27 replies to this topic

[mttb14]

John started using the speedicath on Thursday, he was fine with it and again then on Friday.

He used it again on Saturday, and when he went to insert it, he noticed a small amount of like a white substance at the entrance to the hole in the penis. He wiped that away, squeezed the end of the penis and a bit more came out. Anyway, he then inserted the cath, but urine was coming out of the cath and out from the surrounding area also. This upset him as he did not know what he had done wrong.

Saturday night when he urinated there was a small amount of blood in the urine, and he had a strange feeling.

Sunday, he had a temperature, felt really unwell. He has needed the catheter because of retention, but he has never leaked. Sunday, he had a terrible urge to urinate, but found he was leaking and could not control it, this happened to him several times yesterday, and he was really upset, because up until now he has never had a leakage nor wet himself.

I bought him lemon barley squash and also cranberry juice as both are supposed to be good for the kidneys/bladder. He is scared to use the catheter now, and is worried in case he has an infection. Over the past few years he has been forcing himself to urinate without the cath by pushing down, etc and now he is really confused.

He has said he will phone the cath nurse tomorrow, but should I be doing something to help him today. His temp is down compared to yesterday, but he keeps breaking out into sweats, feeling really cold like as if he has flu, and has a pounding headache.

Maria

[Lucydog]

It does sound like a UTI so you need to see someone as soon as surgery is open tomorrow. I have had a UTI since I started 2 months ago on ISC, and am now taking prophylactic antibiotics. Im not that keen on doing to be honest and Im considering plan B which would be a supra pubic. frankly I dont really care anymore!! I just want the option of least resistance on this one. I suspect John needs a course of Cephalexin which tends to be UTI specific. Make sure he sees a GP tomorrow. INSIST.

take it easy

L

[Avocado Baby]

Lucydog, on May 29 2006, 04:25 PM, said:

It does sound like a UTI so you need to see someone as soon as surgery is open tomorrow. I have had a UTI since I started 2 months ago on ISC, and am now taking prophylactic antibiotics. Im not that keen on doing to be honest and Im considering plan B which would be a supra pubic. frankly I dont really care anymore!! I just want the option of least resistance on this one. I suspect John needs a course of Cephalexin which tends to be UTI specific. Make sure he sees a GP tomorrow. INSIST.

take it easy

L

I always know when I have a UTI cos I am constantly thirtsy, get a high temperature and feel woozy and light-headed

[Apparelyzed]

Symptoms of a bladder infection may include going to the bathroom frequently, passing blood in the urine, cloudy and odorous urine, increased spasticity in the lower extremities, fever and chills. Depending on his level of injury, he may feel a burning with urination, or discomfort in the lower pelvic area, abdomen, or lower back.

Really, he needs to keep drinking plenty of fluids, otherwise he will be at risk of dehydration. Unfortunatly, drinking more means he will have to cath' more often.

It's a bit of a 'catch 22' really.

Simon.

[mttb14]

Simon,

John is C5/6 incomplete.

He has drunk loads of fluid today, mostly cranberry juice. We are on the second carton of it, since last night.

He had a burning sensation Friday and Saturday, but not yesterday or today.

This gets more confusing, ISC, UTI's and AD. What kind of choice is that!

We will have to phone GP tomorrow.

Thanks Maria

[Apparelyzed]

Well if he's drinking loads of cranberry juice, he's doing the right thing untill he see's his G.P.

Drinking plenty of Cranberry juice as well as fluids will help flush the bacteria from his bladder, helping to stop the infection progressing.

If the infection had gotten a hold of his bladder properly, the symptoms and fever would of increased in severity.

All he can do for now is keep his fluid intake up.

Let us know how he gets on.

Regards

Simon

[mttb14]

Thanks for your concern, temp does seem to have come down, headache has eased.

Urine smells really strong and is dark in colour, but that could I suppose be down to cranberry juice!

He is still drinking plenty and has avoided coffee, which is what the booklet told him to do.

I have to admit, before this happened I thought that being a quad just meant you could not walk or move from the neck down, god this has been a shock to the both of us. John is an incomplete which is even more confusing to us, no one seems to have the same symptoms or problems, one doctor says one thing and another says something else.

Now with the SCI it seems we have loads more to learn yet again.

We shall have to see what the doctors have to say tomorrow, I'll update you then.

Maria

[Apparelyzed]

I thought you might find the following of interest:

Urinary Tract Infections: Intermittent Catheterization

What is a urinary tract infection?

When bacteria get into your bladder or kidneys and cause you to have symptoms, you have a urinary tract infection ( UTI). It is important to know the difference between an infection and bacteriuria (having bacteria in the urine but no symptoms).

What causes urinary tract infections?

Because of your spinal cord injury and the fact that you must empty your bladder by intermittent catheterization, you are more likely than most people to get bacteria in your urine. The reason for this is that whenever a catheter is passed through the urethra (the channel between the bladder and the outside of the body) it can pick up bacteria that are normally on the skin and push the bacteria into the bladder. Bacteria can grow and multiply in the urine if the urine remains in the bladder for a prolonged amount of time (more than 4-6 hours). You can avoid this by emptying your bladder at least once every 6 hours and by drinking enough fluids to keep the urine volume between 300 and 400 cc (1 to 1-1/2 cup) at each catheterization. Careful hand washing before and after each catheterization is essential and will help prevent UTIs by decreasing the amount of bacteria on the skin.

Symptoms of a urinary tract infection (things you may feel):

* Fever
* Chills
* Leakage or voiding between catheterizations
* Increased spasms of legs, abdomen, or bladder
* Feeling the need to catherize more often (frequency)
* Feeling the need to catherize immediately (urgency)
* Buring of the urethra, penis, or pubic area
* Nausea
* Headache
* Mild low back pain or other aches
* Feeling "lousy" or tired

Signs of a urinary tract infection (things you may notice)

* Sediment (gritty particles) or mucus in the urine or cloudy urine
* Bad smelling urine (foul odor)
* Blood in urine (pink or red urine)

Note: The appearance and smell of your urine may change because of changes in your diet or fluid intake. If you have changes in the urine but no symptoms (see list above) you do not need to seek treatment for a UTI .

People who empty their bladders by self-catheterization may occasionally see small blood clots or red blood visible on their catheters because of trauma (bumping against the bladder or urethra or forcing the catheter past the sphincter). This is not cause for worry unless it happens frequently. Larger amounts of blood, or urine that is red from blood, should always be reported to your health care provider.

Self care

Many people are able to prevent a UTI from developing by taking some self care steps. The most important step for people who do intermittent catheterization and begin to develop symptoms of a UTI is to catheterize themselves more frequently (every 2- 4 hours) and increase their fluid intake. Some people are able to avoid or treat UTIs by taking vitamin C (500-2,000 mg per day) or cranberry extract tablets. Other “natural” treatments may be helpful but you should consult with someone who is knowledgeable in this field, such as a naturopathic physician.

When to call your health care provider

If you develop a fever (temperature greater than 100 degrees) or if your symptoms are interfering with your life, you should call your health care provider. He or she will want to know your temperature, current symptoms, whether you have any allergies to antibiotics, and what antibiotics have worked well in the past. Your health care provider will want you to get a urine specimen for culture and will discuss with you whether antibiotics should be started right away or after the results of the culture are available.

How to collect a good specimen for urine culture

The accuracy of any urine test depends on careful collection of the specimen to avoid contamination by bacteria from other sources, such as your hands or the specimen container. Following the instructions below will help ensure accurate results.

1. Open your sterile jar — either one from the hospital or one you have prepared at home. (To sterilize a jar at home, choose a small jar with a snug-fitting lid. Wash it carefully in soap and water and rinse well. Place the jar and lid in a pan of boiling water and immerse for 10 minutes. Remove jar and lid with metal tongs, invert on a dish drainer, and allow to cool.) Do not touch the inside of the jar.

2. Using a new, sterile catheter, catheterize yourself as usual and allow some of the urine to flow into the jar. Collect at least 30 cc (1 oz.) of urine.

3. Refrigerate the specimen and keep it cool until you can get it to your health care provider. It should be delivered within two hours of collection.

Antibiotic treatment

If your health care provider prescribes an antibiotic for you, ask your pharmacist whether you should take it before meals or with food. If you take Vitamin C regularly, you should also find out whether it is okay to continue it while you are taking your antibiotic. Be sure to take all of the medication as prescribed.

Some antibiotics will change the balance between your body’s “good” bacteria and the “bad” bacteria that has caused your UTI . When this happens, an overgrowth of yeast can occur which may result in problems ranging from a skin rash to diarrhea. This can be prevented by taking acidophilus culture, which is available in some brands of yogurt, acidophilus milk, or as a pure culture (available in health food stores). If you develop any symptoms you think may be related to your antibiotic prescription, notify your health care provider.

When you have completed your antibiotic prescription it is not necessary to get a repeat culture unless your symptoms have not improved. Some people who reuse their catheters find that recurrence of a UTI is less likely if they discard their current catheters and begin using new ones after treatment for a UTI .

[mttb14]

Hi Simon,

Thanks for your reply with the above details, you must have read my mind. I had checked out what was included in the advice sheets and there is not one for UTI's so I was going to ask you to create one.

Maybe you would like to add it next to the one for AD.

Thanks again,

Maria

[dom]

Hi Maria
you seem to have had very useful advice so far,just adding my bit
I had a uti in hospital this made me feel very bad with high temp, it is the only one i've had touchwood
From time to time i have had a white substance leaking out and i always assumed it could be residual sperm? i was frightened when cathing of pushing it back into my bladder but had to do this in order to relieve myself,plenty of fluids-water is the answer-has he tried cranberry tablets because cranberry juice is an aquired taste[i hate it]good luck and if any doubt seek medical advice, btw i never had leaking past the catheter,just a thought has he got the correct size?

[mttb14]

Hi Dom,

We have been told that the leakage and urgency to urinate, which is a feeling John hasn't had for the past 4 or 5 years, is caused by a UTI.

We were told today by the Spinal Rehabilitation Doctor John is under that it "Sounds like a systemic UTI or "flare up". Pleanty of fluids and good drainage is the answer. The infection has probably increased bladder contractions; hence the bypassing and the spontaneous voids.

If he headache has gone and his temp is down, fine; keep the fluids going. If he shill has headaches / high fever, best call the Doc of A&E."

So it looks like leakage is down to bladder contractions. Actually, last night his spasms were coming from the stomach area, and from what I've read it looks as if the bladder was having spasms.

This is all new to us and we have really appreciated the advice we have been given. I printed off Simon's details on UTI's for future reference.

John has an appointment with Urology on Thursday morning so we shall see what they say.

Is the sun still out?

Maria

[Simon]

Hi
All advice has been good, you could also try Grapefruit Seed Extract, linked below briiliant for almost any infection be it bacterial or fungal.
What size are the caths being used? For ISC you only need size 9.
Also, if John was self cathing its difficult for him to infect himself, so what has caused the UTI?

http://www.gseinformation.com/
http://www.citrosept.co.uk/home_fr.php

Edited by Simon, 31 May 2006 - 03:32 PM.

[mttb14]

Quote

All advice has been good, you could also try Grapefruit Seed Extract, linked below briiliant for almost any infection be it bacterial or fungal.
What size are the caths being used? For ISC you only need size 9.
Also, if John was self cathing its difficult for him to infect himself, so what has caused the UTI?

John was catheterised in hospital first of all by a doctor on the Saturday, and then from the Thursday on he was shown how to do self catheterisation by the catheter nurse. He was given the Speedicath size 12 disposable to use at home.

We don't know any more than that, he has given a urine sample and the doctor has given him antibiotics, I bought cranberry tablets today, and I shall buy grapefruit seed tablets also.

Thanks Maria

[Simon]

I would suggest a 12 cath is unnecessary and to use a smaller size. My urologist said 9 was enough, remember these are foreign object going in/out of the urethra, the wider they are the greater the trauma.
Re the UTI my guess is John got it in hospital, probably the doc as they tend to be less rigorous than nurses re infection passing but could be wrong.
Simon

[mttb14]

Hi Simon,

we came to the conclusion that John got the UTI in hospital also.

The whole time it was inserted in him, he was complaining about being in pain, if he moved it really hurt him, and the doctor said it was a larger one than normal.

He has antibiotics now, so lets hope that sorts it out.

Thanks Maria

[Jay]

Since my SCI four years ago, I have dealt with about 80 UTI's.

The white stuff that came out while cathing is called sediment. The more bacteria there is in the bladder, in the urethra (in females) and near the entrance prior to cathing, the more sediment there will be in the catheter bag.

I have noticed after being dosed with decent antibiotics, the sediment contained in my straight cath bags is greatly minimized.

Try taking cranberry pills from the pharmacy, rather than drinking cranberry juice, if it is not a favorite drink. The pills provide the same benefits as the drink, and you will be open to consuming drinks you like the taste of....especially since you are supposed to drink small amounts, as certain docs say, to cath less....and drink plenty to keep UTI's from occurring, which causes more of a need to cath--as other docs say.

When the catheter bag fills with a darker, cloudier yellow, which is a sign of a UTI.

The bleeding can be caused from the catheter tube scratching or lacerating the lining when it is inserted. Flimsy tubes are better if this occurs, rather than hard plastic tubes. If blood is FILLING the bag, you definitely have a laceration and your doctor should be made aware of the situation. Like any injury to the body, it will go away eventually.

If it is random amounts of blood that is NOT filling the bag with dark red, it could be a sign of kidney stones.

Jay

[dom]

hi
when filling my speedicath sachet in winter i use slightly warm water so that it 'softens' the plastic and makes for easier insertion i use 12/4.0 mm which i don't seem to have a problem with
i take GREAT care not to touch the middle of the tube when uslng but try to push it slowly with constant steady pressure in from the end so that no hand infection is possible,don't soften it too much or this will not be possible and it will bend in the middle,as said before i only had one uti and this was caught at the hospital,i don't know if it was airborne but i have a feeling it was more probably from the method used in cathetering me

[mttb14]

dom, on Jun 13 2006, 06:14 PM, said:

hi
when filling my speedicath sachet in winter i use slightly warm water so that it 'softens' the plastic and makes for easier insertion i use 12/4.0 mm which i don't seem to have a problem with
i take GREAT care not to touch the middle of the tube when uslng but try to push it slowly with constant steady pressure in from the end so that no hand infection is possible,don't soften it too much or this will not be possible and it will bend in the middle,as said before i only had one uti and this was caught at the hospital,i don't know if it was airborne but i have a feeling it was more probably from the method used in cathetering me

Hi Dom,

I think John's UTI was caught at the hospital rather than when he is self catheterising.

He has the speedicaths that are already in a saline (I think its saline) solution, you don't have to moisten them, they are already moist. You open the package and just pull it out and it is ready to go, they are quite a good invention by all accounts.

Whichever of us is actually performing the task, (sometimes due to spasms, bad co-ordination, etc he cannot do it himself) we only touch the very end of the tube which does not feed in, and we've also discovered slow and relaxed works much better. They are also good because no one else needs to know about them as you don't have to run them under any water or anything, and afterwards they just feed back into the pack they came out of which is totally green and not see through, and then they are ready to be binned. We bin them in nappy sacks.

He had two different lots of antibiotics and they seem to have done the trick, so fingers crossed, so far so good. We thought catheterising sounded a lot more frightening than it is actually is, now it is just one of those things, isn't it surprising how quickly you get used to a situation, especially when you have no other choice.

[Queeny]

Hello All!

I am not new to this site, only new to posting. I have recently met a wonderful man who is a C 4&5. He is amazing! We are very much in love and it seems like we have known eachother our whole lives! Anyhow, my question related to this topic is that he has an ostomy (done this year in January) and has recently acquired a kidney stone due to a UTI (so they think). He is in the process of treatment and will find out today what they are going to do. I have not found much information on the internet related to kidney stones and how it affects quadriplegics. Anyone have any insite...I am just really worried about his health.

Thanks!

Freddy's Sweet Baby

[lune14]

I'm a para vs quad however I just recently underwent surgery for kidney stones. I had bilateral ureteroscopy done about 5 weeks ago. Doc was able to extract one stone but the other had to be lasered. I also had bilateral stents put in. The stents are long pliable tubing that run from the kidney, through the ureter and into the bladder and their purpose is to keep the ureter open for urine passing into the bladder as the trauma from the stone procedure causes the ureter to become inflammed and can close up. When the stents are placed a surgical string is attached to the end that is left hanging outside the body (much like a tampon string) and you are instructed not to pull on the string/strings so as not to pull the stents out.

My procedure was "simple and very quick" per my doc however my recovery was a bit of a shock to me. My first self cath was about an hour after I came out of anesthesia and I thought I was hemorrhaging!! They neglected to tell me I would basically pee blood for up to six weeks after the procedure. (Yeah just a MINOR detail I'd say!) I returned home about 10pm the night of my surgery and by the next evening I noticed the stent starting to come out. I could see it while using a mirror only as I could not feel it, however I imagine it would have been highly uncomfortable if I could have felt it. The doc instructed me to just pull it out since it was already partially so. I was told to leave the other in place unless it was visibly slipping out as well. By next morning another mirror inspection showed the second stent had begun to slip out so I extracted it as well. The incontinence I experienced during this ordeal was OUT OF THIS WORLD! I couldn't leave the house for days and it was emotionally difficult as well.

I followed up with doc a week later & by this time the incontinence had leveled off. (Thank goodness!) I'm not sure yet what caused the stones to develop in the first place however the reason I even had an MRI done to detect them in the first place was because I was having occasionally bloddy urine. Never a gradual pink , usually just WHAM red urine! Typically it was always a one time thing as well. I'd find red urine during one catheterization then I'd never experience it again until five or six months later. I had been having frequent UTI's for the past year or so as well. The doc is having the stone material cultured as sometimes a cause can be determined. Sometimes not. I have adjusted my diet to avoid foods that have a high content of oxalic acid(0.1% or over) , such as beets, black tea, chocolate, cocoa, cola, groud pepper, lamb, nuts, parsley, poppy seeds, spinach, swiss chard, vitamin C. Some foods that have moderate oxalic acid content (0.2% or over) I can eat sparingly, such as green beans, black/blueberries, carrots, celery, coffee, scallions, oranges, green peppers, strawberries, sweet potatos (these lists are not complete just a sampling).

It is also suggested by the urologists to limit the amount of purine in your diet by limiting the amount of animal protein (particularly red meats). Increase the citrate level in your urine by making a lemonade drink (1 cup of lemon juice to 2 liters of tap water, adding sugar/sweetener to taste) and drinking 3 glasses in the morning, 2 glasses at mid-day and 3 glasses in the evening. (I never did this part)
Decrease salt in your diet.
Increase total daily fluid intake to 2 liters per day (water is the best fluid to drink to reduce kidney stones).

I must say that omitting things from my diet completely, such as spinach, beets, nuts, etc was very difficult because I enjoy those things a great deal. The water was the easiest because I really don't drink anything but water, except for a morning coffee, milk and occasional glass of wine. As for cranberry juice, of which I am a huge fan for reasons of taste, let alone UTI relativity, please remember that when you consume sweetened cranberry juice you are consuming TONS of sugars. If you can tolerate pure cranberry juice (unsweetened) that's as good as the tabs. My sister in law is a naturopath and she drinks the unsweetened cranberry daily by lacing her water bottle with it. She has also advised me to be leary of some cranberry tabs, as with all supplements, some brands are not as good as others. Research your supplement supplier very well!

Sorry I went off on a tangent there but I hope some of this info is helpful to someone.

[Queeny]

Thanks for the input. I am new to all of this so EVERYTHING worries me! I have finally quit asking "Are you ok? Do you need something?" He's fine...and he tells me what he needs! He has had excellent care from his family so he's been in very good health. I can't be there for the procedure so I think that is where all the worrying is coming from. I have seen it done a hundred times with a job I had years ago working in out patient surgery. As long as they can keep his AD under control he should be ok.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I hope to learn more and share experiences with all of you!

[Rawhide]

Maria,
I now it can be very scary for John to see the blood when he tried to use the catheter. I have had that happen from time to time. The tissue in the urinary tract is very sensitive. I have been self cathing for five years and am also plagued with UTI's. I am currently trying 1000mg of Vitamin C and using the sealed catheter kits to minimize bacteria. I am not familiar with Speedicath, is it a sealed cather system where the urine collects in a disposable bag? I have found that when I get a fever from UTI's, that taking Advil usually keeps the fever down until I get my antibiotics. Hope John is feeling better.
Phil G.

mttb14, on May 29 2006, 12:58 PM, said:

John started using the speedicath on Thursday, he was fine with it and again then on Friday.

He used it again on Saturday, and when he went to insert it, he noticed a small amount of like a white substance at the entrance to the hole in the penis. He wiped that away, squeezed the end of the penis and a bit more came out. Anyway, he then inserted the cath, but urine was coming out of the cath and out from the surrounding area also. This upset him as he did not know what he had done wrong.

Saturday night when he urinated there was a small amount of blood in the urine, and he had a strange feeling.

Sunday, he had a temperature, felt really unwell. He has needed the catheter because of retention, but he has never leaked. Sunday, he had a terrible urge to urinate, but found he was leaking and could not control it, this happened to him several times yesterday, and he was really upset, because up until now he has never had a leakage nor wet himself.

I bought him lemon barley squash and also cranberry juice as both are supposed to be good for the kidneys/bladder. He is scared to use the catheter now, and is worried in case he has an infection. Over the past few years he has been forcing himself to urinate without the cath by pushing down, etc and now he is really confused.

He has said he will phone the cath nurse tomorrow, but should I be doing something to help him today. His temp is down compared to yesterday, but he keeps breaking out into sweats, feeling really cold like as if he has flu, and has a pounding headache.

Maria

[Queeny]

Update!!

Well, Freddy was supposed to have his procedure this morning and had to cancel it. It is flooding in downtown Houston so they were unable to get to the facility. He is so disappointed, it took two weeks to get this appointment! I really hope that this stone is not doing any damage to the kidney, it really worries me. He is having more spasms and back pain due to this stone and he is ready for it to be over!

I'll keep you guys posted.

[mttb14]

Rawhide, on Jun 19 2006, 06:17 PM, said:

Maria,
I now it can be very scary for John to see the blood when he tried to use the catheter. I have had that happen from time to time. The tissue in the urinary tract is very sensitive. I have been self cathing for five years and am also plagued with UTI's. I am currently trying 1000mg of Vitamin C and using the sealed catheter kits to minimize bacteria. I am not familiar with Speedicath, is it a sealed cather system where the urine collects in a disposable bag? I have found that when I get a fever from UTI's, that taking Advil usually keeps the fever down until I get my antibiotics. Hope John is feeling better.
Phil G.

Hi Phil,

John is feeling much better after 2 different types of antibiotics.

The speedicath comes in a sealed container which I think is in a solution of saline to keep it lubricated, it can then be inserted straight in without having to be rinsed or touched in any way, it can be drained into a container or attached to a bag.

As John can stand and walk, (with pain), he can use it sitting or standing and drain into a measuring container, and doesn't have to use a bag. So far, so good. The UTI seems to have cleared as with the help of this site he had medication straight away, I nagged the GP for immediate medication.

We think the UTI was caused when he was catheterised by a doctor in hospital several days before he was given the speedicaths to use at home. They seem really hygenic as there is not contact with the section of tube which is inserted internally.

After reading the replies I bought him the cranberry tablets suggested and he takes milk thistle tablets to remove toxins from all his medication to help his liver.

We are going to buy the Betamin and Thiamin herbal tablets which someone has said on this forum helps reduce pain, and John suffers really bad chronic pain 24/7 and he takes loads of prescribed tablets, anything that helps is a bonus.

Thanks for your concern.

Maria

[mttb14]

Quote

Maria,
I now it can be very scary for John to see the blood when he tried to use the catheter. I have had that happen from time to time. The tissue in the urinary tract is very sensitive. I have been self cathing for five years and am also plagued with UTI's. I am currently trying 1000mg of Vitamin C and using the sealed catheter kits to minimize bacteria. I am not familiar with Speedicath, is it a sealed cather system where the urine collects in a disposable bag? I have found that when I get a fever from UTI's, that taking Advil usually keeps the fever down until I get my antibiotics. Hope John is feeling better.
Phil G.

I spoke to soon, John had burning sensation and blood in his urine last night and again this morning, so another sample to the surgery and an argument with the doctor's receptionist to get antibiotics, she suggested we send in a sample and wait 4 or 5 days for the results before it can be treated.

I argued and now he has tablets, I asked her if she had ever had cystitus, and she said yes, so I said well times that by ten, and that is what a UTI feels like, plus flu like symptoms on top. She gave in and got me a prescription so John now has tablets, while they do the urine tests.

Maria

[Rawhide]

Maria,
Good for you. Keep fighting the good fight. These days you have to be your own advocate with doctors. I always have to make my case when I have a UTI and need antibiotics. I probably should not do this but I save a few antibiotics to hold me over while I'm waiting for the lab to run their 3-4 day culture. I know what the results will be, so why wait! It is very frustrating when you deal with chronic infections as I do. I have been a paraplegic since 1964 when I was injured in a car accident at 17. I am now (as of yesterday) 59 yrs old and still plugging along. I wish you and John the best.

mttb14, on Jun 21 2006, 10:21 PM, said:

Quote

Maria,
I now it can be very scary for John to see the blood when he tried to use the catheter. I have had that happen from time to time. The tissue in the urinary tract is very sensitive. I have been self cathing for five years and am also plagued with UTI's. I am currently trying 1000mg of Vitamin C and using the sealed catheter kits to minimize bacteria. I am not familiar with Speedicath, is it a sealed cather system where the urine collects in a disposable bag? I have found that when I get a fever from UTI's, that taking Advil usually keeps the fever down until I get my antibiotics. Hope John is feeling better.
Phil G.

I spoke to soon, John had burning sensation and blood in his urine last night and again this morning, so another sample to the surgery and an argument with the doctor's receptionist to get antibiotics, she suggested we send in a sample and wait 4 or 5 days for the results before it can be treated.

I argued and now he has tablets, I asked her if she had ever had cystitus, and she said yes, so I said well times that by ten, and that is what a UTI feels like, plus flu like symptoms on top. She gave in and got me a prescription so John now has tablets, while they do the urine tests.

Maria

[Avocado Baby]

Does anyone else get really emotional when they have a UTI? I get really depressed and can't stop crying!

[tsutiff]

I used to get UTIs really bad, and hated going to the doctor. They make a pill called uristat, monistat makes it for UTIs it works, turns your urine a bright orange color like the antibiotics usually do, but they are OTC and so you don't have to wait for a perscription. You can find them in the condom, tampon aisle area at Walgreens, CVS, and stuff like that. Just thought it might help.