Intermittent catheters

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Does anyone here use intermittent catheters all the time as a way of controlling incontinence? This has been suggested to me as an alternative to surgery. I'm just wondering how well it works. Thanks, Phil

 

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Hi Phil, I used this method many years ago and after learning of the dangers for infection I quickly stopped. I just don’t see the need to increase the chance for infection when the absorbent products today are as good as they are. Just my opinion though, I’m sure others have great success with them and use them as a way to manage. Do your research on them and find what works for you.

 

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Hi Phil - I used them for a very short while and got 2 uti's. I will not use them anymore. My doctor wanted to "get me out of those diapers" and I would much rather wear them then self cath. Those uti's were hell and almost landed me in the hospital. If you use them please be careful. I personally will never use them again.

 

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Well, some people must either intermittent cath, or have a Foley catheter, because of retention. I do intermittent cath 4-6 times per day, and will use a Foley catheter at times to give my bladder a break, and dilate my urinary canal. But also must wear protection also.

If I didn't self cath, or Foley catheter, I would get many more UTI's,

 

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Hi Boomersway, your description sounds very similar to me. I have been using this routine for about 3 months and my doctor is suggesting that I carry on like this as long as possible because the surgery that has been suggested has some very serious problems for a few people. My main worry about this as a long term plan is the risk of infection. My doctor has suggested a low dose antibiotic to go along with the catheters. Thanks for sharing your routine, cheers Phil

 

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Hi Boomersway, your description sounds very similar to me. I have been using this routine for about 3 months and my doctor is suggesting that I carry on like this as long as possible because the surgery that has been suggested has some very serious problems for a few people. My main worry about this as a long term plan is the risk of infection. My doctor has suggested a low dose antibiotic to go along with the catheters. Thanks for sharing your routine, cheers Phil

Hello physlink, I have been self cathing since 2010, yes UTI are a worry. But I have found a wonderful catheter that since I started using them last year, I have not had any UTIs. It is like a pencil, in a container that extends out to cath. They are made by Coloplast. They are fast to use, and plain wonderful.


My Urologists have suggested some time ago a low dose antibiotic, I have never elected to do that. And will not unless my infections go up. Normally they expect their patients to have 3-4 UTIs per year. I'm in check on that.

 

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physlink and Boomersway: Low-dose antibiotics are what got us the anti-biotic-resistant organisms. Hospitals have a serious problems with them. MERSA being one way they describe them, except I've forgotten what the individual letters stand for. "We" fed them to farm animals and they pass on their resistant organisms to us - a big reason not to ever eat "very rare" hamburgers. People didn't take their antibiotics as prescribed and/or stopped too soon. Resistent Bacteria are brought to this country from overseas - third world countries are sometimes prone to improper use. My generation got a shot of antibiotics for colds - a virus that isn't affected by antibiotics, but that helped make the bacteria in out bodies develop resistance.
Lost my brother-in-law to them. I was on a super-costly antibiotics, once, because of them. Hospital acquired.
I don't have a UTI, don't use a Cath, and haven't been offered a cath - and I'm going to resist a cath (Lord, i hope that doesn't provide a resistance to pads or diapers!)
Do your research and ASK your doctor. And his nurse.

 

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@AlasSouth "Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterium that causes infections in different parts of the body. It's tougher to treat than most strains of staphylococcus aureus -- or staph -- because it's resistant to some commonly used antibiotics."

Antibiotic resistance is a real problem and a good reason to avoid catheters.

 

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Wait a minute, if a patient has urinary retention, catheters are the only option, unless you want to have a Mitrofanoff procedure, I was offered this plus others, I declined. Just remember some have too cath!

 

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@Boomersway agreed, you don't always have a choice.

 

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Yes our choice doesn’t seem to come into play more often than not.

 

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Due to a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) and a neurogenic bladder, I have no option but to use intermittent catheters as my bladder does not empty. I have to wear diapers as I am not aware of when my bladder becomes full and therefore there are numerous times when I overflow and leak quantities of urine. As to UTI's I have had just one since my SCI occurred in June of 2016. I use a Coloplast product that is kept in a pre-lubed solution and therefore you do not have to go through the process of applying the lubricant which vastly increases the chances of getting UTI's. In fact, you do not touch the catheter at all and so long as you practice good hygiene then you really reduce the likelihood of a UTI down to minimal.

 

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Hi Jgsvch, your description and that of boomersway are very similar to my own. I often overflow or empty completely without warning in the afternoons when I am most hydrated. I also have very little feel for how full my bladder is, I sometimes use a cath because I think I'm full and only a dribble comes out and other times I use a cath just in case and I'm very full. The strange thing is that at night when I'm horizontal my body manages to wake me up to pee, I have only wet myself at night a few times, but wet myself several times a day when I'm up and about. I tend to start the day with a pull up as I'm usually quite dry in the mornings and then swap to a nappy when I'm due for a change, this way I don't have to get undressed at work. Anyway, thanks for the advice about the Coloplast product, I shall ask my doctor about it and let you know how I get on if he will prescribe it. cheers, Phil

 

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I got some of the coloplast catheters. They are easy to use and a much more convenient size than what I had before. These will fit in a pocket and can then be disposed of easily. Thanks for the advice about these. I was just wondering if you have ever tried using antibacterial hand gel to clean around where the catheter goes in? This can come in a small bottle that would also fit easily into a pocket.

 

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Many of those hand gels are alcohol based. Not something you'd want around sensitive parts. Check the ingredients.

 

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I self Cath 4 times daily as my bladder doesn't empty on it's own and I still wet myself on occasion

 

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I use a cath 5 or 6 times a day, this includes once in the middle of the night. Like you I still get leaks, particularly in the afternoon when I'm most hydrated.