4 replies to this topic

[meeklo]

Ok heres the deal y'all......
ive been paralyzed three years or so now and always have bladder issus and whatever....i deal with them and all but lately ive been trying to go out and drink now and then and it always seem when i drink beer i pee like a race horse!! ill cath and thirty minutes or less later my bladder is going on its own again.....So what im wondering is if anyone who does in and out caths (self cath) uses foley catheters at times when they dont want to have to keep cathetrizing themselves say at night before bed or when they go out for a few hours or if it is even possible without damaging the urethra
i know in other posts i may sound like i dont accept advice but any help will be appreciated as it gets pretty expensive having to use a catheter every hour at times

thank you

[CR_L1]

Hi meeklo
I am a full time Foley user & don’t really know how using a Foley will help.
Beer is a diuretic & unless you are thinking of carrying a couple of night bags around with you, I don’t see how it will help.
When I’m out drinking I have to empty my leg bag more regularly which can be a pain but that’s the way it is, just something you have to get used to I guess.
CR

[robbo100bike]

meeklo, on Oct 12 2009, 11:05 AM, said:

Ok heres the deal y'all......
ive been paralyzed three years or so now and always have bladder issus and whatever....i deal with them and all but lately ive been trying to go out and drink now and then and it always seem when i drink beer i pee like a race horse!! ill cath and thirty minutes or less later my bladder is going on its own again.....So what im wondering is if anyone who does in and out caths (self cath) uses foley catheters at times when they dont want to have to keep cathetrizing themselves say at night before bed or when they go out for a few hours or if it is even possible without damaging the urethra
i know in other posts i may sound like i dont accept advice but any help will be appreciated as it gets pretty expensive having to use a catheter every hour at times

thank you

I am 10 years post SCI. I do intermittent self catheterisation and have same issue when i drink alcohol or if i drink large volumes say during exercise. I have a reflex bladder so when it fills it leaks. During normal day to day steady drinking i get warning and regular ISC - no problem. When i drink beer I can cath and 20-30mins later getting that feeling i need to go again and can start to leak without warning too so its a big issue and in the early years was very frustrated with having accidents when out. A big wet patch on your best trousers tends to ruin a good night out.

In my experience alot depends on your intake prior to going out, if you are dehydrated it takes longer to start needing to pee than if i have been drinking alot of fluids and even worse if i have had alot of caffiene.

80% of the time i just self cath but if i am going for a night out I now use a condom catheter and legbag which i find gives me the security from accidents. Its easier to discretely empty a leg bag than find somewhere to perform ISC. I also do the same when travelling or going somewhere new and dont know if there will be an accessible toilet. The condom catheters are not 100% accident proof, as they can "blow off" if you dont fit them correctly, arent draining properly or they get pinched under clothing. For this reason not everybody likes them. Some friends complain that when they sweat or exercise they detach. But like anything you need to find one that suits you and there is a knack to fitting them. You also need to ensure they are routed correctly ie draining downhill. I use the self adhesive ones, some people prefer glued or double sided tape fixed. When i was on the spinal unit they told us to wrap elastoplast tape or zinc tape around the base of the sheath overlapping penis. I have recently started doing this again. It helps to seal but mainly it helps stop the sheath getting detatched as you are moving about.

Sometimes i use the condom catheter as a backup system to give me time to ge to toilet and perform ISC rather than a long term system.

With the condom fitted i can still do ISC, its just more fiddly.

I have considered using a foley too particularly for flying and sport but have always been wary due to the increased risk of infection and the fact they are more intrusive than self cathing. If you get my drift. I probably will at some point

The only other way to manage your bladder when drinking is to reguate / reduicing the volume of your intake. Such as drinking bottles instead of pints? Drinking shorts instead of beer. The alcohol will enivatbly make you go more but intaking less volume can extend frequency from 30mins to an hour. (In my experience). I also find that if I am planning a night out, reducing my intake of caffiene and other fluids prior can have an impact on the frequency. BUT sometimes we dont want to live like that and want to do what we want when we want, so on them occassions the condom drainage system works best. I know a health professional will never advocate drinking less but they dont have to deal with the realities of the situation like us.

Talk it over with your doctor health professional. If they are willing to prescribe a foley to use for these sort term situations and it helps you to deal wth things. go for it. You can get some really big capacity legbags. Try the condom catheters, in the UK companies will send you free samples and most spinal units can supplly freebies too. So dont settle first one, try a few. If they dont suit then at least you tried.

Have a drink for me!!!

[Tinbasher]

I mostly do ITC but have used short term foleys for flights, camping trip, fishing trips and all sorts with little ill effect except always be extra clean and have antibiotics on hand.

[Tetracyclone]

I use a foley for flying. I had to push pretty hard to get Doctor's permission and get a nurse to teach me, but it wasn't hard.