[Gamma]

Hi all

I have had an indwelling urethral catheter in since July last year due to chronic urine retention and yesterday had it removed to see if I was not in retention or how much retention I was in.

The problem is I now have the opposite problem. There was only 39mls when the nurse measured my post void residue but I lost whole bladder fulls of urine three times in the space of having the catheter removed. It even soaked the really absorbent pads and pants and my trousers so I had to get changed three times as I lost urine three times and each time it was a flood, not even a moderate amount.

The nurse put my catheter straight back in and said that she was definitely not expecting that and thought I would more likely go into retention, not the other way around.

I am now on flip flow valve and it is definitely much better again and only bypasses a small amount.

What sort of treatments would they use for such severe incontinence? Surely medications and exercises would not work very well on their own for such severe incontinence. I have not been advised on any medications or exercises, it's just that I know they usually prescribe these as treatments for this but not sure for the severity of mine.

Many thanks for any help any of you can give.

Kind regards

Gamma

[airart1]

males use condom catheters, i don't know about females who have a spastic bladder, i assume its spastic is why its releasing or your bladder shrunk from the indwelling cath and doesnt hold anymore............urologist, a good one........

[Texas Angel Ang]

After my accident when I first got home, I used a foley, due to way too many UTIs that ultimately led to kidney stones... I had to go to cathing. When first removing the foley... it took a while for my bladder to "learn" to hold/expand again. I had the same issue and I thought I made a huge mistake by doing so. But I had no choice (having one kidney I couldn't afford all the UTIs and kidney stones)

there is medication you can take for specificity of the bladder... I'm really surprised your urologist didn't explain any of this to you. Make an appointment and talk to the doctor in go over all of your options. Good luck!

[airart1]

i did the same thing with a foley when i had my last surgery and had it in for 4 months, after they took it out i leaked bad too, i'm just now getting to where i hold a full bladder again before leaking and its been 2 yrs. don't get me wrong it was nothing like a spastic bladder that won't hold hardly any urine without realeasing it....but it has taken awhile for my bladder to come back to me better....i don't know what they use for females with a spastic bladder like a condom cath for men.....and there are several drugs that will help control incontinence and a friend of mine t-6 they used to botox his area where it closes the urethra.......now, well its been awhile now, but they put something in there that closes it off like a clamp and the release button, if u call it that is in his scrotum sac and he squeazes it and a catheter will go into his bladder, and he never leaks anymore......but i would keep a urologist close.i keep a private dr. and the VA............

[mellowgator]

Gamma, on Mar 2 2010, 10:33 AM, said:

Hi all

I have had an indwelling urethral catheter in since July last year due to chronic urine retention and yesterday had it removed to see if I was not in retention or how much retention I was in.

The problem is I now have the opposite problem. There was only 39mls when the nurse measured my post void residue but I lost whole bladder fulls of urine three times in the space of having the catheter removed. It even soaked the really absorbent pads and pants and my trousers so I had to get changed three times as I lost urine three times and each time it was a flood, not even a moderate amount.

The nurse put my catheter straight back in and said that she was definitely not expecting that and thought I would more likely go into retention, not the other way around.

I am now on flip flow valve and it is definitely much better again and only bypasses a small amount.

What sort of treatments would they use for such severe incontinence? Surely medications and exercises would not work very well on their own for such severe incontinence. I have not been advised on any medications or exercises, it's just that I know they usually prescribe these as treatments for this but not sure for the severity of mine.

Many thanks for any help any of you can give.

Kind regards

unfortunately your ability to hold urine in your bladder diminishes when you use a indwelling foley. i only use one when i have to travel by plane and i can't get to the toilet. i use a patch called oxytrol that keeps me from leaking. my doc prescribed it after i complained that the oral med made my mouth and eyes dry out. hopefully you can retrain your bladder.

mellowgator

[Gamma]

Hi all

Thanks for your replies.

I do not feel meds or retraining specifically are going to be enough on their own as it just comes out- all of it and I would be soaked right through and using so many pads, it just would not really be physically possible. It cannot hold any urine at all in so it would not really work. This is probably why they did not suggest anything yet and said I need urodynamics test to see what to do next.

I am due to have a hydrodistension which may be of benefit in an easy way to get the bladder to hold capacity. Though I know from how bad it was on the day that there is no 'easy' way to retrain the bladder.

I do not understand entirely why my bladder would be this bad as I had a valve on, not continuous drainage so it did manage to hold it with the catheter in and I can now cope again as she put it back in with the valve on.

Botox is a possibility but I have heard people have to cath as well and really do not fancy that.

The artificial sphincter sounds like a good idea but I know they will probably make me wait for it but at least that is guaranteed pretty much to work and stop me getting wet.

My bladder has not actually shrunk - with the catheter and valve, it holds about 300mls before feeling the need to go to the toilet so it does hold but not when the catheter is removed, as if the sphincter is constantly open sort of thing?

Nappies are the only thing for incontinence but even then I would wet one of them and it would immediately need changing so that would not be worth it either. I would also end up with no bladder capacity at all if I did not have the catheter put back in with the valve as it just did not fill and hold at all without the catheter in.

I cannot afford pads/pants/nappies so it is just not financially viable and the amount I would need is just uncountable.

Think the treatment will be a bit more than just meds and retraining. It is just not possible with how severe mine is which is why the nurse put my catheter back in.

I am having to wait to see a urogynaecologist - not sure what they will do apart from investigations.

Kind regards

Gamma