What if you get odour?

Stools have an odour that can vary depending on what we eat or drink. This does not change when you have a stoma. Your stoma pouch is made from special laminated and odour proof plastic. When it is in place and properly applied, there should not be an odour.

What can cause odour?

• Pouch management.
• Pouch leakage.
• Leakage from pouch filter.
• Dietary intake.

Hints and tips

• Spray the room with the odour neutralising Pelican Deo-Mint Deodorant before and after each pouch change.
• If you use a drainable pouch, follow the same routine as above when emptying it.
• Add 1 or 2 drops of odour neutralising drops directly into your clean pouch before application.
• Strike a match and blow it out straight away, the sulphur tip of the match will help to reduce or eliminate odour.
• Pouch leakage either from around the pouch seal or from underneath the adhesive will cause odour. If this happens, change your pouch as soon as possible.
• Stoma shrinkage and skin creases can occur and this may require a reassessment of your pouch and its fitting.
• Eating charcoal tablets or biscuits can help to neutralise odour.
• Drinking buttermilk or eating yogurt may help to reduce odour.
• If odour is escaping through the pouch filter, you may want to cover the filter with one of the adhesive tabs supplied with the box of pouches.

The foods listed below may increase the odour from your stomal output. However, this will only be noticeable when you empty or change your pouch, or if you have leakage problems. You may want to avoid the foods that affect you.

• Green vegetables.
• Onions.
• Garlic.
• Eggs.
• Fish.
• Cheese.
• Cucumber.
• Asparagus.

Remember, different foods and drinks affect everyone in different ways. Deciding on what best suits your own particular needs is often a case of ‘try it and see’. If odour leakage from your stoma pouch is a recurrent problem then contact your stoma care nurse for advice.