I was rather surprised when a highly regarded urology consultant recommended I use a penile incontinence clamp. I’ve been moderately incontinent since a salvage prostatectomy in Dec 2021 and won’t have the opportunity of having an artificial urinary sphincter fitted soon due to recurrent bladder neck stenosis.
I always thought that penile clamps could only be used for 1 or 2 hours at a time to avoid blood circulation problems but my consultant says I can wear Dribblestop or Pacey Cuff Ultra all day if I want to as long as I release the device every two to four hours to urinate (if I only I could last 4 hours!). My consultant says that both these clamps do not apply any pressure to the sides of the penis so blood circulation is unrestricted.
So, I thought I’d give them a go. I bought the Dribblestop first as you get two for £64 whereas the Pacey Cuff Ultra costs £79 each. I also felt the Dribblestop had better reviews. Both are expensive for what they are but the thought of not having to wear external catheters again and reducing the number of damp/wet pants/pads, in my view, made it well worth it. Recently I bought the Pacey Cuff Ultra as a comparison and in the knowledge that I can send it back for a full refund within 30 days if I either do not like it or it is not as effective as I need.
I’m still evaluating the Pacey Cuff Ultra so I’ll report on the Dribblestop.
Necessity is the mother of invention and the Dribblestop device was invented by Henry Rennich a Canadian who became incontinent after a prostatectomy at the age of 72. He was unhappy with the clamps available at the time and spent many years inventing his own using men from his local prostate cancer support group as guinea pigs. I also understand that he wore his final design for over 15 years until his death at the grand age of 94.
For me it took a bit of getting used to – only because I’ve never had anything like it on my penis before! It comes with 3 sizes of plastic rectangular links for adjustment. There are also 2 settings on either side of the clamp for the links to clip into to – so there are plenty of adjustment options. The top and bottom clamps have foam which squeezes onto the top and bottom of the penis when in place, putting pressure on the urethra. After a few trials of various settings I found the best adjustment for me and it didn’t take long before I could go hours forgetting it was there, especially if I was busy. As one review I read said …….. “it’s a bit like wearing spectacles, it’s strange at first but soon you hardly notice it”. I can now wear it for up to 10 hours releasing it to urinate every hour or two and I could wear it for longer if I wanted to. It’s extremely easy to put on, adjust, release to urinate and take off. Also easy to clean and dries quickly. It’s also effective! I’m virtually dry when I have it set to what I find is the best combination of links and settings for me. The only time I leak a little is if I’m doing particularly heavy work. Sometimes I adjust it to a looser setting if I’m just sitting for long periods and then it leaks a little more if I start to move about but it’s still pretty good. I have taken the bike out for a short 6 mile cycle with it on and had a good 25 minute kick around with a football down the park with the grandkids wearing the clamp. Although I leaked a little more doing these activities it was nowhere near as much as I would have done without the device and I hardly knew I was wearing it. I always wear a pad for insurance. I don’t wear it overnight as I don’t leak when lying down but I understand you can, in which case they suggest loosening it off a little. You need to change which device you use each day to allow the foam to keep its shape – hence why they provide two when you purchase them.
I’ve also contacted the Dribblestop company by email a couple of times with questions and received useful prompt answers.
What’s the catch I hear you say. It can be a bit uncomfortable at times. The whole device is quite long with the hard plastic adjustment part sticking out on either side of the clamp. These can feel uncomfortable depending what you’re wearing and what position you are in. Fortunately this only happens occasionally and even then you get used to it. I have also read that when you’re incontinent your bladder shrinks as it never fills up. Presumably these devices allow your bladder to stretch somewhat.
As mentioned I’m still getting used to the Pacey Cuff Ultra. Initial thoughts are that it’s more difficult and fiddly to put on and adjust although I may get a little better at this in time. It also takes longer to dry after washing but on the plus side it’s possibly slightly more comfortable.