Anybody here who is self cathetering?

[Pino]

Now i got my diagnosis from UDM: Neurogenic Bladder - terminal detrusor hyperactivity at 280ml - detrusor sphincter dyssynergy

So, i will have to do self cathetering from time to time to check for residual urin. At the moment it is about to be no more than 50ml.

When i decide to do the Botox, i will have to do it on a daily basis.

So i got some samples and started a try. They are 12ch, different types.

The doc in the hospital for UDM was really pushing hard with the 9ch cathether through my closed and cramped sphincter - it hurt really bad.
In the hours after the UDM i was not continent at all.

At home i managed the catheter in a way that it hurt less, but still really uncomfortable.

So, now my question: Will that get better over time?

At the moment i cant imagine to do it more often, i will prefer the diaper solution over this.

 

[winterheart01]

If the doctor pushed hard with that 9ch catheter he will have caused some minor injury, this will need time to heal but can get infected if you don't drink plenty of water.
Wether it gets less painful to catheterise depends from person to person. There are several who do it often on daily basis, @italuv for example uses hydrophilic catheters that are very comfortable to use.
In my case i had too much scar tissue and trauma in the urethra to do this and i had a complete urethral sphincterotomy.

Best thing is, let it heal first, drink lots of water, use hydrophilic catheters, even if they're more pricey, they will save a lot of pain.

 

[ClaudTheBear]

Hey Pino,

Cath'ing should not hurt at all! I have a few questions for you. The catheters they gave you, do you have to lube them yourself with a water based lubricant like KY jelly? If that is what they gave you, my experience is those suck and hurt a lot. For almost a day after you cath, it burns and stings when I pee or leak.
I was told to call 180 Medical to get my catheter prescription filled and those people are AWESOME. They sent me a type that has a packet of water inside the catheter package and it activates a lubricant that is already on the catheter and those will just slide in and back out with no pain at all. If you need I can link the brand and type I use. I have to cath once a day before I go to bed and then put medicine directly into the bladder. Whole process is pain free.

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[Pino]

Hey Pino,

Cath'ing should not hurt at all! I have a few questions for you. The catheters they gave you, do you have to lube them yourself with a water based lubricant like KY jelly? If that is what they gave you, my experience is those suck and hurt a lot. For almost a day after you cath, it burns and stings when I pee or leak.

Hi,

i got some catheter including the lubricant, i tried only one until now, i will wait for the next type until it does not hurt peeing any more.

It is not hurting until the point where the way is / seems to be blocked, it seems to be right before the bladder, but i am not sure at all. I try to relax as good as i am able to, but i do still need a lot of pressure to get through it. Taking out is hurting the same way.


"...put medicine directly into the bladder" is that Anticholinergika? Does that work?

Thanks for the help.

 

[ClaudTheBear]

Hi,

i got some catheter including the lubricant, i tried only one until now, i will wait for the next type until it does not hurt peeing any more.

It is not hurting until the point where the way is / seems to be blocked, it seems to be right before the bladder, but i am not sure at all. I try to relax as good as i am able to, but i do still need a lot of pressure to get through it. Taking out is hurting the same way.


"...put medicine directly into the bladder" is that Anticholinergika? Does that work?

Thanks for the help.

There is a catheter tip called a coude tip catheter. It is what I use. It is made for if the prostate is swollen or large and very narrow. I has a finer tip so it can be easier to slide into the bladder. Ask your doctor for a sample to try.

The Basics of Coudé Catheter Supplies - 180 Medical

New to using a coudé cath? Learn the basics of a coude tip catheter here, including the different types & sizes of coudé catheter supplies.

www.180medical.com

i put a mix of heprin and an numbing medicine into the bladder. It helps ease the pain from the damage in my bladder and knocked the edge off so i can get some rest and sleep better. The damage in my bladder causes a lot of pain and discomfort. This is why I have to watch what I eat and drink.

 

[nwm]

I was for a while. (both still leaked unexpectedly, but not draining all the way) - yes eventually there is NO pain from it.
BUT I still never liked the idea (helpful IF a sample is needed, other-wise that is what I was looking to get rid of - ic been their for ever, not retention though.).
LOTS of things happened, and ended up not doing it (right around when COVID first hit the US) and still have not started again. And have not had any problems. - ALTHOUGH I AM NOT suggesting that rout, just saying what happened in my case. It surely would be best to talk to the doctor first (I did not, because of how that went down, still haven't - but hope to soon).

 

[putte]

I have been experimenting with caths for some time (for fun) and have learned a few things.

10ml of lube and push in as much as possible inside of your uretra. Gently push the cath inside of you........very gently when you pass the prostate, dont push to hard....take it slowly. It might be unfomfortable, however, not painfull.

Dont sit down! Stand up and take deap breath

 

[ltaluv]

I do it daily. After a round of Botox, I do it up to eight times a day.

Firstly, get hydrophilic catheters. These have a water sachet in the package that you pop before opening the outer package, and the water activates a slippery coating on the catheter. My doctor started me on red rubber catheters with Lidocaine gel, but once I'd tried a hydrophilic I realized that anything else is barbaric. With the coating on the catheter, it's lubricated all the way in; with trying to squirt gel in, it gets pushed it of the way, so when the catheter is so the way in there are areas with hardly any lube. Ouch.

Secondly, if you're male, try a coude, or tiemann coude catheter. These have an elongated, bent tip that helps make the transition through the prostate easier. They don't work for everyone, but the difference for me was night and day when it comes to getting the catheter through the sphincters. With a plain to it was a hard push and a painful pop; with a coude, it just slips in.

Your doctor can probably give you samples, and your supplier can absolutely give you samples to find the right one. I use the Welspect LoFric Origo, which is hydrated by saline so it activates quicker, is among the most slippery I've found, and folks up nicely to slip in my pocket.

The final thing is that you do get used to cathing. At first it feels like you're all thumbs, it hurts to put it in, and getting it through the sphincters is hard. As you get better at it, c and your body gets used to having it out in, it gets much, much easier.

 

[Pino]

Hi,

i will get some samples of the coude-versions for sure. How did the Botox work for you?

Is it really better cathing 8 times a day than the way it was before? I am really not sure about that.

At the moment i go about 20 times a day and up to 4 times a night, it is not fun, but loosing control only happens outside maybe 3o times a month, not that much until now, i think. Of course i am diapered most of the time i am out, but i am not sure Botos will solve this problem.

I have got SSD - so i will have residual urin for sure when i do Botox, maybe even when the Betmiga works for me.

I have no clue what to do.

 

[KitsuneFox]

First couple times I was cathetered it hurt like #### going in ( yes it was fully lubed ), and caused burning irritation for a while after being removed.
I guess the nurses didn't know how to be gentle?

 

[ltaluv]

Hi,

i will get some samples of the coude-versions for sure. How did the Botox work for you?

Is it really better cathing 8 times a day than the way it was before? I am really not sure about that.

[...]

I have no clue what to do.

Botox works great for me. I had a visit yesterday with my new urologist, and he's starting on the paperwork to get the next round approved by my insurance. The only downside are the pain and incontinence right around the injections (I'll be back to several diapers a day for a couple of days until my bladder settles back down) and the cathing.

I personally don't find using a catheter to be at all problematic. Pull it out of my pocket, pop the water sachet, slip it in, done. It literally takes me no more time than peeing normally. It terrified me when I started, but it very quickly became completely routine.

I don't mean to sound like some promotional video, but between the Botox and the Interstim, I have a bladder that's almost normal for the first time in over ten years, and it's hard to overstate how nice that is. I didn't realize how much my bladder pain and the constant need to pee was affecting all aspects of my life until it was suddenly gone. I like the feeling that I have my life back.

 

[winterheart01]

First couple times I was cathetered it hurt like #### going in ( yes it was fully lubed ), and caused burning irritation for a while after being removed.
I guess the nurses didn't know how to be gentle?

Same here, with me they managed to chip off some bladder neck tissue o.o

After a few months of pain and antibiotics it got worse and felt like I had glass shards in my bladder

 

[CheshireCat]

I'm sorry for being a bit late to the game.

Medical staff are the worst for placing a catheter. It's all about relaxing the sphincter(s) (one for a female, two for a male), and medical staff do not wait for you to relax. This causes pain and injury that makes the idea of catheters very disturbing.

When catheterizing yourself, stand up, but not upright. Insert the catheter until you feel resistance and stop. Take time to bend your knees, reposition your hips, and lightly push as if to pass gas, while gently trying to coax the catheter in. When you achieve a position that relaxes the pelvic floor the catheter will easily slide in. If you feel any pain, stop and pull back a few mm and continue to find a better position. If you feel discomfort, stop and continue to find a better position. When you're relaxed you will almost be surprised how easily it goes in.

Disclaimer: the above is true if there is no inflammation, scarring, or congenital issues with the urethra, prostate, and bladder neck.

Your doctor has you on a 12 Ch, which is fairly small for an adult man, so that should help make passage more comfortable. But as others stated, try a coudé tip, as they are made to specifically help get through the prostate. My prostate has been removed due to cancer, so I prefer a standard tip now. Even so, my preferred catheter when not at home is the Coloplast SpeediCath Flex Coudé Pro.

I self-cath four times a day and only use hydrophilic catheters. That said, I only use the Coloplast hydrophilic catheters, as they are pre-lubricated and ready for immediate use. There is no sachet of water or seal that needs to be broken, and there is no waiting time for the lube to become activated. I use the Coloplast SpeediCath Standard Male when home (it also comes in a Coudé tip version), and the Coloplast SpeediCath Flex Coudé Pro when not at home (Coloplast discontinued the standard tip version in the USA). The SpeediCath Flex Coudé Pro is compact (discreet) and its unique design makes it easy to maintain a sterile session.

There's a wide variety of catheter products out there, much like adult diapers. What works best for me might not work well for you, so ask for a variety of samples and then take the time to relax when using them. I wish you better health!

 

[winterheart01]

I'm sorry for being a bit late to the game.

Medical staff are the worst for placing a catheter. It's all about relaxing the sphincter(s) (one for a female, two for a male), and medical staff do not wait for you to relax. This causes pain and injury that makes the idea of catheters very disturbing.

When catheterizing yourself, stand up, but not upright. Insert the catheter until you feel resistance and stop. Take time to bend your knees, reposition your hips, and lightly push as if to pass gas, while gently trying to coax the catheter in. When you achieve a position that relaxes the pelvic floor the catheter will easily slide in. If you feel any pain, stop and pull back a few mm and continue to find a better position. If you feel discomfort, stop and continue to find a better position. When you're relaxed you will almost be surprised how easily it goes in.

Disclaimer: the above is true if there is no inflammation, scarring, or congenital issues with the urethra, prostate, and bladder neck.

Your doctor has you on a 12 Ch, which is fairly small for an adult man, so that should help make passage more comfortable. But as others stated, try a coudé tip, as they are made to specifically help get through the prostate. My prostate has been removed due to cancer, so I prefer a standard tip now. Even so, my preferred catheter when not at home is the Coloplast SpeediCath Flex Coudé Pro.

I self-cath four times a day and only use hydrophilic catheters. That said, I only use the Coloplast hydrophilic catheters, as they are pre-lubricated and ready for immediate use. There is no sachet of water or seal that needs to be broken, and there is no waiting time for the lube to become activated. I use the Coloplast SpeediCath Standard Male when home (it also comes in a Coudé tip version), and the Coloplast SpeediCath Flex Coudé Pro when not at home (Coloplast discontinued the standard tip version in the USA). The SpeediCath Flex Coudé Pro is compact (discreet) and its unique design makes it easy to maintain a sterile session.

There's a wide variety of catheter products out there, much like adult diapers. What works best for me might not work well for you, so ask for a variety of samples and then take the time to relax when using them. I wish you better health!

The 2 times i used a coudė tiemann (the pointy coudė, it scraped a path in the urethral scar tissue that hurt for days.
I didn't have this when using a regular tip. But they advised it to get through the sphincter (since i already had several turps) but clearly, ad you already stated, it's not an option in my case.
I swear those 4 months were the worst of my life, because the nurse caused the initial trauma, i was on antibiotics and heavy painkillers all that time and i was not feeling good at all. Hospital waved it off and said the urostomy was the only alternative.
Glad i Tan away from those butchers.

 

[Pino]

Medical staff are the worst for placing a catheter. It's all about relaxing the sphincter(s) (one for a female, two for a male), and medical staff do not wait for you to relax. This causes pain and injury that makes the idea of catheters very disturbing.

THAT IS SO TRUE.

When catheterizing yourself, stand up, but not upright. Insert the catheter until you feel resistance and stop. Take time to bend your knees, reposition your hips, and lightly push as if to pass gas, while gently trying to coax the catheter in. When you achieve a position that relaxes the pelvic floor the catheter will easily slide in. If you feel any pain, stop and pull back a few mm and continue to find a better position. If you feel discomfort, stop and continue to find a better position. When you're relaxed you will almost be surprised how easily it goes in.

This was very helpful, thank you.

Your doctor has you on a 12 Ch, which is fairly small for an adult man, so that should help make passage more comfortable. But as others stated, try a coudé tip, as they are made to specifically help get through the prostate. My prostate has been removed due to cancer, so I prefer a standard tip now. Even so, my preferred catheter when not at home is the Coloplast SpeediCath Flex Coudé Pro.

My prostate is not the problem, the sphinkter is hyperactive, i did try the SpeediCath Flex with round head yesterday, it was much better than the Teleflex but still a little painful both ways and afterwards.

There's a wide variety of catheter products out there, much like adult diapers.

That is really difficult in the beginning. Today i tried a Hollister VaPro Pocket and it worked really well, no pain on the way inside or outside and not pain during the next urination. I will try 14ch instead of 12ch, but i think that is my product.

Thank you all for the help!

Pino

 

[Pino]

Hi,

i got new samples of the catheter which worked best in 14ch and 16ch instead 12ch, all Nelathon (NEL) until now.

I get better at it and with this manufacturer it works without pain.

I think the thicker ones are easier to get through the sphincter, but they are tighter in the urethra, its not uncomfortable, well, i do get an erection from it, seems strange to me, it is not erotic at all... - Is that a normal reaction? I have no idea.

Perhaps i should stay with the 12ch to avoid that "problem"?

What kind if ch are you using guys?

 

[ltaluv]

I find ladder ones are much easier to insert. I use 18 Fr, mostly because they're easy to get in and drain very quickly. I got tired of waiting on 14 Fr ones to drain!

 

[Pantyman]

I have self catheter before for fetish purposes and only kept it in a short time. I really want to try having a catheter in and wear a diaper to mimic incontinence. I know some will say I am asking for UTI but I would still like to try. I just don't know about working with it in.

 

[winterheart01]

I have self catheter before for fetish purposes and only kept it in a short time. I really want to try having a catheter in and wear a diaper to mimic incontinence. I know some will say I am asking for UTI but I would still like to try. I just don't know about working with it in.

It'll hurt, moving around with a foley irritates the urethra and bladder neck. Adding the kind of work (labor, sitting all the time) also adds pain.
Foley's are more ideal for when you're bedridden because you don't move.
However, yes, you're asking a load of trouble doing it that way.
I couldn't even bend over without getting a pinch in the cath followed by a spasm and some blood. And this was with medical supervision....
I'm truly glad to be rid of those, diapers are much more comfortable, even if they can give a heat rash now and then but I'd prefer that any day over the feeling of walking with glass shards in my bladder

 

[ltaluv]

I have self catheter before for fetish purposes and only kept it in a short time. I really want to try having a catheter in and wear a diaper to mimic incontinence. I know some will say I am asking for UTI but I would still like to try. I just don't know about working with it in.

If you want to try incontinence, you can have mine for a few weeks. I'm pretty tired of it and I could use a break, and it'll let you see what it's really like.

Seriously, you really are asking for problems with leaving a catheter open like that. Indwelling catheters are magnets for germs, and within a few days have a biofilm that makes a great bacterial growth medium.

If you want to learn to insert a Foley, there are YouTube videos that will show you how. Prepare to find that it's not comfortable, and it's not as fun as you might imagine. If you do try it and end up with UTI symptoms, get prompt medical attention.