What are they looking for when they do a urodynamic test

[Jody Lynn]

Hi!

I am having a urodynamic test in 3 days. What are they looking for when they do this test? Is it painful during and after the test? I get bladder spasms from rescue treatments and I was wondering if this test would cause me to have spasms.

I welcome any comments or advice about this test.

Thanks,

Jody Lynn

[judyblue]

Jody,

No one told me and I have no clue what all the results were, but it seemed they were testing capacity at the level of "urge" and the level of "gotta go". They also look at how you tolerate the procedure, your voiding stream, and whether there is leakage.

I had spasms for about 4-5 hours after this procedure and needed a heating pad. Go ahead and get your basic flare kit out, you may need it based on your history. I think a normal bladder would tolerate this test fine, but an inflamed one needs a little loving care afterwards.

[chele]

OMG i had this test yesterday and OMG OMG OMG OMG!!! big HUGE OOOWWIE!! get this, besides being one of the most embarrassing tests and experiences of my life, i am in that funny chair, lifted about 5 feet in the air, the nurse is inserting the cath - i am just breathing like i learned when i was in labor and she says to me ..."huh, do you have any issues with passing out?"

well, funny you should ask YES!!! have you noticed how sensitive you are to pain now that you have IC. My doctor explained it to me like this: the normal person does not experience the level of pain we do everyday so when they hit their elbow or stub their toe or even break the toe, they can handle it BUT because we IC folk daily are operating at a very high level of pain, those little pains normal people feel will just send us over the top because it is added to the pain we are already having.

so OH YEAH!! i have a problem with passing out!!! anyway, I am so glad that it is done and yep, was in A LOT of discomfort afterwards. Had to get the TENS unit out and i just vegged on the couch the rest of the day. not fun at all....

I am curious though to hear what my test results are.

good luck to all of you out there that have to go through this.

Michele

[ICNDonna]

When I had mine, it wasn't fun, but not horrible either. My urologist had sent me to a specialist 110 miles away so we had a 2 hour plus drive home after the test. We stopped at all the rest stops coming home, but it wasn't any more uncomfortable than the trip going. We stopped for dinner on the way home and I was starved.

They tested muscle function and capacity --- I'm not certain about other results.

Donna

[Sarojini]

Yes, the urodynamics measures the muscle function in the bladder and pelvic muscles. First it measures your response to bladder filling (a measurement of "gotta go" as judyblue said), then your bladder capacity and whether you have spasms while your bladder is filled or held (activity of the detrusor muscle). It also measures the activity of the sphincter muscle and whether there is leakage.

Then the test measures urine flow rate, whether the bladder muscle works properly during emptying, and whether you retain urine.

I have heard varying reports on this test (I have not had it myself). Some say it is not too bad and others say it is horrible. I hope you have one of the "not too bad" experiences. :grouphug:

[Imustpee]

Sorry to say, but mine was horrible...the worst part was the insertion of 2 caths at the same time....then they started the saline flowing...needless to say that didn't go the way they thought it would. The dr ran in once the yelling started....I hope your test goes alot better....the final result was my bladder could hold 83 cc's..I felt like I had to pee at 30 cc...I had been telling them that for years, but I guess they needed proof, after all, what did I know. I had only been living with IC for 40 years, but they went to medical school...

[chele]

oh yea, i had the 2 caths as well. and what about the machine that vibrates to measure your sphincter (sp) muscle. yep, that is up there too with the cath. had no idea all that stuff could fit in there. :bonk:

the nurse told me what she was doing and said that i was to tell her when i felt the sensations of the bladder. she had not started- unbenounced to me- and i said "oh yea i can really feel that and that is hurting" -- "OH, i haven't started yet." she said.... great. I do not even know how much i could hold. but i know it was not much.

I had to get this test because i have surgery July 8 for partial hyster and the bladder suspension. I just cannot take the pain anymore and i bleed SOOOO much every month. horrible PMS, cramps that send me to the moon and back.

my mother had uterin cancer and this is how it started.

and yep. i am sure scared - scared of recovery the most. i know how much my kids rely on me. I think my husband has no idea how long this recovery will be. Even though i have told him....

[Kip]

Hi Jody,

You will have two tubes very narrow in diameter (much smaller than a urinary catheter) inserted into your rectum and into your bladder. The tube in your rectum gently puts air into your rectum to cause pressure, water is then introduced into your bladder slowly. If it hurts, then let your Uro know, this test should not cause you to shout, and scream and cause you unbearable pain. However it will cause some discomfort.

I have had many of these done now, my last one only a couple of months ago.

I experience severe spasms, but my uro prewarmed the water that was introduced to my bladder, to body temperature so that reduced the risk of spasms. He also introduced the water slowly.

The purpose of the test is to measure the pressures that your bladder muscles exert prevoiding, during voiding and post voiding. The pressure is measured in your rectum as that has an effect when you are voiding too. It will give guidance on how well your pelvic floor muscles are working, how efficient your bladder muscles are at emptying your bladder and if there are areas that may be causing you to leak urine (stress incontinence). The test takes about 45 mins. You will also do a flow rate, this measures how quickly you can empty your bladder. For example a slow intermittent flow may indicate a bladder outflow obstruction such as a urethral stricture.

You should have a shot of antibiotics following the procedure to reduce the risk of infection.

You might get some spasms for a while afterwards but hopefully if your Uro has taken the precautions I listed earlier that risk should be minimised.

If you want any further advice let me know

Kip

[chele]

OMG nothing was put in MY rectom!!! :bonk:

Kip-- please don't take this the wrong way, but are you female or male??

i can see if male, they would do that. but for female, it is done in the vagina and the urethra.

i cannot even imagine doing it the way Kip describes. i would have been passed out for sure!!! :help:

[Imustpee]

I had nothing in my rectum either......

[Kip]

I am female and that is how they do it in the UK, sounds like I should have it done in the US then !!

LOL

[Imustpee]

I had 2 caths in my urethra and into my bladder, not vaginally...perhaps that was the next step but I made them stop before it came to that...

[Kip]

Why 2 caths in the urethra?

[Imustpee]

One had a sensor in it and the other was for the saline.....

[chele]

Kip, OMG you poor thing!! i soooooo feel for you with this procedure!!!

hope everything is going better for you!!!

i hope that i did not offend you -- i was just so shocked when you told your story. wow!!

:)
Michele

[blendno14]

...hmm interesting..urodynamics in germany involve 1 cath in urethra and 1 in rectum - and I'm female....the cath in the urethra did both, the salin and the measuring.....

[Kip]

Phew, glad I am not the only person to have it done that way, so it must be the European way.

No offence taken by the way but didn't mean to shock you.

How did it go for you?

[chele]

well, i am soooo glad that it is over with!! it really was uncomfortable-- no it just plain hurt!! and then i was cramping or something for 2 days after. I most definitely needed the heating pad that night!!

now i am getting ready for some heaving duty surgery! getting a little scared....

[LoriWithIC]

I'm in the U.S. and had this procedure done at Walter Reed AMC twice. Both times, very thin catheters were inserted rectally for me. I am female. The catheters didn't hurt or anything, although of course the procedure is a bit (to me) embarrassing.

Blessings,
Lori