hi everyone thanks to the gentleman on this board I obtained a supply of cic without my doctor's note. I haven't been trained how to use it though and I'm a little nervous. anyone have some advice tips etc? I watch the video from the manufacturer and explained all the sterile technique issues. thanks.
Motto,
This site has a section regarding Self Cath-ing (CIC) with a lot of “tips” . Search Dive bombing - LOL sounds funny, but the tips involving Dive Bombing helped me a little. And I am still trying to not injure my Urethra . I’m sure other people will answer up soon as well. Everyone is very helpful on this site. Good Luck Brother,
Chuck
There are a number of tips in the forum. Do not force anything, and hopefully, you will be using something that is not stiff that could hurt you. There are a number of videos available on the manufacturers websites and YouTube. Make sure the catheter is well lubricated, if not hydrophilic, and try to relax. A lot of us use the dive bombing technique for the initial insertion and then change the angle to navigate the urethra.
Motto,
I found for first time use, the Red Rubber catheters are the best. They are soft smooth and flexible. You have to lubricate them with water soluble jell, KY Jelly, Surgilube, McKession, etc. Don’t use vasiline, it will stay behind in the urethra and possibly cause infection.
The next best, I know of, is Bard Magic 3. It is made of silicone so is the most soft and flexible of the hydrophilic catheters. Hydophylics have an electrically charged surface that attracts water.
The third best, I know of, is Lofric Primo or Origo. They are hydrophilic but more flexible than Speedicath.
You are very likely to have bleeding the first time so keep everything as clean as possible. I use 2"x2" gauze pads to wash the tip and opening of the penis with Providone Iodine from Walmart or Walgreens. You can also use paper towels, but someone from the company I get catheters from recommended against paper towels, don’t know why, maybe they leave fibers behind ? The Iodine will sterilize without irritating the urethtra. You can also use soap, preferably antibacterial. It may be useful to collect the urine in a measuring cup, to measure volume, and also check for cloudiness or bad smell, indicators of infection.
jimjames made a post a couple weeks ago about a method to help get the catheter through the bladder sphincter. I think it may have been in one of his original CIC discusions. Basically he said you run the catheter in until it hits the bladder sphincter. Then while keeping up gentle pressure you contract the rectum, like a Kegal exercise, you will feel the catheter suck in a little, then gently push it in more, as you relax. You may have to repeat that 3 or 4 times before it goes through. I have tried it and it works well.
Hope this helps,
Thomas
you should have a nurse at Urologist show you how, and if you use the types requiring applying gel and not the prelubricated i almost guarantee you will get a UTI
its easy once someone shows you how but you dont know what size is best, whether you need a coude tip i strongly advise against it.
Hi, Motto,
Welcome to the CIC Club!
Before I start I must give the usual warning: I am a retired engineer, not a doctor but I have over three years of self-cathing.
They say, “Relax!!!” then forget to tell you what to relax! You’re a first-timer so I’ll assume that you will feel the catheter as it passes through the urethra, then the external sphincter where you will feel increased resistance, next is the prostate where the sensation changes noticeably, then the inner sphincter about 1 1/2 to 2 inches further in, and finally the bladder. Throughout this journey you relax by applying the same effort as you would to urinate. Do not force the catheter; if it stalls out just wait, anywhere up to 30 seconds or so, while keeping the same gentle force. The muscle will eventually relax as it fatigues.
Not all of us feel pain, but rather an unusual sensation we have never felt before. In time this will become more welcome as it does signal success. Use plenty of water-based lube if you are using Red Rubbers to start with. Take your time, unless you are using hydrophilic (pre-lubed) catheters in which case you have roughly a 3 minute limit before the catheter tends to adhere to the urethra wall.
Catheter withdrawal should be done just as gently as for insertion. During this step keep the funnel blocked with your finger. This will keep the urine (and any blood?) trapped in the catheter, preventing it from flowing back into you.
I hope you find this helpful, along with the information available to on this site. Best of luck, and lease keep us posted on you progress as you find the time.
Warm regards, alan86734.
Hi Motto
Alan is spot on .
Once you have done it a couple of times its very very easy . I struggled at first but now its so simple . Put your penis is a vertical position to begin with when you first insert. Couple of “obstacles” that prevent it as Alan describes well.
For me the use of catheters i believe " cured" me . I had three years of obstruction and was pencilled in for invasive surgery . A trip to emergency with acute retention and 3 weeks of permanent a catheter and a period after of CiC somehow cured my obstruction. I now only CiC once a week after my weekly big drink with the guys . i now find it so easy to do and if it prevents you ending up in emergency or simply allows you to empty your bladder fully its well worth it.
Take it easy , and follow Alans advice and you will be fine
If you watched videos, you are ready to go. Just make sure you use soft catheters to avoid injury. Thomas recommended Bard rubber ones. I recommend Cure. Avoid Coloplast Speedicath until you earn some stripes. They are very stiff and still cause me to bleed, and I have 3 years of service. I tried many catheters and none of them caused me to bleed.
Oh, crap I bought the Coloplast Speedicath ones. Thanks for the advice. I’ll get some softer ones.
Thanks everyone for the advice.
Thanks again and one more question. How do I know what size to get? Do i buy a couple in each of several sizes? 8? 10? 12? 16? Is bigger number smaller or bigger?
Thanks.
Hey Motto,
You got the Speedi Caths, that’s O.K. They have a long (5 year ?) shelf life. Use them later when you are more experienced and have toughened up a little. For now the Red Rubbers are the best.
If you are getting through a lot of them you are allowed to reuse them, as far as I know. These rules sometimes change overnight.
All the best, and hopefully you have fun, too!
Regards, alan86734.
14 is right for most people. 12s go in more easily but they bend. Try the 14, if it seems to big, try the 12. Ideally, the smallest number that doesn’t bend is the sweet spot. Very few men like 16s and I don’t think they make them smaller than 12.
Go online and ask for samples of Cure catheters. They shipped me a box within 2 or 3 days. This forum was over run by Coloplast sales people in disguise. It was why so many of us used their catheters and … bled. They even posted that bleeding at the beginning was normal, lol. I couldn’t even bleed with any other catheters, except for theirs. I still have
Motto,
As you may have figured out by now, we’re all different. I self-cathed for several months before (and a month after) my Rezum procedure, and I used the catheters that my urologist prescribed for me. They were Coloplast Speedicath FR16 coude. The ‘16’ indicates that it’s larger than a ‘14’, etc. which is larger than a ‘12’ etc.
I had a couple of drops of blood the second time that I self-cathed, but other than that one time, I never had a problem using them. I really liked the Speedicaths because they were so easy to use. However, I’d recommend a 14 instead of the 16. The coude tip was a good fit for me because of the enlarged median lobe of the my prostate. But again, you can see by the responses that you’ve received so far that, if you ask 10 guys, you will get at least 9 different answers!
Best of luck to you. Let us know how it goes. And don’t get discouraged if it seems difficult at first. It is kind of scary but you’ll catch on quickly.
Someone on this forum posted that he used the same rubber one for months. He soaked it in an alcohol jar between uses.
I wouldn’t recommend that. Just inviting problems.
Instruction from a urologist or nurse is no assurance of success. Some may be better instructors than others. I was initially given some coude tip catheters by my urologist, and ended up with severe bleeding the first couple of tries. I later got straight tipped red rubber catheters and read instructions and watched videos online. I haven’t had any problems since. I use non lubricated catheters that I self lube each time, and I haven’t had any UTIs since I started almost a year and a half ago.
Bigger number equals bigger diameter. It is my understanding that 12FR and down is more a woman’s size. I use 18FR in red rubber. My uro said the larger size empties the bladder faster. I don’t usually have any problem inserting them. Sometimes they meet some resistance going in, and I just take things slower. I ordered samples of 14FR and 16FR sizes to try. I found 14FR red rubber is too flexible for me. I also use some soft plastic Coloplast non-lubricated catheters in size 16FR (they make a soft and a regular - different model numbers). They are almost as flexible as the red rubber. Being smooth plastic, they do glide in easier than the red rubber.
I tell people to try different catheters and lubes until you find which ones work best for you. I’m going to try some of the non-lubricated Cure catheters that Hank recommends. I have tried the Cure pre-lubricated (not hydrophilic) ones. The lube is a little thicker than what I usually use, and they are not as flexible as the soft Coloplast.
You wrote you were given catheters - did a qualified nurse show you how to use them before you went home and ended up with severe bleeding?
No there is no assurance, but it sure beats trying to insert a plastic tube into one’s penis for the first time that you have someone there guiding you.
As for UTIs, you must be really good at following the instructions in videos, having a clean workspace and so on. Not all of us are that good. The nurse showed me how to spread the gel and I got UTIs a few times, after I moved to the pre-lubricated ones, maybe once in a year.
The urologist and nurse drained me several times before giving me catheters. That was pretty much my instruction. I am pretty meticulous about washing beforehand with antiseptic soap, and I use baby wipes to clean the genital area. I use the single use packets of lube, and maintain a clean workspace. I will even use non-lubricated catheters in public restrooms, but again, I am pretty meticulous about cleanliness.