cathing pain

[dminton]

Does anyone have trouble with cathing pain when the cath tip gets to the inner sphincter? No matter how much I try to relax and breath, and I use an 8 cath, I have pain there and it's like pushing through lots of resistance into the bladder. I use lidocaine gel as a lube and even push some up there with a syringe (no needle of course) 5 mins. before I cath.

[lisabar36]

Hi, I always have pain when the cath goes into my bladder. The only time I did not have pain is when I went to this doctor, and there office invented these tiny little caths, and they used them on me, the doctor always did the instills and I never had any pain. When I went to the new doc and the nurse did them I had pain, and when I do them at home I have pain. I stopped doing instills for that reason, I would feel the pain when the cath went into my bladder, and then also pain after and my bladder would throb and spasm, so I stopped my instills. The only way I would get them again is if I went back to the same doc that did them on me with that tiny cath. They were causing to much pain otherwise so I feel better without them and just take my meds. Have they always hurt you?

[dminton]

I wonder what type of cath they used? Mine is 8 French which is fairly small. When I have someone else do it in the office, it doesn't hurt, only when I do it! I think they let the lidocaine gel sit there for longer than I do, but I can never get it squirted up far enough to make a difference anyway.

[jen74]

I get some pain every time I do an instill. My husband actually helps me, he does it for me becuase I could not lay flat if I did it myself and being bent would cause me far worse pain when trying to put the cathether in. I think we have more pain becuase our bladder are damaged and hurt already. Kind of like when you bump a bruise on your arm, it is gonna hurt.
Jen

[dminton]

I agree; the uro nurse said that for those without IC, cathing isn't such a big deal.

[bunnykinb]

I went back to the first uro who is so much more concerned about my cathing pain. He gave me urojet to use which is a numbing gel that I put a little inside the urethra before cathing. It definitely helps me.

[gigi]

Have you tried pushing out a little (with the muscles around your urethra) when you insert the cath? I have to cath every few hours and when I'm in spasm this trick works for me. I use a 10F non-latex cath. It took me quite a few tries to find the right cath.

Gigi

[dminton]

Well, I finally tried cathing again today since I'm at my wits' end. I decided that what they did at the doctor's office that was different from what I do at home is squirt lidocaine gel into the urethra and then let it sit for 10 mins., then do the cathing. I tried it today and it did make a huge difference.

I also concentrated on relaxing as much as possible, and was amazed at how much tension I was holding in my lower abdominal and vulvar area. So if I'm going to do this every day for a while to try and calm my bladder down, I'm going to make it a very meditative, unhurried thing. When I'm waiting those 10 mins., I will be reading a fun magazine or doing deep breathing or something. Then I insert the cath as slowly as possible, barely moving it in.

I'm using an 8 French, 10" cath. I'm instilling about 4 cc of preservative-free marcaine, the same of lidocaine, and the heparin vial is 1 cc. I draw it all up into a 10 cc syringe. Also the gel I use beforehand is preservative-free lidocaine gel.

[curlycue]

are you using the LoFric caths they are self lubricating. They are wonderful. good luck.

[dminton]

LoFric didn't work for me, the plain ones are fine since I use lidocaine gel to lube anyway.

[bunnykinb]

The urojets are preservative free. The nurse had me cath to drain, then I mixed the meds, then she had me cath again for the meds. I would rather have everything ready and then only cath once.

[jen74]

Why does she have you cath to drain the bladder? Wouldn't it be better to just do it all at once??
Jen

[bunnykinb]

I would drain first, and then do the meds. Next time, I'll ask to draw the meds first before cathing. Double cathing can mean more irritation.

[curlycue]

Yikes. Yea draw meds have them ready and cath only once. Good Luck

[glassd18]

I get a sharp sensation when the cath goes in, but it isn't as bad as the first time, but still don't know how I'd manage to do it myself. Good luck.

[glassd18]

The cath they use on me is red, and very long and is all one piece with a rubber tube that attaches to the syringe.