Last Night I Use A Catheter......ouch!

[Guest AllenABDL_BabyFur_Dragon]

ok heres my review on useing catheters. THEY HURT! i got it in alright there was pain. but useing it was not that bad. after and befor i go to sleep after useing it for a few hours. i take it out and trying to use the restromm normaly after that is PAINFULL!! if u dont care for pain then use it but it is painfull to pee on ur own after you take it out.

Lesson learned.... dont use another one lol...

[diapertime42]

Hmmm.... did you use lube? Did you use ALOT of lube?

What size cath did you use?

I've used caths from Fr. 10 up to Fr. 24 - The #10 I can barely feel, the #24 feels like a garden

hose going in. Also, use plenty of lube with what ever size you use.

[DailyDi]

I never had a problem inserting caths (stay sterile, lots of lube.) but I found they never became comfortable and I couldn't relax or sleep.

[underwhere]

Only experience I have with using caths is in a hospital for an operation. I don't ever remember them going in (I was out, under aneasthesia), but they hurt quite a bit coming out. Also, once the cath came out, it took some time for me to pee, though I had the urge for quite some time. Eventually, I was able to pee, and eventually after that, I regained full bladder control. I didn't leave the hospital until I had.

[leafy kille]

i have always been facinated by the idea of a catheter and pain is not an isue for me (not because i like it i just have an unusualy high pain tollerance) where would i get one from (im in the uk) and is it possible to fit them yourself?

also is it possible to fit it yourself and is it possible/safe to wear it inside a nappy?

[incojohn]

I thought about catheter play for a few months now. Today out of the blue I decided to see if the local store here sold any catheters. To my surprise they had exactly what I needed (I thought, since it was my first time and all). I ended up with a 12 fr and a 16fr (they didn't have 14's) and two kits. Cost me about 9$ total. I got home and read this thread and a few members gave me their opinion in the chatroom. The concensus was that they would never do it. I contemplated throwing everything away and right when I had convinced myself I gave in. I had to try it. I didn't encounter any pain so I consider everything a success, but we'll have to see after it's taken out. On a side note it was weird to see everything drip into the toilet bowl without any action from me (aside from the catheter)

[miss marcia]

The only way to get them easily in the UK is on Ebay, there is someone that sells on there from the British Virgin Islands. They came within 3 days. Choose a small size to start with, say Fr12(ch12). This is French gauge No.12 to get the size divide by 3 so Fr12 = 4mm diameter. Use a sterile lube wash you hands and everything else and don't rush. try not to touch the part of the catheter you are inserting. Insert it until you feel it hit the sphincter (this will feel like you need to go) if you try to relax and pee it will open and you can carry on inserting. Insert it right up to the Y before inflating the balloon, then let it descend until the balloon seats. If the catheter is too small it will leak from around it but that is not a big deal. When you remove it deflate the balloon and it will usually eject itself without pain. IF it hurts a lot STOP and unless you can find out why don't do it.

Also very important:- Latex Catheters are not good for long term I.E. more than a few days (all catheters start colonising bacteria after a while). So its worth using Silicone ones if it has to stay in a few weeks.

For any one who has not tried it you may be disappointed with the lack of feeling because you don't have the usual sensation of wetting your nappy.

Sorry this was a bit long. xx

[uknappyman]

Hi there Miss Marcia & everyone else,

Your guide to self catheterization is very good and detailed in many different ways but I have a question for you!

I was Catheterised for about a total of 3 years, this was a combination of Urethral and 'Suprapubic' (Through an incision in my abdomen) and the catheter was changed a 2 - 3 month intervals. The type of material the Catheter was made of was Latex a 16Ch (Infact it was made by a company called Bard and it was a Bio-cath model)

I would unfortunatley get UTI's (Urinary Tract Infections) despite very sterile changing procedures by nursing staff a few times a year.

For the past 5 years I have happily returned to using Nappies (Diapers) instead of Catheters - I would only use a catheter if I really needed to!

Be careful using a Catheter as any infections can be hell on your system! - I know I have been in hospital for 3 weeks getting over a nasty one once!

Stay well,

UKNappyman

The only way to get them easily in the UK is on Ebay, there is someone that sells on there from the British Virgin Islands. They came within 3 days. Choose a small size to start with, say Fr12(ch12). This is French gauge No.12 to get the size divide by 3 so Fr12 = 4mm diameter. Use a sterile lube wash you hands and everything else and don't rush. try not to touch the part of the catheter you are inserting. Insert it until you feel it hit the sphincter (this will feel like you need to go) if you try to relax and pee it will open and you can carry on inserting. Insert it right up to the Y before inflating the balloon, then let it descend until the balloon seats. If the catheter is too small it will leak from around it but that is not a big deal. When you remove it deflate the balloon and it will usually eject itself without pain. IF it hurts a lot STOP and unless you can find out why don't do it.

Also very important:- Latex Catheters are not good for long term I.E. more than a few days (all catheters start colonising bacteria after a while). So its worth using Silicone ones if it has to stay in a few weeks.

For any one who has not tried it you may be disappointed with the lack of feeling because you don't have the usual sensation of wetting your nappy.

Sorry this was a bit long. xx

[Bettypooh]

Preface: I'm in the hospital after intestinal surgery-I'm in he!!ish pain throughout my abdomen, even though they're giving me all the morphine and demerol they're allowed to-sleep is my only relief and they're waking me up every hour to be sure I don't slip into a coma and to poke more morphine in my butt. At best I'm so groggy it takes me a minite to wake up and half of another before I can hold a conversation. Just as I drift off to sleep, here comes a new guy into my room waking me up. "Who are you?" I finally ask "I'm the assistant urologist and I'm here for your catheterization" he says. I'm trying to thing what the heck is he talking about? Then I recognize 'catheter' and now I'm awake. "My what?" and he says it all again. "No way! You're not going that to me!" I protest. He seems baffled, then asks if this is my first time being catheterized. "Yes and you're not doing it!" He looks sad and says "You have to do this. Your intestines and digestive tract are shut down from the surgery and you'll die if I don't." I'm trying to understand all this when he explains the procedure, and that he's only been doing this for a few months but he's never had any problems. He's waiting for my asent, but I'm still determined it's not going to happen. Then he says "I'll get the nurse to give you something for pain" then he leaves. I can't think of anything except 'he!! no!' when he comes back with the head nurse. She explains it all again, says I can't have any more pain meds, and that he's going to do it even of they have to strap me to the bed. I just moan. She asks if I'm going to cooperate and knowing it's inevitable I say OK.

It looks like a welding rod and he says "Tell me to stop if this hurts." It's barely in and I almost yell "Stop!" That dam# thing feels like a welding rod, a red-hot one! He starts again, and again I stop him. I can see that he hates to hurt me and he says "Maybe you should let me just go ahead slowly" as we wait. I say "Give me a minute" as I steel myself for it. I put my pillow over my face and wait. I scream as the 'welder' does his work. I'm not looking and I don't feel anything else, which in itself is something of a relief from the other pain since this is actually worse. After an eternity I feel it being pulled out, just as painful and my pilow again recieving my scream. I'm sobbing as he covers me up and apologizes, then leaves. Sleep, god I need to get back to sleep to get away from this pain. Finally that relief comes. Sometime the next day as the nurse is leaving after another shot in my butt I see a face at the door. "Oh god, not you again!" I say. He tries to smile and says "Yeah, it's me again and it's time again." "Dam# it! OK give me a minute". He does and it's almost as bad as before, but this time I feel something else. A great pressure in my gut is fading and I feel some relief from everything for the first time, then more pain as it comes out. He apologizes and tells me that as soon as I can go on my own we can stop this. OK, I have a new goal in life. I am going to pee on my own as soon as I possibly can. But no matter how I try, all I get is nothing.

The next time he shows up and I manage a weak smile as we replay the words "Oh god, not you again". He says "Yeah me again". "OK gimme a minute". This time it isn't as bad though it hurts and again pressure in my gut is relieved. When he's done I tell him of the relief and he holds up a bottle and says "You did good" It looks like a quart(liter)size and it's nearly full of the nastiest liquid I've ever seen. Again he says as soon as I can go on my own, we can stop. As time passes we change the words a bit and I greet him as "Hello Mr. You-again. Gimme a minute." Each time it hurts less but it still hurts, and we part with him saying "See you again soon" with a wink "Not if I can help it" as my reply. The last two times I didn't need the pillow and we actually chatted as he worked. He seemed to be a nice guy really, but somehow a bit out of place. I asked why he picked this job and he told me that it was required for him to complete his internship and eventually become a surgeon. He said when they told him what he had to do he almost dropped out. I then apologized for all the trouble I was but he said it was OK. He'd actually had to do a patient strapped down for the first time the day before and I was nothing at all compared to that. I saw him twice more, then on the third visit I greeted him "Hello Mr. You-again. Guess what?" He said "What" looking baffled. I showed him the plastic bottle with a little yellow liquid in it. He smiled and said "Great!" then he said "Want to talk? I've got a few minutes since we don't have to go through this anymore" It was like chatting with an old friend. He said he be back to check on me and so long as I'd put the bottle with something in it beside the bed he wouldn't wake me up.

That was my only catheter expreience and I don't know if the pain was elevated by my overall condition or not. My pain level was already so bad I would have killed myself if had been able to do it but I could barely raise my arms or roll over. I know I would never willingly try a catheter, but I guess if I were doing it to myself at my own speed and healthy, then it might not be so bad. But I still won't try it. From what others say I think the best I can offer is to try it if you want to, follow the good procedural advice given, and see what happens.

Bettypooh

[miss marcia]

Hi there Miss Marcia & everyone else,

Your guide to self catheterization is very good and detailed in many different ways but I have a question for you!

I was Catheterised for about a total of 3 years, this was a combination of Urethral and 'Suprapubic' (Through an incision in my abdomen) and the catheter was changed a 2 - 3 month intervals. The type of material the Catheter was made of was Latex a 16Ch (Infact it was made by a company called Bard and it was a Bio-cath model)

I would unfortunatley get UTI's (Urinary Tract Infections) despite very sterile changing procedures by nursing staff a few times a year.

For the past 5 years I have happily returned to using Nappies (Diapers) instead of Catheters - I would only use a catheter if I really needed to!

Be careful using a Catheter as any infections can be hell on your system! - I know I have been in hospital for 3 weeks getting over a nasty one once!

Stay well,

UKNappyman

Yes you are quite right. Unless you have an overwhelming desire to do it DON'T. But I guess thats like telling someone not to smoke!

I wouldn't let someone leave a latex catheter in me for 3 moths ! For heavens sake a silicone one is only 6 or 7 pounds, Latex is a natural material that perishes. Also some people are highly alergic to it, including my partner. If you rubbed a latex glove on her hand you would have about 12 minutes to get her to A&E before anaphylactic shock killed her.

A suprapubic Catheter is a whole different ball game it is a surgical procedure that involves puncturing the bladder. (ouch).

Also worth bearing in mind is after performing this sterile procedure of fitting your catheter is what you do with the end of it. You now have a opening to the outside world right into your bladder. Therefore its important that you don't allow a backwash of urine that's met with the air. Tubing should always travel downwards which is not easy.

No one should have to endure pain from a professional fitting a catheter because they have urethral numbing gels these days.

M

[uknappyman]

Hi again Miss Marcia

I can totally relate to the Anaphylactic Shock aspect of things! I once had this happen to me after I had a bowl of cereal (Kellogs Fruit & Fibre) it turns out that I am allergic to Banana's I managed to get to A&E gave my name and then passed out not able to breath I woke up a few hours later and got all the information

Anyway I would not personally be silly enough to leave an open catheter to drain into anything other than a "Sterile" collection device or by using a Valve that you are able to drain on a timed basis into a toilet. Doing otherwise does simulate incontinence but as we know that you will cause yourself problems. I am unlucky enough to be incontinent anyway so I do not have to simulate anything! Although when I was a lot younger (late teens) I was interested in Nappies and would been stupid enough to try it then. I guess that experiences have made me much 'wiser' now?

I remember I was on holiday to Florida in 2005 and and I became unwell on holiday and I needed to go back to using a catheter but I was unable to purchase any gels that offer any numbing from the medical supply shop I went to only a plain lubricant I still managed to insert the catheter without too much pain.

I think that people do sometimes exaggerate how sore it is, but then they may be using to large a catheter or have a very low pain threshold!

I know I can tolerate a lot of pain, I once had a Root canal done without any local anaesthetic! my dentist was a little shocked to say the least!

Anyway have a good weekend and stay out of the Snow!

Cheers,

UKNappyman

Yes you are quite right. Unless you have an overwhelming desire to do it DON'T. But I guess thats like telling someone not to smoke!

I wouldn't let someone leave a latex catheter in me for 3 moths ! For heavens sake a silicone one is only 6 or 7 pounds, Latex is a natural material that perishes. Also some people are highly alergic to it, including my partner. If you rubbed a latex glove on her hand you would have about 12 minutes to get her to A&E before anaphylactic shock killed her.

A suprapubic Catheter is a whole different ball game it is a surgical procedure that involves puncturing the bladder. (ouch).

Also worth bearing in mind is after performing this sterile procedure of fitting your catheter is what you do with the end of it. You now have a opening to the outside world right into your bladder. Therefore its important that you don't allow a backwash of urine that's met with the air. Tubing should always travel downwards which is not easy.

No one should have to endure pain from a professional fitting a catheter because they have urethral numbing gels these days.

M