[Angi]

My BF is currently using speedy caths and cathing himself during daylight hours but we are looking for different ways to cath during night hours. He caths every 3 hours and gets turned with cath schedule but when he lays with me I have to get out of bed so that he may be cathed by his health aides. Is there any cath system that stays indwelling for 8 to 12 hours so he may sleep with me without being cathed and in the morning take it out and go about cathing himself? What cath options are there? What seems to work with those indivuals that are married or living with their GF that allows sex and practicality for sleep? Please help, advise needed!

[Zammo]

Does he have to cath at night? Personally I cath last thing at night and first thing in the morning.

[Kev-O]

Angi, on Dec 19 2007, 10:02 PM, said:

My BF is currently using speedy caths and cathing himself during daylight hours but we are looking for different ways to cath during night hours. He caths every 3 hours and gets turned with cath schedule but when he lays with me I have to get out of bed so that he may be cathed by his health aides. Is there any cath system that stays indwelling for 8 to 12 hours so he may sleep with me without being cathed and in the morning take it out and go about cathing himself? What cath options are there? What seems to work with those indivuals that are married or living with their GF that allows sex and practicality for sleep? Please help, advise needed!

i cath every 8 hours (ish) i have made it to around 11hours before but dont recomend anyhing longer then 8. I stay up until 12am do my cath then wake up around 7:30 or 8 to do my IC. At first staying up till 12 got old but now i got used to it so its nothing for me now. Tell him to try holding off for like 6 hours then once he knows he can get away with 6 go for 8. I never look at the clock anymore on when i need to do an IC, i do one before i go out an when im home i do them when i think its getting around 8hours or when my blood pressure goes up.

[Doug]

cathing every 3 hours is crazy.....I use to cath every 4 hours and I switched to a supra pubic cath which is a dream come true... no more cathing just empty the bag and go. that means you can empty his bag or get a night bag and there you go. you get the whole night alone.. plus it lets you have sex because the cath is in above the penis leaving it tube free for your pleasure.

[kewlcatkez]

Hi,

I am not sure what to suggest about your night time routine with re to the care workers, but I would like to suggest that if your partner is finding that he HAS to cath every 3 hours, or that he is leaking etc, then he probably would benefit from speaking with his urologist. They may want to prescribe medications ( there are a few to choose from) which may help him to hold more pee/for longer.

However, if this schedule is like that b/c it is easier for the health workers night schedule, or just habit, then I would suggest that he sees about trying to change it, if he is able to.

How does your partner feel about this? is HE happy with 3 hour nightly caths? If so is the main issue that you have to leave the room during his caths? If so, can he not request you stay ( if he and you are happy with that!)...

I hope that you find a solution which works for all involved.

Take care,

K

[Ches]

Totally agree with Kewlcatz about getting checked out by the urologist if you think his frequent urinating is an issue. On the other hand, Having to cath every 3 hours is not THAT weird. Everyones body is different, SCI or not. You never know, you guys could be mistaking a struggle with just a few accidents?!
Has he always had to pee this often, and is he drinking alot? If either of those are No's then your in luck and can begin to experiment with routine. How old is he? Age may have something to do with it too.. I hear those oldies have to tinkle more often!

If he absolutely HAS to pee every 3 hours why not talk to the aides about working out a night routine, that helps u all out.. Im not sure what.. I dont know. Are you one to get up in the middle of the night and use the restroom yourself? Maybe you could ask the aides to get more on a realistic schedule and go with the natural flow of life.. like uhmm (Im thinking hard here) after sex.. would it kill you to let the aides come in and give him an indwelling cath.. if the huge bag freaks you out maybe just a small leg bag or something? The aides could empty it instead of him? He could take it out in the morning and go about his day? Is your guy newly injured? Just how good is he at doing it himself, what if the aides just came in to help position him to cath himself, and left you passed out. Not like you would know, or care. Youre passed out.

Just try some different things out, check with the urologist and see what his bladder is capable of.

This post has been edited by Ches: 21 December 2007 - 12:05 PM

[Texaswheelz]

what the others said, unless he has a very small bladder or is drinking tons of water, every 3 hours seems to frequent to me. I know that when i was first injured they told me that i would need to cath every 4 hours. At first I did but i was getting very little urine most time as i just don't drink enough water for me to cath that often. I switched to every 5 and then every 6 hours with out any problems. Now i can tell when my bladder is full and cath then, but it could be anywhere from 2 to 10 hours depending on how much and what I'm drinking, but those are extremes, with just normal day to day drinking of water it's around every 6-7 hours.

[kashley]

Angi, on Dec 19 2007, 04:02 PM, said:

My BF is currently using speedy caths and cathing himself during daylight hours but we are looking for different ways to cath during night hours. He caths every 3 hours and gets turned with cath schedule but when he lays with me I have to get out of bed so that he may be cathed by his health aides. Is there any cath system that stays indwelling for 8 to 12 hours so he may sleep with me without being cathed and in the morning take it out and go about cathing himself? What cath options are there? What seems to work with those indivuals that are married or living with their GF that allows sex and practicality for sleep? Please help, advise needed!

Have they ever considered a night time external cath attached to a bed bag? He does a regular caths himself right before we go to bed and right after we get up. We sleep fine for as long as we want except when the alarm goes off or the kids jump on the bed. We have only have him and I so I can not give any suggestions on the health aids. He had some in college but that ended when he went to work.

[mangomyday]

We use foley caths and bed bag attached for night. Use during day with leg bag.

[JoshuaAndHeather]

Doug, on Dec 20 2007, 08:46 AM, said:

cathing every 3 hours is crazy.....I use to cath every 4 hours and I switched to a supra pubic cath which is a dream come true... no more cathing just empty the bag and go. that means you can empty his bag or get a night bag and there you go. you get the whole night alone.. plus it lets you have sex because the cath is in above the penis leaving it tube free for your pleasure.

Is this something a quad can use??? Also, how often does this need to be changed out? Same as a catheter through the urethra? I've been looking into this because I heard it can damage the penis to have the kind my fiance has (standard, through urethra). We also obviously wanted to inquire so sex is an option. Think the supra pubic cath would be good for him?

[edlee]

You could try a condom catheter at night. Any manufacturer and most suppliers would send you free samples for you to experiment with.

From my reading here, supra pubic seem to be quite popular with those who have them.

Using the condom caths would certainly show you how long he can go between ICs at night. I have no trouble, up to ten hours or so, at night, but need to cath every three hours during the day if I am , at all , active.

Hope I have been helpful.
ed

[dom]

Doug, on Dec 20 2007, 04:46 PM, said:

cathing every 3 hours is crazy.....I use to cath every 4 hours and I switched to a supra pubic cath which is a dream come true... no more cathing just empty the bag and go. that means you can empty his bag or get a night bag and there you go. you get the whole night alone.. plus it lets you have sex because the cath is in above the penis leaving it tube free for your pleasure.

hi doug i cath every 3/4 hours and have sensation so i assume it's just the norml?before sci i had a pee every 3/4 hours so it is just normal for me,i would'nt want supra-pubic because it is invasive and i like to give my bladder a workout,while it is suitable for others it is not for everyone

[kewlcatkez]

JoshuaAndHeather, on Jan 12 2008, 07:45 PM, said:

Doug, on Dec 20 2007, 08:46 AM, said:

cathing every 3 hours is crazy.....I use to cath every 4 hours and I switched to a supra pubic cath which is a dream come true... no more cathing just empty the bag and go. that means you can empty his bag or get a night bag and there you go. you get the whole night alone.. plus it lets you have sex because the cath is in above the penis leaving it tube free for your pleasure.

Is this something a quad can use??? Also, how often does this need to be changed out? Same as a catheter through the urethra? I've been looking into this because I heard it can damage the penis to have the kind my fiance has (standard, through urethra). We also obviously wanted to inquire so sex is an option. Think the supra pubic cath would be good for him?

Hi,

Suprapubic catheters do need to be 'renewed' ie changed. The protocoll I have known and used with clients (in my life before dis) may differ from what others are told, as every facility has their own guidelines. Usually, at first it will be changed more frequently say every 4-6 weeks. This is so that the person changing it ( usually the individual themself, their so/carer (when instructed how) or a Nurse, but initially may be a Urologist as he will perform the surgery) gets a chance to evaluate if there is any reason for alarm, ie smelly discharge form the site, site not healing, or leaking, too small or too large size french catheter etc. The frequency of change is also determined by the type of catheter used.

After a few times, it then switches to between 8 and 14 weeks. Here the protocol is 12-14 weeks.

It is important that even if you are not inserting your SP catheter yourself, that you have a spare catheter and all the equipment required to insert, remove etc. The SP site is still considered a 'wound' by the body ( although it heals nicely) and as such it can close within a very short amount of time.

As you say, some of the main reasons for a man to change to SP catheters are because of the chances of severe ulceration and long term damage to the tip of the urethra/Penis head. Women also have an increased risk of Decubiti to the vulva and vagina/Urethra. SP catheters mean that you are not sitting directly on the tube so there is a reduction of the risk of Decubiti ( pressure sores). Other reasons include someone who is/intends to be sexually active, People who are unable to perform intermittent cathetrisation personally and wish to have more control over there bladder routine, etc.

There are a few things which you have to be aware of with SP caths. One is to be aware of any fevers etc that develop as they could be due to infection, another is to ensure that the cath is draining, and if not check for kinks in the tubing before worrying. Look out for any leakage or bypassing of the catheter ( pee coming out the hole not the tube) and any leakage from the Penis.
etc.

I am a female and also have no personal experience of SP catheters, However, if I had to have a Long term Catheter I personally would opt for a SP. I know it is a procedure, but IMO the benefits of that out weight the risks.

Concerns regarding bladder shrinkage etc can be answered in some part by clamping off the SP for a short while every so often. It is best to speak to your Urologist/dr about this, but evidence ( anecdotal and based on research) states that doing this will enable the bladder to retain some of its size, so if Intermittent self cathing is reinstated, it may be managed once again ( to some extent).

I hope this is some use, and I am sure that those who have personal experience are better equipped to give you more thorough details.

Take care,

K

dom, on Jan 17 2008, 08:24 PM, said:

Doug, on Dec 20 2007, 04:46 PM, said:

cathing every 3 hours is crazy.....I use to cath every 4 hours and I switched to a supra pubic cath which is a dream come true... no more cathing just empty the bag and go. that means you can empty his bag or get a night bag and there you go. you get the whole night alone.. plus it lets you have sex because the cath is in above the penis leaving it tube free for your pleasure.

hi doug i cath every 3/4 hours and have sensation so i assume it's just the norml?before sci i had a pee every 3/4 hours so it is just normal for me,i would'nt want supra-pubic because it is invasive and i like to give my bladder a workout,while it is suitable for others it is not for everyone

Hi Dom,

You have valid concerns. No elective procedure should be undertaken without tackling and facing the questions that you pose here. I think that ultimately, some people will get on better with a SP catheter than a Urethral foley. This is because of the lower chance of decubti, a more spontaenous sex life and the issues mentioned in the above post.

With regards to the issue of Bladder shrinkage, that is a valid point. Research based on anecdotal evidence and user experience and research shows that if an individual clamps of the SP catheter with a Valve they are able to retain some bladder capacity. This should be undertaken with the direction of the urologist or dr.

Take care,

K

[Descorpio]

kewlcatkez, on Jan 17 2008, 10:03 PM, said:

JoshuaAndHeather, on Jan 12 2008, 07:45 PM, said:

Doug, on Dec 20 2007, 08:46 AM, said:

cathing every 3 hours is crazy.....I use to cath every 4 hours and I switched to a supra pubic cath which is a dream come true... no more cathing just empty the bag and go. that means you can empty his bag or get a night bag and there you go. you get the whole night alone.. plus it lets you have sex because the cath is in above the penis leaving it tube free for your pleasure.

Is this something a quad can use??? Also, how often does this need to be changed out? Same as a catheter through the urethra? I've been looking into this because I heard it can damage the penis to have the kind my fiance has (standard, through urethra). We also obviously wanted to inquire so sex is an option. Think the supra pubic cath would be good for him?

Hi,


Suprapubic catheters do need to be 'renewed' ie changed. The protocoll I have known and used with clients (in my life before dis) may differ from what others are told, as every facility has their own guidelines. Usually, at first it will be changed more frequently say every 4-6 weeks. This is so that the person changing it ( usually the individual themself, their so/carer (when instructed how) or a Nurse, but initially may be a Urologist as he will perform the surgery) gets a chance to evaluate if there is any reason for alarm, ie smelly discharge form the site, site not healing, or leaking, too small or too large size french catheter etc. The frequency of change is also determined by the type of catheter used.

After a few times, it then switches to between 8 and 14 weeks. Here the protocol is 12-14 weeks.

It is important that even if you are not inserting your SP catheter yourself, that you have a spare catheter and all the equipment required to insert, remove etc. The SP site is still considered a 'wound' by the body ( although it heals nicely) and as such it can close within a very short amount of time.

As you say, some of the main reasons for a man to change to SP catheters are because of the chances of severe ulceration and long term damage to the tip of the urethra/Penis head. Women also have an increased risk of Decubiti to the vulva and vagina/Urethra. SP catheters mean that you are not sitting directly on the tube so there is a reduction of the risk of Decubiti ( pressure sores). Other reasons include someone who is/intends to be sexually active, People who are unable to perform intermittent cathetrisation personally and wish to have more control over there bladder routine, etc.

There are a few things which you have to be aware of with SP caths. One is to be aware of any fevers etc that develop as they could be due to infection, another is to ensure that the cath is draining, and if not check for kinks in the tubing before worrying. Look out for any leakage or bypassing of the catheter ( pee coming out the hole not the tube) and any leakage from the Penis.
etc.

I am a female and also have no personal experience of SP catheters, However, if I had to have a Long term Catheter I personally would opt for a SP. I know it is a procedure, but IMO the benefits of that out weight the risks.

Concerns regarding bladder shrinkage etc can be answered in some part by clamping off the SP for a short while every so often. It is best to speak to your Urologist/dr about this, but evidence ( anecdotal and based on research) states that doing this will enable the bladder to retain some of its size, so if Intermittent self cathing is reinstated, it may be managed once again ( to some extent).

I hope this is some use, and I am sure that those who have personal experience are better equipped to give you more thorough details.

Take care,

K

dom, on Jan 17 2008, 08:24 PM, said:

Doug, on Dec 20 2007, 04:46 PM, said:

cathing every 3 hours is crazy.....I use to cath every 4 hours and I switched to a supra pubic cath which is a dream come true... no more cathing just empty the bag and go. that means you can empty his bag or get a night bag and there you go. you get the whole night alone.. plus it lets you have sex because the cath is in above the penis leaving it tube free for your pleasure.

hi doug i cath every 3/4 hours and have sensation so i assume it's just the norml?before sci i had a pee every 3/4 hours so it is just normal for me,i would'nt want supra-pubic because it is invasive and i like to give my bladder a workout,while it is suitable for others it is not for everyone

Hi Dom,

You have valid concerns. No elective procedure should be undertaken without tackling and facing the questions that you pose here. I think that ultimately, some people will get on better with a SP catheter than a Urethral foley. This is because of the lower chance of decubti, a more spontaenous sex life and the issues mentioned in the above post.

With regards to the issue of Bladder shrinkage, that is a valid point. Research based on anecdotal evidence and user experience and research shows that if an individual clamps of the SP catheter with a Valve they are able to retain some bladder capacity. This should be undertaken with the direction of the urologist or dr.

Take care,

K

Hi everyone,

Is there a Cath that can be put in yourself, then you wee then remove it and through it away? Is there such a catheter, please? Thanks...

Descorpio (Des)

This post has been edited by Descorpio: 13 March 2008 - 09:15 PM

[qbounce]

Hi Descorpio,
Your reffering to an 'Intermitant Catheter' (IC). It comes in a single plastic sheath and you only need to apply some gel to the end of it (and wash your hands before insertion, of course). They can also be cleaned and reused multiple times. There are MANY threads in here that mention this typeof catheter, and that's the one this thread's starter uses /btw.

Just wanted to thank all for this thread. . .especially since I was waking up at 1:AM, up to a month ago, every night before I read this to IC. . . a huge pain in the ass!! Then, I ran across this thread and, UREKA!!! . . . I'm only turning once in the middle of the night now (that's every 4 hrs) and I'm sleeping through 'til morning w/o interruption (about 9+/-hrs between caths).
Thanks all!!!!

[Kwag_Myers]

Picking up on where gbounce left off:



I use a straight catheter, wash it in antibacteral soap and boil it in the microwave for 10 minutes. I generally cath every three-four hours during the day, but go eight-ten hours overnight. I haven't had a UI since I started this process.

This post has been edited by Kwag_Myers: 18 March 2008 - 11:22 AM

[Michael Arnold]

Angi, on Dec 19 2007, 06:02 PM, said:

My BF is currently using speedy caths and cathing himself during daylight hours but we are looking for different ways to cath during night hours. He caths every 3 hours and gets turned with cath schedule but when he lays with me I have to get out of bed so that he may be cathed by his health aides. Is there any cath system that stays indwelling for 8 to 12 hours so he may sleep with me without being cathed and in the morning take it out and go about cathing himself? What cath options are there? What seems to work with those indivuals that are married or living with their GF that allows sex and practicality for sleep? Please help, advise needed!

If you are his girlfriend learn how to cath him. If I had a girlfriend I would cath her

lovedfriend

[russ1]

kewlcatkez, on Jan 17 2008, 10:03 PM, said:

Suprapubic catheters do need to be 'renewed' ie changed. The protocoll I have known and used with clients (in my life before dis) may differ from what others are told, as every facility has their own guidelines. Usually, at first it will be changed more frequently say every 4-6 weeks. This is so that the person changing it ( usually the individual themself, their so/carer (when instructed how) or a Nurse, but initially may be a Urologist as he will perform the surgery) gets a chance to evaluate if there is any reason for alarm, ie smelly discharge form the site, site not healing, or leaking, too small or too large size french catheter etc. The frequency of change is also determined by the type of catheter used.

After a few times, it then switches to between 8 and 14 weeks. Here the protocol is 12-14 weeks.

While 12 weeks is the normal change period for supra pubic caths SCI's are a special case due to the increased production of calcium in the bladder and the propensity for this to block the cath - SCI's with supra pubic caths should therefore change their caths every 4 to 6 weeks. Or at least that's the advice from my spinal centre.

[dolly]

russ1, on Jul 2 2008, 10:41 AM, said:

kewlcatkez, on Jan 17 2008, 10:03 PM, said:

Suprapubic catheters do need to be 'renewed' ie changed. The protocoll I have known and used with clients (in my life before dis) may differ from what others are told, as every facility has their own guidelines. Usually, at first it will be changed more frequently say every 4-6 weeks. This is so that the person changing it ( usually the individual themself, their so/carer (when instructed how) or a Nurse, but initially may be a Urologist as he will perform the surgery) gets a chance to evaluate if there is any reason for alarm, ie smelly discharge form the site, site not healing, or leaking, too small or too large size french catheter etc. The frequency of change is also determined by the type of catheter used.

After a few times, it then switches to between 8 and 14 weeks. Here the protocol is 12-14 weeks.

While 12 weeks is the normal change period for supra pubic caths SCI's are a special case due to the increased production of calcium in the bladder and the propensity for this to block the cath - SCI's with supra pubic caths should therefore change their caths every 4 to 6 weeks. Or at least that's the advice from my spinal centre.

Hey I have a SP and I have mine changed every 28 days by the District Nurse, You can learn to do it yourself but I dont feel comfortable doing it myself. It takes 5 mins to change, I also have an antibiotic injection each time its changed, its what they do here and so far no infections!!
Also I never wear a leg bag just have a flip flow and go to the toilet every 5/6 hrs depending on wat i drink. I Take 10mg of oxybutnin a day and have not had leakage/ accident it works well for me and I just tuck it in the top of my jeans and no one knows!!
At night I go last thing and when I wake up so just like someone doing IC really

[eleanorigby]

dolly, on Jul 2 2008, 07:34 AM, said:

russ1, on Jul 2 2008, 10:41 AM, said:

kewlcatkez, on Jan 17 2008, 10:03 PM, said:

Suprapubic catheters do need to be 'renewed' ie changed. The protocoll I have known and used with clients (in my life before dis) may differ from what others are told, as every facility has their own guidelines. Usually, at first it will be changed more frequently say every 4-6 weeks. This is so that the person changing it ( usually the individual themself, their so/carer (when instructed how) or a Nurse, but initially may be a Urologist as he will perform the surgery) gets a chance to evaluate if there is any reason for alarm, ie smelly discharge form the site, site not healing, or leaking, too small or too large size french catheter etc. The frequency of change is also determined by the type of catheter used.

After a few times, it then switches to between 8 and 14 weeks. Here the protocol is 12-14 weeks.

While 12 weeks is the normal change period for supra pubic caths SCI's are a special case due to the increased production of calcium in the bladder and the propensity for this to block the cath - SCI's with supra pubic caths should therefore change their caths every 4 to 6 weeks. Or at least that's the advice from my spinal centre.

Hey I have a SP and I have mine changed every 28 days by the District Nurse, You can learn to do it yourself but I dont feel comfortable doing it myself. It takes 5 mins to change, I also have an antibiotic injection each time its changed, its what they do here and so far no infections!!
Also I never wear a leg bag just have a flip flow and go to the toilet every 5/6 hrs depending on wat i drink. I Take 10mg of oxybutnin a day and have not had leakage/ accident it works well for me and I just tuck it in the top of my jeans and no one knows!!
At night I go last thing and when I wake up so just like someone doing IC really

Hey Dolly, you and I have a very similar set-up except I use foley caths instead of a SP. I've debated the SP thing, but it's hard to find info on women with SPs, mostly guys seem to have them. So what are the pros and cons in your experience? I like the foley because I can take it out if I want. I usually take it out on the weekends unless I'm going somewhere for a long period of time, but I leave it in all week since it's too hard for me to straight cath myself from my chair (I have no clue how these other ladies do it, way too much work for me, maybe I'm just lazy). I take oxybutnin as well and I can tell when I need to pee. My problem is that I am prone to UTIs, although I am trying out some new meds right now which will hoepfully work, and I don't want to erode my urethra (one doctor told me this would happen). However, I don't like the idea of an open wound or having it changed (which sounds painful or like it could go terribly wrong). Thanks for any info you could give me!

[rach32]

I know how you feel i have to cath every 4-5 hours as i get kidney infections i use braun actreen catheters they are so much easier it has a collection bag attached which can be used when travelling, on days out or catheterisation in bed.

[1heart4u]

rach32, on Jul 23 2008, 03:01 PM, said:

I know how you feel i have to cath every 4-5 hours as i get kidney infections i use braun actreen catheters they are so much easier it has a collection bag attached which can be used when travelling, on days out or catheterisation in bed.

How do you know when you have a kidney infection? Does that happen from letting the bladder get too full.? How do you know the difference between a bladder infection and a kidney infection? What medication do you take for kidney infection?

I cath about every 4 hours but I stop liquids at about 6pm go to bed at 9 and get up around 6 am a cath.
1heart4u

[Hikkakaru]

I have always cathed ever 6 to 9 hours, but that is a benefit of having sensation. The less you cath, the less chance you have to pick up a UTI and thats great.

I use the Hollister Advance Plus IC's



Maybe just stopping liquids towards the end of the night or the applique of a condom cath would help your problem.