Catheter issues

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Pongoandperdi15

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I have been doing intermittent self catheterisation for a number of years now usually once in the morning and once in the afternoon I changed doctors and my prescription got delayed and refused twice so I ran out after about a month I began to feel my Kidney's telling me off so I decided enough was enough and rang the doctors to find out why my prescription was getting refused.

After a delivery finally, I started doing it again just with the evening catheter at first but I'm suffering from a problem again I can't get the thing past my urethra no matter how much I cough or relax it get painfully stuck and then when I eventually get past it I don't even have to get the catheter in for the pressure of my bladder to just fires urine all over the show. This works in the evening as I'm in the shower but I'm A. Worried I'll puncture something which resulted in sepsis last time and a stent in hospital and B. I can't fire urine all over the show when I try to get going in the mornings again. I suffer from neurogenic bladder so the pressure in my bladder is very high hence why I only have to get the catheter just past my urethra before all hell breaks loose, I managed to perfect the technique before I ran out but seem to have lost it.

Is this my technique or is it the catheter I am still using CH12 after over a year of ISC.
 
Pongoandperdi15 said:
I have been doing intermittent self catheterisation for a number of years now usually once in the morning and once in the afternoon I changed doctors and my prescription got delayed and refused twice so I ran out after about a month I began to feel my Kidney's telling me off so I decided enough was enough and rang the doctors to find out why my prescription was getting refused.

After a delivery finally, I started doing it again just with the evening catheter at first but I'm suffering from a problem again I can't get the thing past my urethra no matter how much I cough or relax it get painfully stuck and then when I eventually get past it I don't even have to get the catheter in for the pressure of my bladder to just fires urine all over the show. This works in the evening as I'm in the shower but I'm A. Worried I'll puncture something which resulted in sepsis last time and a stent in hospital and B. I can't fire urine all over the show when I try to get going in the mornings again. I suffer from neurogenic bladder so the pressure in my bladder is very high hence why I only have to get the catheter just past my urethra before all hell breaks loose, I managed to perfect the technique before I ran out but seem to have lost it.

Is this my technique or is it the catheter I am still using CH12 after over a year of ISC.

It sounds like you may be developing a worsening obstruction. I had the same problem and needed the more long term folley catheterization. At least until they can address the root of your problem. Most likely via surgery.
 
If you're make, try using a Coude catheter, which has a bent tip. Oe even a Tieman Coude, which has a longer, more tapered bent tip. This gets inserted with the bend facing toward your nose (that's the way my doctor put it, and I haven't found a better description). It was a night and day difference for me in how easy it is to insert.

I prefer thicker catheters because they're more rigid and easier to push on. I used 18 Fr for years, but I've lately been using 14 Fr. You might try a 14 or 16 instead of your 12.

It could be a stricture, but that's not the first thing to look at, nor is it the most likely thing.
 
I'm glad I stumbled on this post, as I need some advice on using intermittent catheters. Maybe you three or others can help. On my most recent visit to the urologist, I brought up the possibility of using intermittent caths as an occasional option. My reasoning was that, if I could cath and be sure my bladder was empty, I could be reasonably sure I could go for an hour or maybe 2 without a diaper (going to the gym, beach, etc). I was given a handful of samples and told that the nurse would be in to show me how to do it.

The nurse came in and showed me how to squeeze the bubble at the tip to release the lubricant, and basically told me there was nothing to it. Just insert it until I start flowing, and that's it. I felt pretty good about it when I left the Dr. office, thinking, "How hard can this be?" This evening, I tried to cath for the first time, and it was a great big failure! Not sure what I did wrong, but I think I could feel it going through the prostate until it basically hit a wall. I tried to reinsert it, and met with the same resistance, at which point I gave up on it. No urine ever came out during either attempt.

Can anyone give me any pointers on how this should actually be done? Any ideas what I am doing wrong? How far is the cath normally advanced until it reaches the bladder? Should I use a twisting motion? I should mention that my internal sphincter is extremely tight, and I had surgery a few months ago to help open it up.

Thanks in advance for any help, ideas, or insight anyone can give me.
 
Getting through the sphincter can be the hardest part of cathing. I use a Tieman Coude catheter, which has a fairly long tapered tip that curves at the end, and this helps. A smaller catheter can help as well.

Regardless of type, relaxing is key. I prefer to sit - you can use a container on the floor in front of you to catch the urine. Slip the catheter in until you feel it against the sphincter. Keep gentle pressure on it, and relax like you're peeing. Take a deep breath, and work on really relaxing the sphincter. At some point, there will be a little "pop," and in it will go.

It gets easier with time, and before long your urethra will be used to having the catheter in and it'll be easier to relax. Keep practicing - you CAN do this!

You should not twist, as this can scrape the urethra. A Coude curved tip always faces toward your nose, anyway.
 
Seconded, that "wall" you hit is most likely your external sphincter. Though you also have an i ternal sphincter too, so i could have been that one. And the more messed up your sphincters and control is, the more difficult it will be to insert a catheter.

Gentle, and continuous pressure should get you past it though. Trying to relax as if you're trying to pee can also help.

Once past the external sphincter your uretha will only allow you to keep inserting towards the bladder. Your prostate "shouldn't" bee too much of a problem unless your doc says it's enlarged. After the prostate comes the internal sphincter, which is within the bladder neck that connects to your bladder.

Once you get past this second wall of resistance, it will feel somewhat like a water baloon being popped. And of course, your bladder will beging to empty right away.
 
ltaluv said:
Getting through the sphincter can be the hardest part of cathing. I use a Tieman Coude catheter, which has a fairly long tapered tip that curves at the end, and this helps. A smaller catheter can help as well.

Regardless of type, relaxing is key. I prefer to sit - you can use a container on the floor in front of you to catch the urine. Slip the catheter in until you feel it against the sphincter. Keep gentle pressure on it, and relax like you're peeing. Take a deep breath, and work on really relaxing the sphincter. At some point, there will be a little "pop," and in it will go.

It gets easier with time, and before long your urethra will be used to having the catheter in and it'll be easier to relax. Keep practicing - you CAN do this!

You should not twist, as this can scrape the urethra. A Coude curved tip always faces toward your nose, anyway.

Thank you for your input! I'm banking on it getting easier with practice and a better technique. I will also look into a Coude catheter - the ones I have now are samples.
 
Slomo said:
Seconded, that "wall" you hit is most likely your external sphincter. Though you also have an i ternal sphincter too, so i could have been that one. And the more messed up your sphincters and control is, the more difficult it will be to insert a catheter.

Gentle, and continuous pressure should get you past it though. Trying to relax as if you're trying to pee can also help.

Once past the external sphincter your uretha will only allow you to keep inserting towards the bladder. Your prostate "shouldn't" bee too much of a problem unless your doc says it's enlarged. After the prostate comes the internal sphincter, which is within the bladder neck that connects to your bladder.

Once you get past this second wall of resistance, it will feel somewhat like a water baloon being popped. And of course, your bladder will beging to empty right away.

Thank you for your response! I'm guessing the "wall" was my internal sphincter. I feel like I could tell when it passed the external and through the prostate. I had surgery to open the internal sphincter. My urologist found it was way to tight to be able to self cath, as he had difficulty cathing me in his office. So even after the surgery, it may be a challenge until I get used to it and learn the proper technique.
 
I find that even with catheterisation I still wet my aslf, I don't accurately know when my bladder is filling up between caths so I still have to wear a nappy. The tiemn caths they will only give you those here if you are found to have what are they called like a little cave in your urethra it has a name but I can't rememeber.
 
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