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Advice Regarding Incontinence Products

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User
Posted 22 Mar 2024 at 13:35

Hi everyone, first post here.

I had the robot guided radical prostatectomy 12 days ago and have just had the catheter removed this morning. 

It's no surprise that I'm incontinent and I've been reading through some posts from other people in the same position, which have helped a lot. I know I'm not alone!

Can anyone guide me regarding:

- What type of products to get (pads or trunks during this "high flow" period?)

- Which absorbancy "grades" are best to buy at present

- Where do I get them from? Is it best to buy from the likes of ASDA or are there any specialty websites I should visit?

As you can probably tell I know nothing about them. I had assumed I would have been supplied with some from the NHS but it doesn't look like that's happening. I've been sent home from the hospital with one pad and I've just had to buy a pack from the corner shop as it seems like I will need a few.

Any advice gratefully received

Cheers

 

User
Posted 22 Mar 2024 at 19:24

Tena level 2 pads are popular. At this stage Tena level 3 may be required, but I found, yes they are absorbent but get heavy. I buy multi packs 6 x 20 of tena level 2s, usually from amazon, about 30 quid or so.

Tight fitting boxer shorts help hold everything in place. ( I wear Danish Endurance boxers)

Pelvic floor exercises are key too. 

P.

Edited by member 22 Mar 2024 at 19:30  | Reason: Additional

User
Posted 22 Mar 2024 at 19:25

Hi BlackCat. Yes, the leakage when that catheter comes out can be a bit of a shock. I've always used Tena (for men). Tena level 2 are available everywhere, including supermarkets. They are a medium absorbency pad but if your leakage is heavy then level 3 would probably be better. Level 3 is not always readily available.  You can buy direct from Tena who offer deals with bulk buys. Failing that try Amazon. They probably work better in briefs than boxers but I've only use briefs so I can't compare.

User
Posted 22 Mar 2024 at 20:35

Hi Black Cat,

I had a prostatectomy 21 months ago, and initially had very heavy incontinence.  As others have said, Amazon is a good place to shop for the heavier pads as the supermarkets often don't sell them.

I find that the pads can slip out from the side of normal underwear when you're moving about or climbing stairs.  I wear a pair of long-legged cycling-type shorts over my normal underwear, which ensures that nothing moves!

I asked for a referral to the NHS Continence Service and, after a few months of procrastination, they eventually agreed to provide me with pads, which I'm still using, although my incontinence is much-improved.

Best wishes,

JedSee.

User
Posted 23 Mar 2024 at 00:39
Re pads - the big supermarkets regularly do 'buy one get one free' offers on Tena pads - just make sure you buy the men's ones and not the ladies' version! I bought Boots own brand but J found them to be a bit more papery & uncomfortable so we went back to Tena.

Re NHS services - it varies a lot by region / NHS trust. Some will provide pads immediately but where we live, you have to have been incontinent for at least 6 months before the GP can refer you to the district nurses who then do an assessment to decide whether they will provide NHS pads.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 23 Mar 2024 at 15:14
Couple of things that I have found out is that having a urinal bottle next to the bed is great - swing your legs out onto the floor and grab the bottle and no more racing to the loo.

As you get better at holding it in, progress to the lighter pads and when in the house, try without one. I was very surprised just how dry I was after a day or so as the psychology of not being able to go kicks in. After 10 months I no longer wear one inside the house and may only have a very slight accident once every 3-4 days - then it's only a dribble that a change of underwear fixes.

Continual wearing of the pads causes me overheating of the scrotum making it quite uncomfortable - taking it off and letting a bit of cool air wafting around the area is quite the feeling. This may just be me as I haven't heard it from anyone else.

Hopefully you are getting on with the pelvic floor exercises - I was lucky to get perineal physiotherapy here in France and that certainly speeded things up for me.

User
Posted 23 Mar 2024 at 20:37
I agree with others, Tena 2 are the ones simply because they are widely available (to be fair, our local Tesco now stocks Tena 3) My experience with own brand is like LynEyre (or presumably her husband), they seemed to contain more wadding and didn't fit as well.
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User
Posted 22 Mar 2024 at 19:24

Tena level 2 pads are popular. At this stage Tena level 3 may be required, but I found, yes they are absorbent but get heavy. I buy multi packs 6 x 20 of tena level 2s, usually from amazon, about 30 quid or so.

Tight fitting boxer shorts help hold everything in place. ( I wear Danish Endurance boxers)

Pelvic floor exercises are key too. 

P.

Edited by member 22 Mar 2024 at 19:30  | Reason: Additional

User
Posted 22 Mar 2024 at 19:25

Hi BlackCat. Yes, the leakage when that catheter comes out can be a bit of a shock. I've always used Tena (for men). Tena level 2 are available everywhere, including supermarkets. They are a medium absorbency pad but if your leakage is heavy then level 3 would probably be better. Level 3 is not always readily available.  You can buy direct from Tena who offer deals with bulk buys. Failing that try Amazon. They probably work better in briefs than boxers but I've only use briefs so I can't compare.

User
Posted 22 Mar 2024 at 20:35

Hi Black Cat,

I had a prostatectomy 21 months ago, and initially had very heavy incontinence.  As others have said, Amazon is a good place to shop for the heavier pads as the supermarkets often don't sell them.

I find that the pads can slip out from the side of normal underwear when you're moving about or climbing stairs.  I wear a pair of long-legged cycling-type shorts over my normal underwear, which ensures that nothing moves!

I asked for a referral to the NHS Continence Service and, after a few months of procrastination, they eventually agreed to provide me with pads, which I'm still using, although my incontinence is much-improved.

Best wishes,

JedSee.

User
Posted 23 Mar 2024 at 00:39
Re pads - the big supermarkets regularly do 'buy one get one free' offers on Tena pads - just make sure you buy the men's ones and not the ladies' version! I bought Boots own brand but J found them to be a bit more papery & uncomfortable so we went back to Tena.

Re NHS services - it varies a lot by region / NHS trust. Some will provide pads immediately but where we live, you have to have been incontinent for at least 6 months before the GP can refer you to the district nurses who then do an assessment to decide whether they will provide NHS pads.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 23 Mar 2024 at 12:56

Thanks @LynEyre I made the mistake of buying supermarket brand unisex products. I'm not sure who they're supposed to fit but they certainly don't fit me :-). It's a learning curve.

User
Posted 23 Mar 2024 at 13:02

Thanks for the replies everyone. I think I'm going to stick with the Tenas as they seem to provide the best fit. The challenge at the minute is getting the right size. 

On a plus point - I had a dry night last night and I'm more aware of the danger points today, such as getting up from a chair, starting to walk too fast, coughing, bending over. I'm able to nip it in the bud if it starts and get to a toilet.

I'm finding that I can start/stop the flow when I want to but there's very little pressure there, compared to what I used to have. Is that normal?

 

User
Posted 23 Mar 2024 at 15:14
Couple of things that I have found out is that having a urinal bottle next to the bed is great - swing your legs out onto the floor and grab the bottle and no more racing to the loo.

As you get better at holding it in, progress to the lighter pads and when in the house, try without one. I was very surprised just how dry I was after a day or so as the psychology of not being able to go kicks in. After 10 months I no longer wear one inside the house and may only have a very slight accident once every 3-4 days - then it's only a dribble that a change of underwear fixes.

Continual wearing of the pads causes me overheating of the scrotum making it quite uncomfortable - taking it off and letting a bit of cool air wafting around the area is quite the feeling. This may just be me as I haven't heard it from anyone else.

Hopefully you are getting on with the pelvic floor exercises - I was lucky to get perineal physiotherapy here in France and that certainly speeded things up for me.

User
Posted 23 Mar 2024 at 15:28

Thanks for the tip about the bottle Steve86. I live in the north east of England so overheating is very rarely a problem :-) but I had been wondering about letting a bit of air circulate every now and then.

User
Posted 23 Mar 2024 at 20:37
I agree with others, Tena 2 are the ones simply because they are widely available (to be fair, our local Tesco now stocks Tena 3) My experience with own brand is like LynEyre (or presumably her husband), they seemed to contain more wadding and didn't fit as well.
 
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