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Frequency of catheterization during the day

Posted , 10 users are following.

charles11940
charles11940

I've only been self-catheterizing for about three weeks, and wonder if I need to catheterize every time I urinate, or, would it be sufficient to do so only three times a day: upon arising, at mid-day, and before retiring for the night?

0 likes, 22 replies

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  • bob31550
    bob31550 charles11940

    Posted

    Hi Charles,

    Being a 1-month owner of a Foley, I'm wondering the pro's and con's of Foley vs CIC's.

    Don't you get a "bladder full" feeling, as a cue?

    I understand the bladder holds 400-550 mL; and, over-streching may result in loss of tone.

    • hank1953
      hank1953 bob31550

      Posted

      Hi Bob, this is my take on Foley vc CIC. It really depends on how easy it is for you to do CIC. If it is relatively easy for you to self cath, then CIC is definitely better choice. Some people claimed it's easy as brushing teeth. Lucky guys!!!

      However, if it's difficult for you to CIC, usually with pain and bleeding, then Foley is the way. Hank

    • charles11940
      charles11940 bob31550

      Posted

      I had a terrible experience with the Foley after a bladder stone operation. It was painful, and I constantly felt like I was urinating. It also leaked so badly I had to sleep on a folding cot, outside, with a plastic sheet covering it! The second time was after a kidney infection completely stopped the flow for almost 24 hours, and I had to go to the ER. The Foley was in place for about a week before it was removed, at which time I went back to CIC, which has worked fine since I got the kidney infection under control. My experience with the Foley on this occasion was not a bad as the first post-op experience. I didn't get a "bladder full" feeling while on the Foley, as urine is constantly being released into the bag, or nighttime box. With the CIC procedure I get a mild sensation when the bladder is storing approx. 400cc, but it's easily remedied with urination every couple of hours, and with the use of a catheter about 3X/day.

    • TKM
      TKM bob31550

      Posted

      Bob,   If you want to start CIC,  the best way is to get trained at a Urologists office and have them order supplies for you.  Definitely start out with the Red Rubber type, using KY Jelly water soluble type lube.  Squeeze some of the jelly on a towel or gauze pad and twirl the tip of the cath in it to coat the first 4 inches.  Size 14 Red Rubber is good to start with.  You will have a lot less abrasion and bleeding, but you might have some bleeding the first day or two.

      Thomas

  • Barnie
    Barnie charles11940

    Posted

    I use catheter about 5 to 6 times a day....it is best to empty bladder frequently so as to not stretch your bladder muscles...also emptying  regularly reduces pressure on kidneys  and helps to prevent infections...I have been doing it for 10 years, no problem when you get into the habit

    Best wishes

    • charles11940
      charles11940 Barnie

      Posted

      Congratulations on your ten years of CIC. At age 82, I doubt I'll last that long, but so far it has worked out for me, and had become just another daily routine, like brushing my teeth. I am drinking a lot of liquids, so void 8-10X/day, as I have had a couple of kidney infections; and I am using the catheter 3X/day.

    • hank1953
      hank1953 Barnie

      Posted

      Hi barnie, can you share what type and size of the catheters you are using ? Also, do you occasionally run into any difficulty at all ? Thanks. Hank
  • Caddie68
    Caddie68 charles11940

    Posted

    It is generally good practice to self-cath first thing upon awakening in the morning after one urinates and at least one more time just before going to bed in the evening. It is important to measure your residual urine amount each time you cath because you will need to add a self cath in mid day if your residual is more than 300 to 400 ml . In my case self-cath three times a day was necessary which I did for 10 months before a TURP procedure corrected my situation which BPH with a prostate size of 80 to 85 CC.  
    • charles11940
      charles11940 Caddie68

      Posted

      I'm self-cathing 3X/day, and my residual has decreased from about 250cc, to 75-150cc at present, after only one month of CIC. If this success continues, I'll forego the recommended TURP procedure. At age 82 I don't want to take the risk.

  • TKM
    TKM charles11940

    Posted

    Charles,     Are you able to void naturally ?   If so you can keep your retained volume under 400ml, with 3 times per day.  If you are in complete retention, (unable to void naturally) you may need to cath 5 to 7 times per day or enough to keep the urge down and/or the retained volume less than 400ml.  Of course the frequency also depends on how much water you are drinking.  I tend to drink less water to keep the frequency down, especially late in the day. 

    Thomas

    • charles11940
      charles11940 TKM

      Posted

      I can void naturally, and the stream has increased in volume since I began CIC about a month ago. Maybe the catheter has somehow opened up the urethra a bit?  My residual after urination measured about 250cc using an ultrasound scan in my urologists office, and that was when he said I needed the TURP procedure. I opted to try CIC, and it so far seems like it was a wise choice, as the residual amount after urination has decreased, and is now usually between 75-150cc, urinating about 6-10X/day, and catheterizing 3X/day: upon arising, at mid-day, and before going to bed.
  • pluff_mud
    pluff_mud charles11940

    Posted

    As others have suggested, you should measure the volume of your voids (natural and catheter) to determine how much you are retaining.  After awhile, you can get a rough approximation from the time it takes to empty your bladder with a catheter. I have been doing CIC for over a year.  Before I started, I was retaining 1.5 L.  My bladder was enlarged, and when I did void naturally, it was only a few ounces and it took over a minute for that to come out.  I currently cath 4 times per day, with no natural voids.
  • hank1953
    hank1953 charles11940

    Posted

    Charles, it depends on the individual. The common practice is dependent on the catheter volume. If it's consistently below 200ml during the day, then you might not need to cath at all, except for perhaps once before bedtime. It's what I have been doing for the last year. If it's above 200ml, you might want to cath more often. How often is up to you. Hank

    • charles11940
      charles11940 hank1953

      Posted

      Thanks, Hank. My urologist said my residual amount should be less than 100cc, and two ultrasound sounds showed it at 250cc. My catheter volume is now 75-150cc, so has definitely improved. My main concern is that I don't have a continual residual volume sufficient to allow stones to develop in my bladder. I had to go through a laser-procedure a couple of years ago to break up 8 stones that were too large to exit through the urethra--a very unpleasant procedure. I figure that with self-catheterizing 3X/day, I will be able to avoid having this happen again.

    • hank1953
      hank1953 charles11940

      Posted

      The ultrasound measurements at the doctor's office tend to be higher because they usually make you sit for a long time before telling you to go pee.

      Anyway, 3 times a day is better than once , if you don't mind the inconveniences, or lazy like me. 😀 Hank

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