HI Folks Hoping for some helpful pointers from UK based forum members. I have a history of mild BPH and have been taking Tamsulosin for around 18 months or so. This has helped somewhat but lately I have been having more severe issues with frequency associated with a dull ache in the bladder area. GP has had urinary screening tests done that don't show any significant infection. I have been for an ultrasound scan of my bladder and kidneys which also showed no major issues. GP reckons my prostate is enlarged but but not greatly so (by DRE). He has conceded that it could be down to prostatitis but has parked that idea for the present. He has now prescribed Finasteride in addition to the Tamsulosin but says that it could take up to 6 months for any benefit to be felt. I am awaiting a PSA test result and the GP will take a decision based on that on whether to refer me for further tests to a urologist. Have had 2 PSA tests in the past and both results were below 1ng/ml. Now coming to the crunch question. If I want to consider CIC in the UK, do I need to get a GP's approval to order the relevant catheters. I seem to remember reading somewhere that CIC catheters are a prescription only item and are not freely available, as they appear to be in the USA. A compounding problem for me is that I suffer from Paruresis (Shy Bladder Syndrome) which makes it difficult for me to urinate on demand and also to urinate in some public situations. I am considering CIC as a means of dealing with this particularly for holiday travel. Can anyone comment on whether I can source CIC catheters in the UK without the need for a GP's prescription.
Try eBay. BTW, prescription is required in the US. Hank
Arlowood,
As Hank1953 said you need a prescription to get medicare or insurance to pay for catheters in the US. However I think you don’t need a prescription if you pay for them yourself. If you do pay for them yourself there are a couple re-usable types I can recommend. One is Bard Gentlecath coude tip, sometimes called red rubber/latex. The other is Cure M12C. I have re-used both of them for up to a month without problem. Both have to be pre-lubed with a water soluble lube like KY jelly. Both have to be washed afterwards with soap and water, I also wipe them with alcohol . You should also run water or alcohol though the center to clean it. I prefer the Cure M12C myself.
TKM (Thomas)