Sister struggling with overnight leaks

Hey everyone, looking for a little bit of info/advice if possible. I (24f) have a sister (26f) who has Crohn’s disease she was diagnosed when she was only 10. She has had a stoma bag for quite a few years now, has had many surgeries and still struggling with recovery etc. She unfortunately has been unable to work, however this past year has started the gym which has given her something to focus on and work towards.

Anyway, recently she has been having more and more issues with bag leaks at night, she already has the largest size bag available I believe. She sets alarms at night as she can’t go a full night without it leaking, I wake up at 6am for work and can hear her alarms that she just sleeps through most of the time. It breaks my heart because she must be so fed up, and she apparently talks to our mum about how she’s scared she won’t be able to have relationships because of the bag leaks.

As a sibling I worry so much for her, she’s on strong anti depressants, and I feel so guilty that I get to live a normal life whilst she has to go through so much I truly truly wish I could take it away from her.

I just wanted to ask if anyone had any advice or ideas on how to prevent the leaking at night? I have a degree in nutrition but I’m not sure how regular dietary advice would compare to stoma dietary advice - so I would be super interested to hear if anyone has info/advice on how diet can impact stoma output? Along with any other advice.

Any replies are appreciated, hoping I can give her a little more support in any way that I can 🙏🏼

Posted Nov 5, 2025, 11:43 PM UTC

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