Self Cath?

[Guest dodgedart]

I have over flow incon.

I can not full drain my bladder. I am thinking of taking a trip and use diapers but was told i should self cath before that way i won't realy need the diaper just as a back up{but will wear one anyway}

Anyone use self caths? I looked at the Mentor site they have differant size/shapes ect.

Is it painfull,easy to do ect. ect.... Help.......

[rickibrat2]

I have over flow incon.

I can not full drain my bladder. I am thinking of taking a trip and use diapers but was told i should self cath before that way i won't realy need the diaper just as a back up{but will wear one anyway}

Anyone use self caths? I looked at the Mentor site they have differant size/shapes ect.

Is it painfull,easy to do ect. ect.... Help.......

it is no hard to due

you want the one with a funny tip it is for males and goes around the prostat easyer

i use to have to cath 6 times aday but now only if i do not wet for more the 4 hours

you do not want it to back up into kiddneys

biggest risk is infectionn and time you put someting inside your bdy you risk infection

use lots of soap on hands before use lude around tube so it slides easyer works best sitting up for me then wash cath and soak in water and white vinagar

[mogumbo]

I, too, self cath 4-6 times a day to avoid reflux (already lost a kidney to hydronephrosis). Like ricki said, cleanliness is an absolute must. UTIs suck and pose a real threat if they spread beyond the bladder. It doesn't really hurt to cath, occasionally you might nick the urethra and some bleeding is common. Some people find almost impossible to do but I've been doing it every day for over a decade now.

Mo

[phogendpf]

I would never use a cath, thats why they make diapers

A diaper is MUCH more comfortable

[Juliabam]

I would never use a cath, thats why they make diapers

A diaper is MUCH more comfortable

You simply just don't understand the meaning of all this self cathing.

I'm spinal cord injured, I wear nappies 24/7, but only as a back up because I have quite a lot of bladderspasms during the day. I cath5-6 times a day, or pretty much evry 4 hours.

The reason for doing so, is not as much to avoid wetting accidents, as it is to avoid urine going back in the kidneys causing blockings and infections.

If I did not cath, the urine had no other way to come out, than to wait for a spasm to happen, or to wait for the preasure in the bladder to rise to such a level that it would be squeezed out. In both cases it wil cause risk of damaging the kidneys.

Actually this was one of the main causes of death within spinal cord injured in earlier times.

So it's not just a choice between the one or the other, for many pee ple its simply a nessecity, and I bet that even you would do it if you knew your life was depending on it.

[rickibrat2]

I would never use a cath, thats why they make diapers

A diaper is MUCH more comfortable

just one more reason to lock this area to only people that have prboblems with wetting

to g

keep the fool AB or the funny mouths that think it is fun to wear diapers

i find this post offensive and thing DD showed warn the person

[mogumbo]

just one more reason to lock this area to only people that have prboblems with wetting

to g

keep the fool AB or the funny mouths that think it is fun to wear diapers

i find this post offensive and thing DD showed warn the person

I didn't find the comment so mean as ignorant. Thanks Julie for clearing that up... it's much the same for all of us who have to cath, I'm sure if we could choose, we'd choose not to cath..

Mo

[Guest dodgedart]

it is no hard to due

you want the one with a funny tip it is for males and goes around the prostat easyer

i use to have to cath 6 times aday but now only if i do not wet for more the 4 hours

you do not want it to back up into kiddneys

biggest risk is infectionn and time you put someting inside your bdy you risk infection

use lots of soap on hands before use lude around tube so it slides easyer works best sitting up for me then wash cath and soak in water and white vinagar

Ok i see they have many FR sizes how do you pick a size> also looks like 16" i the standard but they make 10" ones as well.

[mogumbo]

Ok i see they have many FR sizes how do you pick a size> also looks like 16" i the standard but they make 10" ones as well.

Refers to length. Males need longer ones and females shorter ones. I use a 14 Fr.

Mo

[rickibrat2]

Refers to length. Males need longer ones and females shorter ones. I use a 14 Fr.

Mo

have a few new ones here if you want or need them

i have 4 ther are 14 fr standard leght or about 16 inches

we got them by mistake last month as steve has to have indwelling type

just postage

[Guest dodgedart]

have a few new ones here if you want or need them

i have 4 ther are 14 fr standard leght or about 16 inches

we got them by mistake last month as steve has to have indwelling type

just postage

I looked at this site and they listed Many FR sizes so i was thinking that was diamiter size

http://www.urology.coloplast.com/bladder-c...le/Selfcath.htm

and see that 6" is female and 10" is for kids.

[dpr13ca]

Refers to length. Males need longer ones and females shorter ones. I use a 14 Fr.

Mo

the fr sizing refers to the diameter only,a 2 or 4 or small size like that is pediatric or pressure testing size,a 12 is about an eight of an inch,a 24 to 28 is post surgery size ,about a quarter inch diameter.

6 to 10 inch is usually female lenght ,16 inch is standard for males.

remember playing with catherers can be dangerous or deadly,you can give yourself a hell of an infection.

as some people have said if you are using one due to a medical condition you really have no choice or few choices and diapers are still needed in a lot of cases.i self cathed for nine yrs 3 times a day until infections got the better of me,but at that time i had few other choices

[Dill_Pickle]

I have over flow incon.

I can not full drain my bladder. I am thinking of taking a trip and use diapers but was told i should self cath before that way i won't realy need the diaper just as a back up{but will wear one anyway}

Anyone use self caths? I looked at the Mentor site they have differant size/shapes ect.

Is it painfull,easy to do ect. ect.... Help.......

I don't think self-cathing is painful...but I DO think you should talk to your Dr about getting training so as to avoid giving yourself a UTI...you want someone to show you in person how to do it, check your sterility technique.

If your health care provider won't do it or help you find someone to do it, that's a sign you need a new one...

[Guest dodgedart]

I don't think self-cathing is painful...but I DO think you should talk to your Dr about getting training so as to avoid giving yourself a UTI...you want someone to show you in person how to do it, check your sterility technique.

If your health care provider won't do it or help you find someone to do it, that's a sign you need a new one...

It has been awhile since I looked at this thread. I am finaly making an apointment with the doc to go over my problems again/ I have just been using plenty diapers and never tried the cath.

I did try the external but the bags suck when half full.

I i was not so darn scared i would self cath and empty before leaving the home. sucks to leave and then wet soon after....

Thanks for all the responces

[rickibrat2]

It has been awhile since I looked at this thread. I am finaly making an apointment with the doc to go over my problems again/ I have just been using plenty diapers and never tried the cath.

I did try the external but the bags suck when half full.

I i was not so darn scared i would self cath and empty before leaving the home. sucks to leave and then wet soon after....

Thanks for all the responces

self cathing is very easy it does hurt a little the irst few times, it is not like ctah you leve n there are smaller.

basic you was the area to be cathed

use gloves have lud out in a line about 3 inch long on a clean surface

dip the cath in the lub so you cover the end

old the body part exposed with oone hand clean hand

start the cath into the body using only clean hand as you push it in add a little rwist to it so it goes in easer specially if you have prostate problems

you will feel some pressure and just twist a little and add a litle pressure it will pop right in to bladder and allow it to drain.

when down slow remove the tube and wash in soap and water the rinse with water and vingar and seal

wash body part of any leakage

no big deal you can be trained to do it in just a few mins

diapers control leakeage

cathing prevents it from backing up into kidneeys

bigest thing is wash wash wash

[Repaid1]

While I am Incontinent, I never had to cath myself yet. They always do it for me when in the hospital to check urine output, and not having to change me I would guess. My point is not knowing the entire world let alone those laws regarding state to state here in America.

I do know that most states require a prescription for those types of caths. If his doctor would have thought it was necessary or a possibility I would think it would have been discussed. If it was prescribed I'm sure the docors would have given instructions on how to properly use the device.

Like I said I'm certainly not an expert on the subject but I also wouldn't give something which was prescribed or not for you area. It would be the same as shipping your prescription drugs to someone else in another state. Just a word of caution for what its worth and good luck in your health there DogeDart.

[rickibrat2]

While I am Incontinent, I never had to cath myself yet. They always do it for me when in the hospital to check urine output, and not having to change me I would guess. My point is not knowing the entire world let alone those laws regarding state to state here in America.

I do know that most states require a prescription for those types of caths. If his doctor would have thought it was necessary or a possibility I would think it would have been discussed. If it was prescribed I'm sure the docors would have given instructions on how to properly use the device.

Like I said I'm certainly not an expert on the subject but I also wouldn't give something which was prescribed or not for you area. It would be the same as shipping your prescription drugs to someone else in another state. Just a word of caution for what its worth and good luck in your health there DogeDart.

as strange as it sounds you do not need a RX to buy them

but you have to have a RX to buy normal salines if you have a indwelling type to flush it each day

[Repaid1]

as strange as it sounds you do not need a RX to buy them

but you have to have a RX to buy normal salines if you have a indwelling type to flush it each day

I was going from my state laws, I did notice HDIS requires a RX though and they mail order to every state, but that may be to cover thier butts in those that do. Anyway a tad off subject so I'll close.

[Huggie]

Hia all...I go through "dilation" treatments every six weeks. Trust me it is not a pleasant experience. They need to bust through scar tissue in the area immediately on the urinary sphincter so if an operation to remove it occurred I'd be 100% incont so the decision to endure this treatment was made by me (steel rods sized 14 to 24 cm's go thru the urethra to the bladder) then i leave the office w/ a Foley's cath for a week. My problem is retention but w/ all this I leak and I have no holding power when the cath is removed thus I wear diapers 24/7 now. I have tried to self cath per Doctor help, I just can't so this is the alternative...been doing it for 2.5 years now. I enjoyed diapers my whole life so wearing due to this is not bad (kinda got what I wished for so to speak) but I wish I could self cath it would make things much easier. Some ppl can't put contacts in their eyes or self cath such as I. In Pennsylvania you need a presciption to buy cath tubes...and you should use antibiotics as well, as it was said infection is a constant worry...I have had several UTI's in the past, they are no fun. Oh I don't do the bag thing either...had a few bust on me, I plug it and drain the hose every hour to hour & a half. Should definately do any cathing under a medical professional's supervision.

Good Luck all...Huggie

[dlsmd]

I have over flow incon.

I can not full drain my bladder. I am thinking of taking a trip and use diapers but was told i should self cath before that way i won't realy need the diaper just as a back up{but will wear one anyway}

Anyone use self caths? I looked at the Mentor site they have differant size/shapes ect.

Is it painfull,easy to do ect. ect.... Help.......

The proses your referring to is caled I.S.C.(Intermintent Self Catiderization)

thay make two kinds of cath one thats straight and one thats bent at the end(for thoes that have an enlarged prostate or whove had some form of prostate issues gennerly thoes over the age of 45-50 would be better t use thes)

this porsedure is almost completly painless(pain can be caused in u dont use any loob(the loob must be water based)and because it u doing it its caled a clean prossis(as in ur body is less suseptible to the germs on ur own body and all u realy need is a clean diaper wipe to clean your self) while having another person doing this it needs to be stairel (in other words the equivcently of sergical clean) because the germs on ur body ur less seseptible to but if someone does it fore u thay can pass some of thare germs to you(witch causes most uti eather thay didnt clean good enuf or thay dident clean u good enuf)

[Bobby6154]

Hi, my name is Bobby and I'm a 23 year old male. I have a neurogenic bladder which causes urinary retention leading to overflow incontinence. To help manage this I use self-catheters during the day and wear adult diapers at night to handle the overflow incontinence. This all started for me back in Febuary 2009 after having an Epidural Steriod Injection for a herniated disc at the L4-L5 level that was causing sciatica down my left leg and lower back pain. About 1 hour after the injection on my way home I experianced incontinence. So i called the doctor and he said go to the E.R. After spending time at the E.R. for all their tests, they sent me home with a Foley Catheter and a refural to a Urologist. The Urologist left the Foley in for a few days followed by a void challenge. With the Foley removed I still could not void on my own so he gave me catheters so I could do it intermittantly on my own. After about 2 weeks of self-catheters I was able to start voiding on my own, but I was not emptying completely. Then after about 1 month I was able to void completely on my own. The only thing any of the Doc's had to say about how the retention started in the first place was that it may have possibly have been that the nerve the goes to my bladder was either disturbed/moved, compressed, or injured by the needle during the ESI. Then about 6 months later all my symptoms returned for no reason. Once again I couldn't urinate on my own and I was having overflow incontinence. More tests revealed nothing had changed, and once again the Doc's can't say for sure why its happening. I have been catheterizing myself for the last 1 1/2 months about every 4 hours and have yet to have an infection. As far as pain, I personally dont find it all that painful. Its just a matter of using the right size catheter and the right amount of lube. Also I have tried using different cath's from different companies until i find what works best for me. Alot of companies will even give you free samples. Well I hope i have helped in some how, and i wish you the best of luck finding what works best for you.

[DartDodger]

Thanks for the responce to an old thread. They told me I was not having overflow but OAB/Urge incontinence.

So what I thought was since I had just gone and went again soon after I was not voiding 100%. Was told that a cath may help since i would be 100% dry. and they I may be retaing some but was not realy what was wrong. Almost like worth a try

I was told 2 weeks ago that Epidural Steriod Injection would help for one of my problems but wanted to think about it.

I wonder if cathing at home before leaving and not drinking much at all would help on my next trip

I have not tried a cath but did have one when I was operated on I hurt for 3-4 days after removed. I have no idea how they blow up the cath to stay inside but have the fealing it was not 100% gone when pulled out Ouch

[babykeiff]

Bobby6154,

constant and repetitive use of a cath will turn your urethra into hamburger meat. Everytime your insert the cath you tear skin cells from the side of your urethra, and will damage it. 12 weeks and no infection means that you are lucky, but I would strongly suggest that you talk to your urologist for an alternative solution. It is strange that nerve damage at L4/L5 would only affect your bladder. I suggest also that you contact a spine specialist as this type of injury is repairable.

Dart Dodger,

the cath that you are refering to that stays in place overtime is a 'foley catheter' and uses an inflatable balloon to hold it in place. This balloon is filled with sterile water by a syringe via the second opening on the cath. The reason for sterile water is that in case the balloon ruptures, the contents does not introduce bacteria into the bladder.

[steveg]

I have the same back issues i have had 3 back surgeries at the l4-5 in the last 4 years after each surgery i was left with severe retention issues and was forced to IC the last surgery 6 months ago the dr left the foley in for 2 days till some swelling went down and was sent home with 2 boxes of caths and a # for medical supply like i need to a number lol i still have to cath a few times a week for retention issues the dr thinking i ight have more damage then we realyl know about in my back he said the last herniation was the was longer then his thumb and was hitting 3 nerve roots

[doakman2007]

For my own curiosity, I have used a 1/4 inch diameter clear plastic tube (like those used with oxygen masks) as a catheter. It causes very little pain as it is being inserted and no pain as it is removed. There seem to be two locations where it is more difficult to get the tube to pass. Although I am not a doctor, my guess is that the first place is when the tube passes through the prostate and the second is when the tube passes through the sphincter into the bladder. As soon as the tube enters the bladder, the urine begins to pass through the tube. Since I enjoy drinking my urine, I sometimes use the tube like a straw to drink the urine directly from my bladder. I am aware of the possible consequences of a bladder infection, so I clean the tube with antibacterial soap followed by antibacterial hand cleaner or isopropal alcohol before inserting it into my urethra.