Soft Catheters!

[momw/ic]

As you know I have started doing my own bladder instills this week. The catheter my uro prescribed for me is called LoFric Plus and they are awesome! They are super lubricated and do not cause pain. I am very sensitive and caths usually hurt but these do not. I just wanted to pass along the word on these in case anyone is interested.

ALSO...for those of you who self cath and instill heparin and/or marcaine...what amounts of each do you use? Mine is 1cc of heparin and 5cc's of marcaine. It seems like not very much so I was just wondering.

Thanks.

[ICNDonna]

I'm glad you found some comfortable catheters. It's been a while since I did heparin and I don't recall the specific dose.

Hugs,
Donna

[Marti]

The volume (cc) doesn't mean much unless you know the concentration.

Heparin is measured in IU (international units) and the commonest solution is 1000 units/per cc and the commonest 'cocktail' is 10 cc, so 10,000 units per instillation.

The usual concentration of Marcaine (bupivicaine) used in bladder cocktails is 0.5%; 5 cc works out to 25 mg, which is not a lot but you have to be damn careful with that stuff, an overdose can cause cardiovascular issues. Intravesical Marcaine is one of those therapies that is just 'clinical lore' - nothing published in the peer-reviewed literature, which drives pointy-headed scientists like me nuts.

Your friendly neigborhood toxicologist
marti

[Dixiefireball]

I use one heparin 1 ml 10,000 unit ml and two bottles of Marcaine 0.5 10ml (50 mg) with 20 cc of water.

[momw/ic]

I am using 1 ml (10,000 units) of the heparin and 5 ml of marcaine. Do you know what the purpose of the water is? My doc didn't mention water but prescribed 20cc syringes. Total in my bladder is 7 ml of fluid. It doesn't seem like very much - but does seem to be helping with the pain. I haven't had a vicodin since I started this on Thursday.

Thanks for your help.

[Dixiefireball]

i'm not sure why i have to use the sterlie water but that is the way they told me to mix it maybe because they have me useing two marcaine :confused: Like i said i'm sure but it has helped me alot. :)