Self Catherization: Issues and Problems
Posted , 44 users are following.
Self catherization (CIC) is a proven and tested method of emptying your bladder completely. And while most people find it an easy and painless procedure, understandably some have problems, especially in the beginning. This thread then deals with problems and issues people may encounter with CIC.
For those not self cathing, or for more general information on the topic, there is an ongoing thread here:
2 likes, 1488 replies
zdzislaw jimjames
Posted
paul44935 zdzislaw
Posted
Why would you have a foley reinserted that brought on blood and clots when your usual modus operandi was working? It sounds like a temporary rupture after going back to your Speedicath. If it doesn't clear up before the trip, an expert opinion would be in order.
jimjames zdzislaw
Posted
Did you ask if CIC will work as well as the Foley? If for some reason you need the Foley, you should be able to change it yourself if it gets clotted. Just get xtra disposable ones. Aternatively, you might be able to irrigate your own Foley but not sure.
Jim
Jim
zdzislaw paul44935
Posted
zdzislaw jimjames
Posted
jimjames zdzislaw
Posted
Jim
jimjames
Posted
My bladder rehab had progressed to the point where I had been off of CIC for around 5 months now. No urgency, leaking, or other annoying bph symptons and emptying of my bladder down to under 50ml much of the time, as monitored by my home bladder scanner.
So last week decided to have my yearly or so bladder/kidney ultrasound and didn't follow my own advice of not overly hydrating. I wanted to hydrate enough so that they could get a good look at my bladder wall and diverticulum, but it was more fluid than I was used to, so when I got home I had to cath for the first time in many months.
Not surprisingly, I had a stinging sensation in my urethra when I cathed, after so much time off. My urethra had always been sensitive, but after a few months of cathing that went away. Anyway, what I should have done is taken one or two Macrobid's (antibiotics) prophylactically, but I didn't. And a few days later came down with a raging UTI. Pretty bad in that the burning totally prevented natural urination (even with Azo) but no problem emptying the bladder since I had CIC in my tool kit.
Recently finished a 7 day course of Bactrim, and UTI seems gone but I might have some prostatitis because while no buring, hard to initiate urination sometimes. So I still have to cath around 2-3 times a day.
The CIC no longer burns like the first time, and is as easy and painless as when I was doing it on a regular basis. Probably have to keep doing it until my prostate calms down. And while I preferred no CIC, to be honest, it's so easy and painless that in certain instances it's almost better in that I can get down to zero PVR anytime I want, in less than 30 seconds.
Lesson learned is that, at least in my case, if you're not going to self cath on a regular basis, your urethra may have to adapt again to the catheter. Prophylactic antibiotics would have been the answer, but you don't want to do that too often.
Fully expecting my prostate to calm down at some point, the decision I will probably have to make is whether to go back to long period entirely off the catheter and use prophalactive antibiotics if I occasionally have to CIC, or maybe self cath at least a few time a week, even if not needed, just to keep my urethra used to the catheter.
This is a choice that may not be applicable to everyone, but again, my urethra has always been sensitive and therefore prone to the introduction of UTIs.
Just put in my first order of catheters in five months. Back to Speedicath Coude FR12. Still the best catheter in the bunch, at least for me.
Jim
frank74205 jimjames
Posted
frank,
jimjames frank74205
Posted
Hi Frank,
I went to a doc in the box for urine culture and they gave me Bactrim based on the urinalysis. I was going to wait till the culture came in and then talk to a urologist, but it became so painful that I just took the Bactrim which worked.
The good news is that the UTI is gone but I think my prostate alittle bit inflamed so I'm doing CIC a few times a day now.
The better news is that I saw a urologist today to review a recent bladder/kidney scan and it showed no bladder or kidney damage after five months without CIC. So that demonstrated that being off the catheter for me is not compromising either my kidneys or bladder!
I am very reluctant now to experiment with different catheters. I think if you find one that works, then stick with it. I seem to do very well with the Speedicath Coude and not so well with anything else. YMMV.
Jim
hank1953 jimjames
Posted
The sardines did it !!! 😀 Hank
keith42667 jimjames
Posted
Jim: Thanks for sharing your experience. So you have been careful not to drink too many fluids in order to get along without cathing? Just by ingesting too much fluid it causes retention? Seems like that would be a difficult thing to gauge all the time. Right now, I am relying more on my feeling of having to pee than by following the clock. Naturally my fluid intake makes a big difference. Drinking coffee does not result in needing to urinate nearly as much as drinking water. Coffee definitely stimulates my kidneys to produce more urine if I'm not dehydrated. Getting dehydrated seems easy to do now that I'm emptying my bladder completely at least 4 times a day. Sometimes if I go 5 1/2 hours with no feeling I figure I'm getting dry.
Please keep us informed.
jimjames keith42667
Posted
I think I have had adequate fluid intake over the five month period I did not self cath. Probably at least six 8 oz glasses a day. Maybe more.
But I probably had 4 or 5 glasses in a one hour period prior to my bladder/kidney ultrasound study, and that much fluid in such a short time filled my bladder up too quickly and therefore made it difficult to void. It's quite possible I could have "walked it off" a technique I sometimes use when voids are difficult, but frankly I just felt CIC was easier this time. Also, keep in mind that I no longer was as motivated to be off the catheter completely since the main purpose of the ultrasound was to see if I had caused any kidney or bladder damage during the 5 months off the catheter. Had I self cathed prior to the ultrasound, I never would have known.
Moving forward, now that I am self cathing a little, I might play around with different fluid levels and see how my bladder responds.
Jim
jimjames hank1953
Posted
Hank,
Only someone deficient in iron, calcium and omega 3's (sardines have all three) would blame a UTI on a sardine.
Jim
dennis47445 jimjames
Posted
Interesting. I've been doing CIC for a little over a year. Lately I've been noticing a little bit of blood sometimes in the urine. Do you have any thought on that?
frank74205 jimjames
Posted
frank,