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Catheter problem

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User
Posted 19 Aug 2022 at 19:29

I wonder if anyone can help please .My husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer in march.He started hormone injection once a month in April .Then he started to feel pressure in the bladder and not being able to pee so was rushed to hospital and a catheter fitted back then .This was in for few weeks then came out .All okay .Then end of may pressure came back so another one was put in .Since then he has had to keep one in while waiting to start his radium treatment.He started that this last Wednesday and today is was three.As the catheter had been in 8 weeks they decided to change it today as value was worn.But again it was so painful and excruciating to take out and put in. Apparently it's because of a build up of calcium causing restriction.Please has anyone experience this and any advice would be helpful .He's dreading having it out in 6 weeks time and worried if the pain and pressure will be still there .Thank you .

User
Posted 19 Aug 2022 at 22:54

Wendy, I have had a catheter for the last five years, it is a suprapubic catheter but I have had numerous urethral catheters.

The removal of the urethral catheters has always been painless but probably because they were only in for a month, I have only had one urethral catheter inserted whilst awake.

The suprapubic catheters can be a nightmare on removal due to being in for eight weeks and the encrustation that builds up on the catheter.

My district nurses all recommend drinking lemon barley water and cranberry juice to reduce the sediment and encrustation.

I assume from your comment he has a flip flo valve, that should be changed every 7 days.

Any more questions, just ask.

Thanks Chris 

Edited by member 19 Aug 2022 at 22:56  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 20 Aug 2022 at 09:18

Thank you for the reply .I think he needs to ask questions next week when at treatment .He can't go on like this everytime it's taken out and put back in .

User
Posted 20 Aug 2022 at 10:45

Wendy, is the catheter in the penis or does it come out of the abdominal wall below the belly button.

Thanks Chris 

User
Posted 20 Aug 2022 at 10:54

I had a similar problem of retention. Which went and returned. I made a long post at the bottom of this thread about self catheterisation, which as you will read I am a great advocate of.

https://community.prostatecanceruk.org/posts/t22995-Escaping-the-Catheter

You husband's experience may put him off the thought of using a catheter every time he wants to pee, but in my case I only needed to do it a few times and then I returned to normal.

However now he has started RT with a catheter in he should probably not make any changes until RT is finished.

 

Dave

User
Posted 20 Aug 2022 at 15:42

It's in the penis Chris .They use the curve end one on him to try and make it easier but the calcium deposits are making it difficult to get in and out .

User
Posted 20 Aug 2022 at 15:45

Thanks for your reply .That's what they have told him it has to stay in until after the treatment has finished .I think he's worried that once it's taken out he will go back to the extreme pressure again and the not being able to pass urine .

User
Posted 20 Aug 2022 at 16:21

Wendy , may be worth a word with his medical team to prescribe something to reduce the calcium build up, the lemon barley water may not be enough to reduce the build up. There are meds to help with urine flow.  You also need to make sure anything he takes does not affect his radium treatment.

Thanks Chris 

User
Posted 20 Aug 2022 at 17:48

Thank you I totally agree and will definitely get him to talk to someone .

User
Posted 21 Aug 2022 at 08:42

Wendy, you can get a Citric flushing bottle on prescription for sediment etc in the bladder and catheter. Some district nurses and continence nurses believe that for long term users, once you start using them they become a frequent necessity. Some DNs will flush the bladder with normal or citric flushing bottles just before removing a long term catheter. I assume they were using instilagel or hydrocaine to lubricate the catheter and help numb the urethra.

Thanks Chris 

 

 

User
Posted 21 Aug 2022 at 11:20
Thank you for that Chris never heard of that before .I will show him when he returns from his treament today .Yes the do use a numbing cream but still so painful to remove and put back in . Thank u for your help .
 
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