Cure Medical intermittent catheters tryouts
Posted , 11 users are following.
I have been self cathing for almost 3 years now and I have been using Coloplast Speedicath hydrophilic catheters due to jimjames suggestions. At the beginning, I had so much bleeding that I almost gave up, especially with the coudes. Almost 3 years later, I still have occasional unexplained disturbing minor bleeding. At one point I thought that something is wrong with my anatomy and I am not meant for long-term CIC, until I tried some samples of catheters from Cure Medical.
Cure catheters are definitely softer and more flexible so they are easier on the urethra and I have felt less irritation and haven't had any bleeding with more than 50 tries. I am going to switch to Cure from now on. Cure catheters also cost much less. Hope this helps.
3 likes, 62 replies
gary37907 hank1953
Posted
thanks for the info. im just getting started with CIC and CURE was recommended to me so will definitely use cure.
hank1953 gary37907
Posted
Go online and ask for samples of hydrophilic catheters. They're very quick and generous with samples. Perfect for starters. I wished I had tried them years ago, could have saved lots of blood.
pluff_mud gary37907
Posted
I would go further on Hank's recommendation to obtain samples. There are multiple companies that offer multiple options - materials, tips, sizes, etc. I would seek out samples from all of them. Find what works best for you. That said, one advantage of Cure is they don't use some additives in their plastic that may cause cancer.
keith42667 pluff_mud
Posted
P.M. Where did you see that some of the materials used in making catheters causes cancer? I was going to search for info but I couldn't think of any search terms for that. I'm not surprised though. There has got to be some special things used to make those catheters the way they do. I wonder sometimes how safe it is to put that fluid on the lining of the urethra four times a day. I've heard all the liquid is on the Coloplast one I use is saline solution. So what causes the slickness of them must be more in the actual plastic material they use. I do like the Coloplast hydrophilic because its a little stiffer than some, so I can use a smaller diameter.
pluff_mud keith42667
Posted
Just go to the Cure website. They promote their products as being free from certain chemical compounds that CA claims can cause cancer. I mostly use non lubricated catheters that I have to self lube. I like the softer, more flexible catheters. I prefer certain lubes over others. Each of us is different and has different preferences, which is why I suggest trying different catheters until you find the one(s) you like.
keith42667 pluff_mud
Posted
The best thing about the hydrophilic pre-lubed is of course that they eliminate one messy time consuming step. They're especially good on the road. I just carry a few catheters and some alcohol pads and you're good to go. Whats left of the catheter is not considered medical waste so can just be disposed of in the trash.
hank1953 pluff_mud
Posted
Pluff, you mentioned plastic is stiff, latex is soft. How about silicone ? My guess is then Speedicath is made of plastic, and Cure is made of latex. Agree?
pluff_mud hank1953
Posted
No, the Cure catheters are also made of plastic. I believe that the flexibility of plastic catheters is related to FR size and manufacturing differences. Coloplast makes two non lubricated catheters that differ only in flexibility. I don't know if they each are manufactured with a different plastic formula or if the difference is lumen size, which would make the walls thinner and the catheter more flexible.
As for silicon, I understand that it tends to be more flexible than plastic. It also is more expensive.
Peter
hank1953 pluff_mud
Posted
Got it. Thanks.
tom86211 hank1953
Posted
I have some catheters that I have not used in several years, but they have a date on them. I am looking at a Lofric Origo that says Should be used before 2016-09. So, do these expire? I was keeping them for emergency purposes only, but is that not a good idea? Has anyone used a catheter past the "expiration" date?
hank1953 tom86211
Posted
I used expired catheters all the time. Just make sure to add lube if they seem to be dry.
pluff_mud tom86211
Posted
My medical supplier gave me a box on non lubricated plastic catheters that were about to expire. Nothing wrong with them. I can see where the hydrophilic or pre lubricated ones might dry out, and I suppose the plastic or latex could deteriorate at some point, but if they work, I don't know why you can't use them.
Dark_Horse hank1953
Posted
Any thoughts on this dilemma?
What next?
hank1953 Dark_Horse
Posted
I haven't had a UTI since starting CIC over 3 years ago. How are you doing to keep it clean ?
Are you talking about Speedicath Coude Flex ? It is coiled up and stored in a pocket size envelope. I tried it out and found it very easy and comfortable.
The regular Speedicath in green package however is stiff and the 12fr coude gave me many urethral injuries, possibly few false passages also.
keith42667 hank1953
Posted
Same with me Hank. I've been using the coude tip 12 fr hydrophilic coloplast now for over two years. No UTIs although I'm not noticing a whole lot of change for positive either. I'm convinced that my prostatitis was caused by urinary retention. I was probably holding a lot in my bladder; I had lost feeling in the nerves of the bladder and it was actually hard to tell that I wasn't emptying. I didn't realize when I had to frequent urinations that I wasn't even coming close to getting it all out. Just enough to get a little relief but the urge to pee would come back quickly then. Only when I began getting incontenant at night did I realize how bad it had gotten.
At first I was not using the coude tip because it felt sharp upon insertion and I didn't really need it anyways because I wasn't having a lot of trouble getting into the bladder opening. After trying the coude tip again now I think its easier. I thought that maybe I was poking the prostate more because my psa was going up; and that the coude tip might help. My psa is still elevated but the coude seems to be working better for me now. I know they're a lot more expensive than the straight ones - at least with Coloplast - and my medigap plan is picking up my 20%. I hope I remain UTI free. I have an appointment with my Urologist in a couple of days. I have never gotten an estimate of the size of my prostate or if its the median lobe that is blocking me. I'm wondering if I should try to go straight to a radiologist because I expect my Uro is going to do the same thing he did two years ago. My GP keeps offering me antibiotics to bring my psa down or a biopsy. On another thread we've discussed this. I'm going to talk to him about a free psa estimate. My GP told me that the free psa isn't done much anymore.
hank1953 keith42667
Posted
I found out that the straight is better overall now that I settle with Cure. The coude helps navigating the bend before the prostate, but causes mild irritation along the urethra, and is more difficult at the obstruction site.