How to stop leaking bile

Discussion Board Forums General Discussion How to stop leaking bile

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  • #87661
    balwas
    Spectator

    The leaking was limited to one evening, so we are okay now. It did not bother her skin. Thank you for your suggestions. You are all angels for us! We are waiting for Mayo and Memorial Sloan to see if they have anything to offer. Our immediate goal is to regain the 20 pounds she lost (now at 110) and some strength from lying in a hospital bed for 5 weeks. We are working with a naturopath and considering the Gem chemo. The medical prognosis remains at 6 months but we will see if we can slow this cancer down. If we can travel later, we will go to Lourdes and continue praying for a miracle.
    God bless,
    Jeff

    #87660
    kvolland
    Spectator

    Balwas –
    I would say call the Doc, yes it’s a pain to have it replaced or re-positioned but if there is a lot draining to the outside and not the bag then it is possible the tub is plugged then it’s not working the way they want it to. Also definitely you want to protect the skin. Most types of Barrier Creams will be able to protect it. You may ask if they Doc has a particular one they prefer you to use. but something that is liquid repellent will work so Desitin or A&D ointment
    The other thing that could be happening and I only mention it because it happened to us and made quite a mess. It is possible that it is not bile. My husband drained tons of ascites shortly after surgery from all of his drain sites….the external drain and where they pulled the surgical drains. This was a clearish yellow fluid….it can look a bit like bile but is not as yellow.
    Good luck and keep us posted.

    KrisV

    #87659
    lainy
    Spectator

    Balwas, sorry but this was like 8 years ago. It was over the counter so any Pharmacist would know what you are talking about. If the bile hits the skin, the gel is needed to stop irritation as well. Just tell him/her that your wife has an external bile drain and it is leaking outside the bag and he should know what to do. You also might want to put in a call to the Doctor to let him know as well.
    Please let us know what happens.

    #87658
    debnorcal
    Moderator

    I would run it by her doctor. It sounds as though the bile may be pooling rather than being directed into the drain tube. The IR doctor may need to do a “tube check” to see if the tube needs to be repositioned or replaced. (I know, a pain and I may be incorrect, but the doctor should be able to advise if this needs attention or not.) I’m assuming no fever or chills, which would be sign of infection and require immediate attention.

    Best,

    debbie

    #87657
    balwas
    Spectator

    Yes it is leaking on the outside. Bile is leaking from point where the drainage tube leaves her body and runs to the bag. There is a sealing bandage on top of this exit point but the bile drips along the tube and sneaks out. What kind of gel did you use?

    #87656
    lainy
    Spectator

    Dear Balwas, not sure what kind of set up that is but when my husband had an external tube with a bag that connected to his skin I used a topical gel that not only sealed it but protected the skin.
    Not sure what you mean but I would also ask the Pharmacist what might work. Is it leaking on the outside? The gel really worked quite well so I used it each time I changed his bile bag.

    #11128
    balwas
    Spectator

    My wife has a catheter that is leaking bile from the entry point. It was installed to drain bile 4 weeks ago at time of diagnosis. It was leaking bad last week and they replaced the tubing with a larger tube. Now this one is leaking and coming out of the bandage. Do you have any tips on how to prevent this?

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