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UOA Discussion Board Q. I have had a rash around my stoma right after my ostomy surgery in September 2003. My ostomy nurse tried various ostomy systems to correct the problem. She also used Kenalog spray and Triamcinolone acetonide cream. I was on prednisone for six months and even developed dark blotches on my arms and a skin rash all over my body. I saw an allergist who found that I was allergic to epoxy resin - - found in barrier tapes and plastics--and neomycin sulfate, which is found in many lotions and creams. Does anyone know of any ostomy system that does not contain epoxy resin? Has anyone had any allergy reactions causing skin rash from use of an ostomy system, Kenalog spray or corticosteroids? A. Your post is intriguing on several counts: 1. A true sensitivity or “allergy’ to epoxy resins, which are commonly used in the manufacture of many plastic and adhesive based products, places you at significant risk for any trial and error approach to managing your ostomy. Therefore, I strongly encourage you not to try suggestions made on this board, no matter how well intended, without having either your WOC nurse or your allergist work up a careful testing protocol of any products you plan to use around the ostomy. 2. Ideally, you should have been tested with appropriate patch tests to rule out known or suspected offending agents- usually the back or the forearms are sites used for patch testing. It is important that your stoma site not be inadvertently subjected to trial and error use of products. 3. Not all ostomy products or brands carry the same sensitivity risks; however, you should “test” each new item on your back or forearm, as instructed by a competent allergist or dermatologist or experienced WOC nurse. After a product has been cleared for possible use, then try using it for a brief period at a time around the stoma site. By this I mean allow the wafer or pouch to remain in place, without leaks, for perhaps two or three days at a time and then see how your skin behaves. If the product is performing well, then gradually prolong the wear time up to a level of days suitable to you and your budget. 4. You should avoid using any additional tape frames around the pouch or wafer. Some company products come without the tape frame-search out these options. In additions, it sounds like you would benefit greatly from using cotton pouch covers to keep the plastic of the pouch from lying against the skin. Sweat, often exacerbated by plastic lying against the skin, will aggravate the potential for skin rashes of all types. This article is signed by --Mike D’Orazio, ET - Chapter not known
ADHESIONS & OTHER PAINS THAT CRAMP YOUR STYLE via Twin
Tier Ostomate, Some people form adhesions more easily than others. Bands of tough, string-like fibrous tissue, adhesions may form spontaneously but are more common after surgery, where the disturbances caused by tissue manipulation may lead to healing in the form of fibrous tissue, i.e. adhesions. If adhesions interfere with the normal motion of the intestine, a blockage or obstruction may occur with food, liquid or even air unable to pass the blocked area. Severe bloating, abdominal pain, vomiting and constipation occur. In such a serious situation, immediate surgery to cut the obstructive adhesion bands is often necessary. In many cases the possibility of adhesions wrongly gets the rap for abdominal pain. A frequent cause for such pain is a spasm of the muscles responsible for peristalsis, which propels the ‘bolus’ through the intestines. Muscle spasms in the calf are referred to as a ‘charleyhorse,’ spasms in your intestines are essentially the same thing but assume the name ‘irritable intestine.’ The removal of the colon does not guarantee immunity from painful spasms in the small intestine. Thus, the ileostomate ( Ed’s Note: or a Colostomate who has had some of the ileum removed), occasionally may suffer from pain that can’t readily be explained on the basis of blockage, and may be told that adhesions are responsible, while the real cause is a spasm. 78 |