CIC suddenly stopped working after initial 10 days of success

Men's health
1

I started CIC on Aug. 8, 2018, and things went well until Sat., Aug. 18, when things "shut down." I couldn't urinate, and nothing came out when I catheterized. I tried two times on Sat., and once Sun. morning before I went to the ER. I keep the catheter very clean, and had no other symptoms. 

The ER Dr. put in a balloon catheter, and got over 600cc of urine. I kept that in until Aug. 31, when a urology tech. removed it, and I resumed CIC.

I have had no reoccurrence of the problem, but I am worried about the possibility.  

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what might have caused the problem?

2

Charles,  The catheter must not have been inserted far enough, or got plugged by stones or blot clots in the bladder.  Make sure it is lubricated well, slow down and twist it from side to side, while pushing, at tight spots.  Try a different size catheter, larger sizes like fr16, actually go in easier, without bending.  If you have been on an Alpha Blocker like Flomax and stopped, the prostate may tighten, and prevent the catheter from getting through.  Taking cold or allergy medicines like antihistamines may aslo cause the prostate to tighten.

Hope this helps,

Thomas

3

In addition to what Thomas mentioned, constipation and/or trapped gas can also block the catheter. Hank

4

What type and size of the catheter are you using. Go up one size will reduce bending. Go down one size will make entry easier, but with lots of bending. I would try both. Hank

5

Hi Hank.

What is the link with trapped gas ??. I get a lot of this and it causes all sorts of problems.

Regards Bernard.

6

Hi Charles,

Hard to diagnose from afar based on your description. Could you give more details? Did the catheter go in all the way? If not, how far did it go in? Any pain? In general, it could be anything from not pushing in far enough to an obstruction to a false passage. In general, you go up a size in catheter for insertion problems but have to be careful in case of a false passage. If you have the problem again, have your urologist take a look. BTW what catheter are you using and what size?

Jim

7

Try a diuretic You might not need any more catheters.

8

Thanks, Thomas,

The catheter wasn't clogged, as I have an earwax syringe I use to flush it out after each use; and I haven't had any blood clots or stone fragments. It was all the way in, with only about 2-3" remaining. It was well lubricated, and I twisted it and repositioned the last 2-3" numerous times, with no luck. This happened on five separate occasions over about 16 hours. By then, my back teeth were floating, and I went into the ER.

I've been back to doing CIC for almost a week, and no problems so far. I'll ask my urologist about using a larger size. I've been using a "14 Fr/Ch Coude tip". I'm on two Flomax a day, and haven't missed any doses, and don't use antihistamines.

9

Thanks, Hank,

I'll try a size 16. I've been using a "14 Fr/Ch Coude tip. Question: is there a good commercial source for catheters?

10

Thanks Jim,

Catheter went all the way in, with only about 2" remaining. No pain.My HMO (Kaiser) gave me a supply of "Covidien/Dover catheters: size 14 Fr/Ch catheters. I think I wilI move up to a size 16. Is there an online site where I can order my catheters?

11

The right urologist will rule out any uncertainties

12

Bernard, I've read about it before but mostly from personal experience. Several times I had almost complete urinary blockage from trapped gasses, one as recent as last week. Hank

13

There are several. I just Googled with the part number or description and they pooped up. I then looked for the best price. Hank

14

Charles,   There was another person on this web site about a month ago who could not urinate through a catheter inserted for a Urodynamics test, after they filled his bladder.  He had been self catheterizing for sometime before that, and had no problems.  I wonder if it is possible some people have an enlarged obstructive median lobe problem that blocks, pinches, or kinks a catheter, when it enters the bladder, especially when the bladder is very full.

I don't remember the person's name or the discussion he was commenting on.  Perhaps someone else reading this can remember who it was and the discussion.

Thomas

15

Thanks. I looked online and was a bit overwhelmed by the number of choices. I'll talk to my urologist and see what he thinks.

16

Thanks, Thomas. My urologist/surgeon wants to do a cystoscopy to examine the shape of my prostate. Maybe that will answer the question.

The guys responding to my initial question said that maybe I was using the catheter wrong or it was plugged. Mine wasn't plugged, as I use an earwax syringe to flush it out after use. Another suggested that maybe it wasn't in far enough. It was, all but about two inches, and I rotated it, etc. and had no luck.

The thing that really perplexes me is that for a period of about 18 hours, with five attempts, I still had no luck, either urinating or via the catheter. That's when I went to the ER.

17

Charles, try to remember what you did differently on that fateful day. Did you drink too much and tried to hold it in ? Too full a bladder can push on other organs nearby which in turn impinge on the urethra, and you had it.

The person Thomas mentioned finally went to see a urologist and was told he had a false passage. That might have happened to you also. Hopefully the 10 days of Foley closed it.

The way to avoid false passage is to be gentle and patient while inserting the catheter. Hank

18

Thanks, Hank. I've racked my brain trying to think of something I might have done differently. I was catheterizing about 5X/day, and, being new at the procedure, was very careful about lubing, insertion, sanitation, etc., and have come up with nothing.

You're the first to mention the possibility of a false passage, which I had never heard of; but since it happened on 5 separate occasions over 18 hours during that one day, and also happened (i.e. no urine) when I tried to urinate before using the catheter, I don't think a false passage is likely.  

 

19

Would someone please explain what a false passage is?  Thanks.

20

If you self cath the same way each time, and have a false passage, you are bound to enter the same path, which happens to be the false passage pathway. False passage can be created by any instruments any time getting in the urethra, so it's not that rare. I am not saying you have a false passage. Only a doctor with a scope can be certain. It happened. Hank