I had a yeast infection under the paper tape portion of my wafer a couple of weeks ago, between cutting the tape off of the wafers and using Nystatin powder, it got better. Unfortunately, I think I started leaving the tape on again too soon because now it's back with a vengence!! I was on a business trip and by the time I got back late Saturday night I was going crazy! I was able to call yesterday and get a Diflucan Rx called in which I took yesterday.

The area around my wafer is red, bumpy, itchy and weeping. How long until I see an effect from the Diflucan?? I've been using the Nystatin powder still too but with the weeping it just turns into a gooey mess.

Anything else I can do in the meantime to help? Does Benadryl help with the itching?

THANK YOU!!
Erin

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this and I feel your pain. I had so many skin problems when I had the bag. I don't have much advice but just wanted to say hang in there. My experiences with diflucan have been that I see results within just a couple of days so hopefully you will too.

I had the same thing happen about a week ago. I found that if I was able to keep the area around the tape from getting wet, the red bumps and rash dried up. I normally put hy-tape around the tape on the wafer, but I think water was getting under it and not drying which caused the yeast problem. I went to the surgeon and got a prescription for diflucan, haven't tried it yet.

Nystatin powder never worked for me, I dealt with rashes under my wafers for months...finally gave up a went to the doctor and was given Viaderm K.C cream. It worked like a charm, Felt better the next day, and it totally cleared up in a week! Till then, try to cut back the wafer tape from the skin as much as possible to let it dry and heal.

I remember my surgeon telling me to take Benadryl because the itching under the wafer was drving me crazy too!

I agree with Cas. Benadryl will help with the itching. You can also try Domeboro solution. It is an astringent (aluminum acetate). Use this solution when you change your bag. This will help dry up the weep and calm some of the itch. Dampen a paper towel with the solution and let it soak on the area for a few minutes. Then dry the area and use Nystatin powder.

Good luck.

OK, so it's now day 4 of the Diflucan and things have taken a turn for the worse. As of yesterday I noticed a bit of improvement, less itching, etc. Today it's back and it's horrible. I also have a red bumps that have spread up and across my stomach and down my right thigh. I talked to my stoma nurse and she said that I may need another course of Diflucan. At this point, to do a double-dose, wouldn't I need two more pills since the first one is losing effect and probably out of my system by now? I know that Diflucan is not good for the liver, how dangerous is it if I have three doses within a week?

We don't think it's an allergy because I've not had the paper tape portion on for almost a week and I've taken Benedryl with no effect. If we can't get it under control then I'm going to see a dermatologist but I think I'll be committed before then! This constant itching makes it hard to concentrate and makes me much more irritable. I hate it! The topical Nystatin doesn't seem to be doing much now except but is probably keeping it from becoming a nasty oozing mess.

Has anyone had this happen? Did the double dose of Diflucan help? Is it dangerous? Right now I'm just waiting for my PCP to call me back to get the Rx called in. I sure hope they hurry!

Thank you!!!

Erin

I'm sorry to hear about all these problems you're having. This sounds like an infection to me. You poor thing!

OK, I got a Rx for Diflucan and she gave me seven days at 150mg each. I know it's usually only one pill and I worry that such a prolonged use is dangerous. The prescriber was the nurse practioner at my PCPs office so I'm sure she knows what she's doing and if it works, I'll be SO happy, but I'm just concerned. Anyone else take this dose before?

She also prescribed a topical steroid cream just in case. Should I start both or start the Diflucan and then wait to use the cream if necessary in a few days. I would love if it could help with the itching now. She really didn't give me much instruction.

Thanks!
Erin

Hi Erin,

I used to get a lot of fungal infections (thrush and rashes under my wafer) and one dose of Diflucan never worked for me. I always had to go on a week's course like you have been prescribed. I never had any ill effects from taking so much, but I think you should take some probiotics after you've finished the course to get your gut flora back to normal.

Ever since I have been taking probiotics on a regular basis (and I eat loads of natural plain yoghurt) I haven't had any problems with yeast infections

I hope this finally knocks this on the head for you and you feel some relief soon. Let us know how it goes.

Take care

Shell

I had this very problem about a year ago. It took several things to clear up the infection. A week long course of diflucan, changing every day or so, using Nystatin powder with 3M barrier spray each change. When I got my wafer off I would dry it up really good with a hair dryer and then I took a desk lamp with a grow light in it and held it about 6 inches away from my stoma (just be careful to note the temp of your skin so you don't burn your stoma). I held this light for about 5 mins. It did wonders for helping to really dry up the weeping skin. Once everything was nice and dry I added the nystatin power and barrier spray. This setup didn't give me more than two days wear time, but over a week or two things started to clear up. If the rash is under the tape as well, I cut away as much tape as I could without compromising the hold onto my belly so that I could expose the skin to air. Hang in there and change often during this time. If the skin weeps and sits under the wafer it will continue to spread.

I feel your pain. Nothing worked for me, and I mean nothing. I had my bag for four months and about three and a half of them I had that damn yeast infection. Every medicine I tried either failed or worked very little. I even sat in front of the T.V. for about 5 hours, with a fan blowing on my stoma with a towel under me trying to dry out the rash. I promised my self that as soon as I got rid of the bag if I ever had a place on my body that needed scratching, it was getting the full fury of an itching. I am sorry to hear about your problem. My only suggestion is to cut the wafer smaller, change it less, and when you do change it, try to leave it off as long as possible.

When I had my stoma and rashes I used malox and the powder. You put the malox on first, then the powder-dry with a dryer, do this 3 x's. It was a pain but it worked!
Susan

UPDATE...

So, I'm on day 4 of a 7 day course of Diflucan and I've also been using the Rx steroid cream that was prescribed. I wasn't sure if I should use it or continue with the Nystatin powder but since I had the yeast fighting stuff internally with the Diflucan and the powder didn't seem to be doing anything, I switched to the cream.

WOW! It has worked wonders!! The red, raised, weeping, MADLY itching area under the paper tape is almost healed. I've been continuing to cut the tape off the wafer and using a belt to help hold on the wafer.

The only problem is that somehow the rash spread under the moldable flange, which it hadn't been before. Now that I've finally got the other stuff almost gone, I have this to deal with. Tonight I changed my wafer and rubbed some of the steroid cream under the moldable flange area, rubbed it in really good and then sprayed some barrier spray over it. I got it as dry as I could and then applied the wafer. I'm using the belt which, thankfully, keeps thing pretty taught but i'm still afraid I'll wake up with a leak tonight because I can't imagine it will hold for long.

Anyone else ever done this? I was surprised that the cream worked as well as it did. Does this mean that it's not yeast? or that it was just too bad for the Nystatin powder and needed some additional help? I'm confused but as long as it's working. i just want to know for sure what it was so that I can watch for it and know what to do next time.

Thanks!
Erin

Hi Erin,

Yes I've done the same thing as you with cutting off the tape and applying a steroid cream as well as taking diflucan. The steroid cream just acts as an anti-inflamatory to take the itch out of the rash.

What I used to do though was rub a really good amount of the cream in and massage it in around the irritated area for at least 10 mins. I put a small piece of kitchen roll over Wee Willie in case he decided to blow and tried to leave my wafer off for as long as possible. I would change the bit of kitchen roll regularly so as to catch any stoma drool or output. If you can try to go about 20-30 minutes. Then clean off all the greasy residue and use the antifungal powder and your usual prep before replacing your wafer. I found that the skin then had time to absorb the steroid cream enough to do some good if I did that.

It's really important not to let the rash under the moldable part get a grip so you are right to tackle it now.

Good luck.

Shell