Botox

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Well, I am scheduled to have the next lot of Botox injections done on Wednesday. Have sent a urine sample last week and not heard anything back so that must be good news. Had my Covid swab done on Saturday and not heard anything from that either so fingers crossed all will be good for Wednesday. Just not looking forward to having them done without general anaesthetic. I was offered general but I decided to try this lot without. Fingers crossed it won't be too painful!

Will have to take my Duette catheter out Tuesday evening and go back to wearing an external catheter and leg bag and then self cathing every 2 hours again. Mixed emotions about removing the catheter as it has been a boon for the most part of it, with exception to moments like the catheter end coming away from the bag this morning just as I was about to leave the front door and flooding my joggers. That is a normal accident so easily corrected.

 

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Hi laalaauk, Keeping my fingers crossed that the botox injections won't be too paainful for you. All you have to do for cathing sounds like a lot, but you sound like you are well prepared to take it on. Wishing you all the best, and let us know how it goes.

 

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Keep us posted! Good luck.

 

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laalaauk - Is this every two hour catheter a forever thing? I sure hope not. That really restricts your activities. Funny I should say that. I don't have to use a catheter yet I seldom leave my house. I hope your Botox injections continues to help you.

 

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Botox is amazing! And yes, it’s going to hurt, a lot. But we get through it in the U.S., where nobody gets general anesthetic for Botox injections.

If Botox makes you need to self-cath, you’re probably getting too much injected.

I am so surprised you had to have urine and COVID tests just to get Botox. Nothing like that required here! You just call your doctor, schedule the appointment, go to his/her office, and get the injections, done within 45 minutes. Sounds like they really give you the run-around with socialized medicine in the UK. Sorry about all those hoops you have to jump through, and how long you’ve had to wait!

 

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@ritanofsinger sadly yes, the continence nurse said it will help with retention and overflow inco.

 

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@snow I know right!

Seems I am one of those people who need a lot of something to make it help drug wise. Can that explain why I eat a lot of chocolate too?

 

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Hi @laalaauk, Also hoping the Botox injections won't be too painful and the procedure goes smoothly. We'll be thinking of you and please let us know how things are as soon as you are able!

 

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I do get sedated in a surgery center every time I have Botox injections. If you have IC, there is already enough pain without trying to do the injections in a doctor’s office.

 

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@Kathylp Wow, and you’re in the U.S. Foes your insurance pay for the sedation? Don’t know if mine would. I don’t think my doctor would be willing.

 

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Medicare and my BC/BS cover it. I never pay a dime.

 

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I've never asked about getting anesthesia for Botox. For me, though, it's not terribly painful. It's not pain free, but it's manageable,c even with interstitial cystitis.

Pain is very subjective, though. Things that hardly bother one person are intolerable to another.

 

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@ltapilot And some of us have bigger urethras than do others. Seems like botox, cystoscopy and urodynamics tests are much more painful for women than for men, who have much larger urethras than we do, yet we have to get the same size of metal catheter pipe jabbed in our bodies as men do, while we’re uncomfortably spread-eagled in cold metal stirrups for an hour. Also, different doctors do things differently. My doctor doesn’t use any kind of local anesthetic. I have learned to ask for Valium to be prescribed for that day. I have pain and blood in my urine for days after any kind of catheterized procedure. Botox injections are one of the most painful procedures I’ve survived, but absolutely, completely well worth it. The Valium really doesn’t help me relax on the day of, at least emotionally.

 

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Hi everyone, thanks for your kind thoughts. I am home now.

Ouch is the best description. 30 injections and they HURT! I could tolerate them by holding my breath. They agreed to do the full 300 units. Had quite a lot of blood when I used the first Cath post botox but it is settling down nicely. It will take a week to kick in and I want to go every 20 mins still. Am a bit sore in my penis too when I Cath.

But i survived it and would do it again without general anaesthetic. They have agreed to book me back in for another lot in 6 months.

So all in all, will be worth sticking with if it gets me 6 months relief.

He did mention that I have a high bladder neck and they could do a resection later on if that was something I am interested in. I agreed as they said my symptoms are in keeping with a high bladder neck. We will see.

 

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Congratulations! I’m glad you’ve got the future appointment set up already!