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FLIP FLOW dilemma

User
Posted 24 Aug 2024 at 19:13

I have been diagnosed with a Divertucular Bladder. This is when the wall of the bladder allows a "second bladder" to form. It can ot be treated.After minor prostate surgery. A Catheta was fitted. The usual night time bag, plus a day bag which worked well with good flow.

A few weeks later, a FLIP FLOW valve was fitted to try to avoid the leg bag eetc.Absolute irony and disbelief from all medical staff incl consultant. There was NO FLOW at all through the FLIP Flow. Changed it several times, then reverted to a leg bag due to failure.

Blockages? faulty valve? Medical staff confused. Went home again with leg bag system in place which worked 100%. 48 hours later, tried the FLIP FLOW valve again(from 2 separate suppliers). 100% failure - NO FLOW. Another trip to hospital needed. Anybody else with probs

User
Posted 24 Aug 2024 at 23:47

Bryan, I am a long term super public Catheter user, I used to belong to a catheter Facebook site, there were quite a few on there with similar issues. I think the site was urology and catheter support.

Have you tried attaching a flip Flo to the catheter and then a leg bag to the flip Flo. You can then experiment with having the valve in different positions.

Thanks Chris 

 

User
Posted 25 Aug 2024 at 11:32

Hello Chris. Thanks for the info. I am experimenting now with location of FLIP Flow valve. The only thing that seems to be working is attaching a leg bag to the FLIP Flow valve. Cos the leg bag is awkward, draining into the leg bag then disconnect. Then do this every couple of hours ( without alert).

User
Posted 25 Aug 2024 at 15:45

When I first had my suprapubic catheter fitted,I had a flip Flo and catheter bag. The I idea was to keep the bladder active, unfortunately my bladder was beyond help and will never recover. I still have the flip Flo and bag , my district nurse advised me to close the Valve for a couple of hours a day. The idea is that opening the valve will cause a high flow of urine and help clear the catheter of debris. Depending on the amount I drink I can go a long time without knowing the valve is shut. 

I have often wondered if the body somehow regulates how much urine the kidneys produce. 

Thanks Chris 

User
Posted 25 Aug 2024 at 18:27

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
I have often wondered if the body somehow regulates how much urine the kidneys produce.

Yes, it does, but it's not based on how full your bladder is.

Filtering the blood passes out loads of water, too much to be reasonable to lose. So the kidneys process the urine before it leaves them, and recover a variable amount of the water, which is returned to the blood stream. This is controlled by antidiurectic hormone (vasopressin). The hypothalamus generates vasopressin in response to how hydrated you are, the less hydrated, the more vasopressin it generates, which causes more water to be recovered from the urine and returned to the blood. This is a key part of the mechanism to regulate hydration and blood pressure. The pituitary (the organ which knows best when it's day or night) steals some vasopressin during the day, and releases it at night. This is so you generate less volume (more concentrated) urine at night, so you are less likely to need to get up to have a pee. (This mechanism can deteriorate as you get older.) However, it also means your blood pressure control is slightly disabled at night, and it's probably not a good idea to drink a lot of fluid just as you go to bed, because the vasopressin released by the pituitary could stop your kidneys from ejecting it overnight, raising your blood pressure.

When you wake in the morning, your urine is usually quite concentrated (and this is why that's the preferred sample to use for urine analysis). Often people have a second pee quite soon after the first. This is because the vasopressin released by the pituitary overnight has gone, and now the kidneys are ejecting more of the excess water which was temporarily held in the blood overnight.

Edited by member 25 Aug 2024 at 18:33  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 25 Aug 2024 at 20:43

Thanks Andy62,

You contribute so much to this site.  Your insights are invaluable and are much appreciated.

Best wishes,

JedSee.

 
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