic sheet on the wafer). I have had to use Eakin seals to make any progress whatsoever in getting my skin healed up, but even with them, as soon as my skin gets completely healed, I have a leak or something and it gets irritated again.

I'm TIRED of skin problems. I've tried pastes and strip paste from Coloplast, and barrier rings from Hollister and strips from ConvaTec and everything else I can think of. I change my appliance every three days to help improve skin problems, and I use an adhesive remover to take it off to make it easier on my skin. Overall, things are usually fairly ok. Sometimes my skin is excoriated enough that just wearing my appliance is painful. It has never been in great shape for more than a day or two.

I wash my skin very carefully and well in the shower with each change, and when it is intact enough, I swab the skin down with alcohol to make sure the skin is as clean as possible. I use stomahesive powder in the raw spots and spray on barrier stuff over that.

Does anyone have any other suggestions to help get my skin under control once and for all? I really am so dang tired of fussing with this.

-Rae

Alcohol is very drying to the skin - I wonder if that is actually making your problems worse? I find the less stuff I use, the better my skin is...I use no barrier spray, skin prep or adhesive remover (my skin adjusted to no remover after a few weeks). I use just an Eakin, a tiny bit of powder as needed, my wafer and the bag. Have you tried less is more?

I also used just a little powder to help heal any irritated areas. Then I would use a pump spray skin barrier that dries fast. I would give it 3 seperate coats and then put on the new wafer. But once I got it healed and changed it every third day I had no problems. Best of luck
Craig

I was having terrible skin problems as well. I found a different ET nurse who saw me in her office for one hour (instead of treat me over the phone) and she redid everything--changed from Hollister to Coloplast, used a lot of the skin barrier spray--multiple layers, and then the powder. Also every now and then I try to keep the bag off for 1/2 a day to let the skin breathe. I went from being miserable and depressed to getting my life back--in one hour! Shop around. All ostomies are different. Good luck and God bless!

Hi Rae,

I have to agree with Jill about the alcohol, it can be very irritating to the skin. I switched from using the barrier wipes which contained alcohol (can't remember the brand) to a no-sting barrier wipe and my skin improved in just a few days.

That is the only thing I use apart from a little powder when my skin is really excoriated, but I can't remember the last time I needed powder! I do remember that it undermined my wafer so my wear time was always much shorter whenever I used the powder.

Sorry I can't be of much help. I hope you figure this out soon.

Take care

Shell

Rae,

I've been able to manage my skin problems by eliminating all the wipes and irritating tape. I too had an awful time with leaks and irritated skin. Here is what I do.

I use a Convatec Duradheasive Convex wafer with a snap-on bag. I cut the tape off of the wafer and use Hy-Tape (aka: Pink Tape) in its place. Just a few strips of the 1.5" wide Hy-Tape frames the wafer nicely. I get about 4 days out of this, I can probably go longer but I don’t want to push my luck! I pull off the appliance while in the shower and just use soap and water to clean. The cleaning/adhesive wipes made things worse for me. The Hy-Tape usually leaves a little residue but I don't worry about it. After a shower I dry the area off with a towel, give it a quick blast with a hair dryer, then slap on the new wafer and frame it with Hy-Tape.

I still get a little itching and some redness but it is much better than before.

I hope this helps.

With clean dry(as possible) skin, put a small amount of Ilex on the raw skin and around the base of the stoma where it usually gets raw. Then top with the skin prep spray or the like and make sure it is dry. After that put on your Eakin (I always had to use a half of one and make it thin because it kept my wafer from adhering farther out from the stoma.) During this whole prep time keep a VIVA paper towel on the stoma to keep it as dry as possible. take it off just before you put on your wafer.

This was the only thing that helped keep my skin from getting bad around the base of my stoma. I also used adhesive remover, and then washed with Basis Cleaner Clean Face Wash (green tube). I put a bit on my wet paper towel, washed off, then rinsed by wiping with more wet paper towels. Then I waited till I was good and dry to start the Ilex ritual.

Lori

Hi Rae,

I wish I had the cure all to your problems but I don't. All my good advice came from you! It just breaks my heart to see your posts with these problems and although I have no good advice for you, please know your in my thoughts and prayers for this to be resolved forever!!

I'm sorry your going through this.

Hi Gang!

I know alcohol can irritate- and I despise barrier wipes that have it unless my skin is in really good shape. Oddly enough, I seem to do *better* when I clean my skin with alcohol than when I don't. It seems to get residue from adhesives, adhesive removers and all that off better than anything else, and that helps my wafers stick better.

I'd LOVE to be able to just use a barrier wipe with no powder or anything else. I'm beginning to think that changing my appliance is ALWAYS going to be a major production.

I haven't tried the Ilex trick yet because the stuff has always been so ickily messy to me. I may give it a shot and see what happens.

My skin was actually in pretty good shape last Tuesday, and I decided to give using no Eakin seal a try. I had to change again the next day because my skin was bothering me so much, and it was red, raw and bleeding more than it had been in a long time.

I envy those of you who can just slap on a new appliance when change time comes. I think my chnged are getting more complicated rather than simpler.

Laurie- what a nice thing to say! I'm glad I can be of some help to you from time to time!

-Rae

Rae, I know that this is no fun for you and you must have tried virtually everything under the sun to get the right system.

I have found though that if my skin feels irritated and I'm sure the wafer isn't leaking then I try to ride it out for a few days before changing. The irritation usually settles down once the healing properties in the wafer start doing their job. I find that the Convatec moldable wafers can be very hard on my skin if I try to change them too often, heck I practically have to use a crow bar to prise them off (just kidding) so I use an orange oil based medical dressing remover and this is so much kinder to my skin than all the other ostomy removers. It does mean that I have to make sure I get all the oil off from the skin surrounding Wee Willie and make sure it is squeaky clean but the oil just melts away any residue left behind by the old wafer and leaves my skin in really good shape.

I love to take really long hot showers on change day and spend at least 10 minutes just aiming the shower hose at the skin around Wee Willie (not on the stoma itself though) and I swear that this massages the skin stimulates the blood supply and I can see any redness from where my wafer was just dissapear as I'm showering.

The other thing that comes to mind (and I'm probably repeating myself here) is to try to make sure you don't get any of the moisture (that clear drool stuff) from the stoma onto the underside of your wafer as you're applying it. For this reason I wrap Wee Willie in a little turbin of paper towel and change it frequently thought my prep. Then just before I apply the new wafer I give him a last dab with the paper towel and then whip it off quickly and place the new wafer before he starts drooling again.

I really hope that you can find something that works for you Rae, I think we are all running out of suggestions!

Good luck and chin up.

Shell

Shell,
I can just see it now, Frank with the crowbar and you hanging onto the bathroom door. lol.
6M$S,
I just got some HY tape in the mail a day ago,I'm going to try the picture framing for my showers.
Rae,
I used a new adhesive remover from holister after sorting through some of my ostomy supplies that I got as samples. I found out real quick it had alcohol in it. It got the skin to clean for me. I use the smith & nephew adhesive remover and the cavilon skin prep, I never use the powder or seals.
If there is one piece of advice I think was a god send to me is the ostomy belt. Thanks to whomever suggested it to me on this site but it has given me a whole bunch of confidence, longer wear time and my skin never gives me much trouble except for the ocasional redness around the stoma.I get a little itchy around the barrier from time to time. I shave my stomach every other appliance change.
I personally think if you don't use a belt imediately after a change it can't get the initial stick that the barrier needs to make a good seal, I wear a belt most of the time and "always" after a barrier chg. I use a convatec durahesive barrier and the tupperwear bag with the belt hooks. Good luck Rae.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DMC,

Hi Don,

You know you've just given me a pretty funny mental image and I'll never ever be able to change my wafer without that picture in my head now!

Where as I don't like wearing the ostomy belt, I do agree that making sure the wafer is well secure for at least the first few hours after changing is very important. For this reason I always make sure that I wear a pair of my tightest lycra knickers the day I change and I'm pretty sure the reason I don't get leaks (touching everything wooden within reach here! ) is beacuse I always wear supportive underwear!

Rae, I really do hope you've been having a little more luck with this latest change, let us know how you're doing.

Take care

Shell

Hi Gang!

Don, that image you described for Shell is priceless! As she put it, I'm never going to be able to change my appliance without images of crowbars dancing in my head.

The last week, or at least the last few days seem to be going better. My skin is not quite so raw as it was before, and my appliance changes are more comfortable. I've finally managed to get a few hours clear in my schedule to see my ostomy nurse next week. She's always a big help. I guess I'm just feeling a little disappointed that I'm *this* close to my one-year anniversary of my ileostomy, and I'm still struggling with skin issues.

I have a couple of ostomy belts, and there are times that I use them- like when I'm going through one of those periods of time that I leak no matter what I'm doing. For the most part, I really don't like them. It would figure that I'd prefer an appliance that doesn't have an option to wear a belt! They can be a God send though.

-Rae

Rae, If you haven't already, try the lycra underwear or even a pair of panty hose. Cut the legs off if you want to wear them with slacks or jeans.

Shell

I use lycra underwear at times, and have even tried bike shorts under jeans when I was really feeling the need for extra support. For the most part, the Synergy system seems to be working for me- despite my complaints. The durhesive wafer sticksnicely for me- unless it leaks. It has got to be better than anything else I've ever tried, even with its bad times.

Using the Coloplast pouches with it is just that much better. I constantly brag to my ostomy nurse about your combination Shell, and she has even recommended it to another patient. She was surprised at first that two companies would have compatible parts (since the "tupperwear" systems are all just a tad off from each other), but it would be tough to make the adhesive systems only able to use their own pouches. I LOVE this combination. I'm hoping that one of these days I can make it work without Eakin seals.

*laugh* As I mentioned, I've watched a few of the educational "how to use this product" videos on the ConvaTec site. All of these happy people happily changing their perfectly working appliance systems... One of these days soon, I'm going to write my own version of one (*eeeevil cackle*).

-Rae