Remedies to get old and new poo stains out
Tips on how to remove stool (poo) stains:
The following content was published by various members of MeetAnOstoMate.org and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical care.
- If you haven’t tried this: only use COLD water to wash, try soaking the clothing at least overnight in the washer in a small amount of water with a whole capful of detergent. Also, it might be worthwhile trying some Clorox 2 in there, or some borax product for the bleaching effect. Some things, especially cotton, seem really hard to completely “de-stain”.
- As far as store-bought remover, one of the best for me has been a Pre-wash called Wisk Away! That stuff has never failed me. As for home-made I remember Gram using vinegar quite a lot, sometimes for soaking for a half hour or so before washing, and other times she made some sort of vinegar paste…but also there is an old stain cleaning remedy using water, and a half ‘n half mix of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide… Worth a try, but of course it depends what kind of fabric you have, might want to do a small test spot first depending on what it is.
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Ballerina tea helps bowel movement
Tips on drinking ballerina tea to help bowel movement:
The following content was published by various members of MeetAnOstoMate.org and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical care.
Just a little tip for those of you with a colostomy: I was told that “Ballerina tea” would help me with my bowel movement. Let me tell you it really works, just have a cup a day or every other day. I was taking Miralax for the longest time and it was ok but this tea really does the trick. It’s hard to find it. I bought mine in an Asian market.
Answer:
I looked it up on the internet and found that it is made up Chinese mallow (which I don’t recognise) and senna. Here in my country senna leaf tea is a well known laxative.
Marshmallows and ostomy
Tips on marshmallows and ostomy:
The following content was published by various members of MeetAnOstoMate.org and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical care.
- I have heard people say they give their stoma a bit of “breathing space” before change time. Some say marshmallows stop the flow of urine for 3-5 minutes? How many do you have to eat and how much time do you have to wait before you pull your bag off?
Answer :
It is sometimes helpful to eat a handful of marshmallows about 15 minutes before changing your appliance if you have an ileostomy.
- If you have already eaten food, and need to change your ostomy, how do marshmallows bypass it to make it easier to change your bag??
Answer :
Marshmallows don’t actually bypass any food you have eaten but if you know you are going to change your pouch you can eat a few marshmallows a while beforehand and it sort of thickens you up a bit especially if you have an ileostomy.
- Marshmallows do thicken the stool and can be a little blocking if you eat too many at once. I have also seen WOCNs recommending Imodium if you want to stop the flow of fecal material for a period of time.
- I think the marshmallows may just slow the output flow of an ileostomy or colostomy, perhaps not a urostomy.
- When I was in hospital the dietician told me that to “thicken up” the output I should eat marshmallows, peanut butter or bananas. I’ve since found out that jelly babies (in fact any sweeties with gelatine) also do the trick!
- Someone mentioned marshmallows being good to thicken bag contents, well, jelly babies are too.
Marshmallows
Eating oranges with an ostomy
Tips on eating oranges with an ostomy:
The following content was published by various members of MeetAnOstoMate.org and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical care.
My first blockage happened when I stupid me ate an orange for morning tea.
Answers:
- If you love oranges, the canned mandarins that have the membranes removed go down really good.
- Don’t eat oranges in sections because the membranes are very blocking. Instead slice an orange into thin slices (leave the peel on) – then cut the slice into half-moons to eat them. This breaks up the membranes very well. This goes for any citrus fruit except (for me) tangerines. Also avoid fresh raw pineapple – you’ll be glad to never have that horrible blockage.
- A surgeon once recommended to me to drink mineral oil if I had a blockage. It sort of makes everything slide out. I’ve also used a baby enema right through the stoma but I’m kind of nervous doing that and I would check with my doctors first before you try that.
Hair dryer to help flange adhesion
Tips on how to use a hair dryer to help flange adhesion:
The following content was published by various members of MeetAnOstoMate.org and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical care.
- In my long, long search to put an end to leaking flanges one of our great Ostys told me not to use skin prep with Hollister, then the use of non-oily, perfumed soap especially using Hollister products, then another sweet lady told me about the hair dryer on low for 30 seconds and viola, no more leaks. Lasts up to a week, just change the pouch every three days, but it really tries ones patience. When you find something that works, what a lift in spirits!
- When changing my wafer I use a hair dryer on low to help the adhesion. I have ileostomy and I am able to get 5 to 7 days for my wafer as I use a 2 piece system. However, I change my bag once a day. I use Eakin seals each time I change my wafer.
- I started using the Eakin seal and never ever used paste again!! I use a hair dryer on low for about 30 seconds on the seal and then mould it around thestoma until it fits flush.
- If you use a hair dryer on low on the adapt rings for about 20 seconds before applying the rings they really stick nice. Just make sure the stoma is nice and dry before applying the ring. At this point if the seal is fitting right and you are applying the wafer you don’t have to worry about how centered the flange is as nothing can get by that seal, (at least it shouldn’t).
Ostomy and wearing jeans
Tips for wearing jeans with an ostomy:
The following content was published by various members of MeetAnOstoMate.org and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical care.
- So for all of the female OstoMates out there, how hard is it to find a pair of jeans. …so upset that all that they make are low rise jeans. Well when you have a stoma that is higher than where the jeans come. It’s not very attractive. I would like to hear your solutions to this problem (female)
- In the UK it is definitely Marks and Spencer’s! May be able to access them online if you cannot get them over there …. have ones that rest on the waist and are great for supporting hernias too!
- Well, for me, I wear a “low mid rise”. I can’t do the “mom jean” thing, but these are low enough to be figure flattering but high enough to keep my ostomy from popping out all over the place. My appliance pokes out the top but I could care less if someone can see it below my clothing. They sit right below your belly button. Old Navy sells some, you can go online if need be.
- Have had luck with Gap-and for more money-a great line called Not Your Daughters Jeans. They even have “give” (some lycra, I think). I wear jeans every day and I like the ones that come up to the waist, but are not old lady jeans–
even though I am an old lady (70)!!! - I am out dancing all the time. I see many ladies, young and old, that wear jeans that are not low cut. I think many of the jeans women wear maybe men’s, but who cares. I have always liked to wear my jeans tight. With a stoma it’s almost impossible. My waist or belt line was right dead on my stoma.
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Ostomy and traveling
Tips for traveling with an ostomy:
The following content was published by various members of MeetAnOstoMate.org and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical care.
- I travel a lot and I take 2 times the flanges and pouches I expect to use. Changes in food and activity levels and disruptions in my routine often throw my ostomy off. Another thing I do is take those little compressed towel lets that look like a large mint and expand when exposed to liquids. When I get to my destination I buy alcohol hand sanitizer that will fit in my fanny pack.
- I travel a lot, especially by airplane. On a recent business trip, I had to stay an additional week, this turned into a difficulty. I had only brought an adequate supply of bags for a week, plus an extra. I had to find additional bags and could not find a medical supply store within a reasonable distance. Usually, I have bags shipped to my home via internet order. I had a problem where the supplier would not ship to anywhere other than the Credit card billing address. This turned into a disaster. I had to stretch out my extra bag, which started leaking on my return flight. I was stuck and embarrassed. The lesson I learned: take an extra week’s supply along.
- Make sure you are wearing comfortable, looser clothing over your stoma to help make sure you don’t have a “blow-out” as so many of us refer.
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Ostomy and swimming
Tips for swimming with an ostomy:
The following content was published by various members of MeetAnOstoMate.org and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical care.
- My stoma, has never stopped me swimming however, I do always change my bag after the swim or any time it gets wet (shower, bath). I try not to eat about an hour before I swim otherwise ‘grumble’ – my stoma, always seems to work around then, plus I find that exercise speeds the digestion process up.
- I would never apply a new appliance before a swim. I always wait 24 hours after a new application before immersing otherwise it seems to weaken the “glue” faster.
- Hi I am an older lady of 63, had my stoma in ’86. I swim twice a week. I only change my bag when it needs to be done. I feel pulling the bag off everyday or too often would harm the skin.
- I’ve gone swimming in the pool and ocean and have worn my bag for my normal 7-8 days with no problems. I do understand that all people are different.
- I’ve never had a problem in regards to having to change my bag after my swim. Just be sure to dry it off as best you can afterwards.
I personally have found that in the summer when I’m constantly in the pool or lake, I use a Skin Barrier wipe over top of my flange (on the band-aid part) and it seems to give it a bit of a better seal and will last longer. Give it a try. Can’t hurt, might help!! - So, are all of you saying you just use your regular bag? Or a special one for swimming? Also, what do you mean by using the barrier wipe on the flange? You just wipe it on the flange or your skin?
- I wipe on the “band-aid” part of the flange and along the edge seems to work like a seal for me. You can use your regular bag, just pat dry with a towel afterward…
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Ostomy and odour management
Tips for fighting ostomy-related odours:
The following content was published by various members of MeetAnOstoMate.org and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical care.
- I can’t believe I didn’t think of this earlier. Baking soda . Yes… I use one teaspoon in the bag each time, and it removes 90% of the odour. It’s easy, and won’t break the bank. So, no mail-order potions or turbo-charged bathroom fans needed. Try it out, and let me know how it works for you!
- BTW, I have tried the baking soda and am really impressed with the results, I let my nose do the talking.
- I am using a few drops of ordinary peppermint oil inside my bag and it works fine.
- A few drops of 3% solution hydrogen peroxide work a treat against the odour and is inexpensive.
- My gastroenterologist suggested Clorophyll, available from most nature food supply online. It does work.
- Tic Tacs work fantastic! I have tried many things over my 33 years of having an ostomy and, for me, tic tacs work the best!
- I have since tried the ‘Tic Tac’ and the ‘aspirin’ tricks someone mentioned above – and I do believe they both made a difference though the Tic Tacs were better – wouldn’t say it completely deodorized mind, but did make things a little less potent’!
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