Heparin Instillations and urinary retention

[firefly]

Had my first Heparin/sodium bicarbonate/hydrocortisone/lignocaine instillation today and now I can't pee!

Luckily I am able to self-catheterise, but still this is really weird and quite upseting. I rang the nurse and she said it can happen sometimes, but not usually so soon after the procedure ( I was unable to pee out the instillation).

Has anyone else experienced this side-effect? If anything, the nurse told me I might have incontinence, not retention (I had to wear this MASSIVE adult pad out of the hospital and back to work...not impressed!)

No pain as yet so that's a bonus.

firefly xx

[jen74]

WHen I was doing the instiallations using marcaine, I had awful retention and had to cath out the stuff. When I switched to lidcoaine, and heperin, and saline, I was able to urinate it out. Maybe is you use less lidocaine you wont get the retention.
Jen

[mom_in_ma]

Ahh..this happens to me and I do them twice weekly. The total cc:s of fluid going into my bladder for the instillation is 50cc. So, I think (for ME), it's not enough for my body to 'get the signal' to urinate. I hold the solution for about an hour. About 30-45 minutes before I'm supposed to pee, I start sipping water, this gives me enough volume in my bladder at the hour mark so that I can pee. It has definitely freaked me out a couple of times. I've had to sit in a warm bathtub to pee after an instill at least twice. Since you can self cath there is no need to panic. For me, it's only that first pee that is the problem.

[firefly]

Thanks - I seem to be back to normal now. Nothing life changing from the heparin as yet but I know it will take time. Thanks for the help, I'll try those suggestions next week!

firefly xx

[mom_in_ma]

Yeah, it's not anything that worked overnight for me, but I think it's helping.

[THenline]

I have also not been able to urinate after each heparin instillation I have received. I asked my doctor about it and he told me it was most likely the lidocaine but I should eventually be able to urinate. It usually takes me about two hours after each instillation before I am able to go to the bathroom. Each time I worry I won't be able to go and if I try to go before about two hours I can't.

[L. Thomas]

I have been doing instill for a few years now. I particularly like to do them before I go to bed because I am able to sleep 4-5 hours without going to the bathroom.

[bunnykinb]

Firefly,

I love your Griffin rabbit. What type of rabbit is it? We have 3 mini lops that are not so mini. It is the mom and two siblings. I have to show my son your rabbit.

As for the bathroom visit, I bet it is scary.

[firefly]

Hi, bunnykinb, Griffin is a lionhead cross (with what I don't know). He's seven years old and I love him to bits. Lionheads are a dwarf breed so he is quite small (weighs about 2kg) and they grow long coats in winter so need regular grooming.
As for the bathroom, self-catheterising gets easier each time so not so much of a problem now!
take care,
Exx

[bunnykinb]

Is your baby lovable? All three of our rabbits like to be pet, but only one of them is able to be held. He wasn't our favorite at first, but after getting neutered, he settled down and no longer bites or nips.


I see there is hope besides DMSO. I was only doing the heparin instills monthly at the doctors office. But, maybe if I learned to do them at home and more frequently, I might have some relief.

[bunnykinb]

Oh, I am a chocolate lover too. My son likes for me to buy Tigers Milk protein bar. It looks like chocalate but after reading the ingredients, it contains carob. While it isn't quite like the delicacy of chocolate, it helps when you get the chocolate cravings.