Weird bladder infection!

[TheRainman]

This is a stranged condition. My urine has very little smell to it and the foley will get clogged and i'll urinate around the catheter. And when I irrigate it, a real clear snotty like sudstence comes out. No fever or anything else.

And the only thing that seems to help is levequin. It will go away for a few weeks then come back. Keflex will help put only for a short time.

But i'm scared to keep on using levequin do to getting immune to it. It's the one drug that works good for me.

Can someone please help.

[JGNI]

Get that thing cultured and look at the options with your doc.

[bob clark]

Hi TheRainman,

I love Cipro and Levaquin and always keep a stash of them here at home. They really work well for me (Cipro for the past 15 years) but I haven't had an infection or even colonization since October after I started my new cathing technique. Since it's not a medically recommended method I won't get into it but you need to keep from re-infecting yourself. You need to change something because obviously your Foley care has a flaw in it that's keeping you from FULLY killing off the bacteria in your bladder, urethra and Foley or you're just constantly reinfecting yourself. 90% of the bacteria that we get infected with comes from our own intestines in fecal matter so cleanliness and disinfection is key. I once got infected because I had a small burn on my hand that was slightly infected.... this I believe was a Pseudomonas strain as it looked and smelled much different from my usual "run of the mill" UTI.

If the bacteria organism in your bladder has become resistant to Levaquin or Cipro then you're starting to run out of antibiotic options because these are very strong and broad-spectrummed antibiotics. Especially in the orally-taken antibiotics arsenal.

While you were taking the Levaquin, were you replacing your Foley at least every other day or so. The bacteria could have taken up "residence" in the slime or sediment of the Foley (inside of it or even the outside of it) or even in between the Foley and your urethra. Foley's are made of soft rubber (or whatever material... they are soft) so there are many microscopic holes in them that the bacteria can hide and live in. As opposed to the harder, clear plastic self cath catheters that I use for intermittent catheterization. I use the same one for months but store it in a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide.... not medically recommended but my urine has been crystal clear and normal smelling since October.... no colonization.

With as much slime and sediment that you describe maybe a different type of bladder and urethral irrigation is in order while you're on the Levaquin. An irrigant with some ummph to it! Perhaps do it just after you replace your old and infected Foley and then replace that Foley too. Perhaps replace it every day while you're taking antibiotics at least for the first few days while you're taking antibiotics. But the "sterile technique" MUST be used when inserting and setting up a Foley. Get the heavy stuff out so the Levaquin or other antibiotic can have an easier time of getting at all of the bacteria.

What a relief for me to finally (after 27 years) get a grip on the UTI plague. Prevention is the key to not getting a UTI. You can't allow that first damn nasty bacteria to get into your urethra and/or bladder so that it can start multiplying and mutating into a stronger strain (if and while you're taking antibiotics) rendering most other antibiotics useless since Levaquin is at the top of the chart in terms of strength and broadness.

But most importantly, as pharmacist JGNI wrote, get your urine cultured and a sensitivity test performed (C&S) so you and your urologist will know the best antibiotic to use for the particular type and strain of bacteria that's infecting you. Hopefully you have a doctor or urologist who specializes or is knowledgeable in the field of UTIs, Foley care and SCI.

Best of luck.

[SCI-Nurse]

Hi,

It is common to have stringy material or sediment in your catheter. It is a nuisance and can clog up the foley, requiring a change, but that does not mean you have a UTI and should start an antibiotic course. Resistance to cipro or levaquin (all antibiotics) can occur over time. Discuss the sediment with your doctor.

Foley care and technique is definitely critical. Look at yours and see if it needs adjusting. HEre are some sights that discuss details.

http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showthread.php?t=3870&highlight=catheter+middle+finger+labia

http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/epcsums/utisumm.htm
http://www.sci-info-pages.com/bladder.html

Personally I have never heard of changing the foley everyday during a UTI. Downside to this would be added manipulation which can cause irritation and this technique is quite expensive and labor intense but people do find things that work for them.

What should occur is a change of the foley to get the specimen for the culture and sensitivity.

AAD

[TheRainman]

Get that thing cultured and look at the options with your doc.

JGNI

I've done that many times and the best drug is levequin and i'm trying to stay away as much as posible.

[JGNI]

Bob, you have a misconception about Levaquin. Other antibiotics can be much better depending of the bacteria and the resistance. Levaquin is no better nor broader than many other antibiotics.

[TheRainman]

Hi TheRainman,

I love Cipro and Levaquin and always keep a stash of them here at home. They really work well for me (Cipro for the past 15 years) but I haven't had an infection or even colonization since October after I started my new cathing technique. Since it's not a medically recommended method I won't get into it but you need to keep from re-infecting yourself. You need to change something because obviously your Foley care has a flaw in it that's keeping you from FULLY killing off the bacteria in your bladder, urethra and Foley or you're just constantly reinfecting yourself. 90% of the bacteria that we get infected with comes from our own intestines in fecal matter so cleanliness and disinfection is key. I once got infected because I had a small burn on my hand that was slightly infected.... this I believe was a Pseudomonas strain as it looked and smelled much different from my usual "run of the mill" UTI.

If the bacteria organism in your bladder has become resistant to Levaquin or Cipro then you're starting to run out of antibiotic options because these are very strong and broad-spectrummed antibiotics. Especially in the orally-taken antibiotics arsenal.

While you were taking the Levaquin, were you replacing your Foley at least every other day or so. The bacteria could have taken up "residence" in the slime or sediment of the Foley (inside of it or even the outside of it) or even in between the Foley and your urethra. Foley's are made of soft rubber (or whatever material... they are soft) so there are many microscopic holes in them that the bacteria can hide and live in. As opposed to the harder, clear plastic self cath catheters that I use for intermittent catheterization. I use the same one for months but store it in a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide.... not medically recommended but my urine has been crystal clear and normal smelling since October.... no colonization.

With as much slime and sediment that you describe maybe a different type of bladder and urethral irrigation is in order while you're on the Levaquin. An irrigant with some ummph to it! Perhaps do it just after you replace your old and infected Foley and then replace that Foley too. Perhaps replace it every day while you're taking antibiotics at least for the first few days while you're taking antibiotics. But the "sterile technique" MUST be used when inserting and setting up a Foley. Get the heavy stuff out so the Levaquin or other antibiotic can have an easier time of getting at all of the bacteria.

What a relief for me to finally (after 27 years) get a grip on the UTI plague. Prevention is the key to not getting a UTI. You can't allow that first damn nasty bacteria to get into your urethra and/or bladder so that it can start multiplying and mutating into a stronger strain (if and while you're taking antibiotics) rendering most other antibiotics useless since Levaquin is at the top of the chart in terms of strength and broadness.

But most importantly, as pharmacist JGNI wrote, get your urine cultured and a sensitivity test performed (C&S) so you and your urologist will know the best antibiotic to use for the particular type and strain of bacteria that's infecting you. Hopefully you have a doctor or urologist who specializes or is knowledgeable in the field of UTIs, Foley care and SCI.

Best of luck.

Bob

I try to keep it as clean as posible. I don't know what else I could do. I'm really scared to becoming immune to levequin. I've been taking cipro and levequin for 25 yrs on and off. But I didn't get many infections before I was forced to wear ther foley about 5 yrs. ago. I wish I could go back to intermitten cath.

[TheRainman]

Hi,

It is common to have stringy material or sediment in your catheter. It is a nuisance and can clog up the foley, requiring a change, but that does not mean you have a UTI and should start an antibiotic course. Resistance to cipro or levaquin (all antibiotics) can occur over time. Discuss the sediment with your doctor.

Foley care and technique is definitely critical. Look at yours and see if it needs adjusting. HEre are some sights that discuss details.

http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showthread.php?t=3870&highlight=catheter+middle+finger+labia

http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/epcsums/utisumm.htm
http://www.sci-info-pages.com/bladder.html

Personally I have never heard of changing the foley everyday during a UTI. Downside to this would be added manipulation which can cause irritation and this technique is quite expensive and labor intense but people do find things that work for them.

What should occur is a change of the foley to get the specimen for the culture and sensitivity.

AAD

AAD

Thanks, I didn't know that about the slime. I thought it was an infection that caused it.

[TheRainman]

Bob, you have a misconception about Levaquin. Other antibiotics can be much better depending of the bacteria and the resistance. Levaquin is no better nor broader than many other antibiotics.

JGNI

I also thought cipro and levequin was the strongest drug. Thanks for clearing that up.

[SCI-Nurse]

Rainman,

What was the problem with your straight cathing that you later required a foley? Did you have urodynamics?

AAD

[TheRainman]

Rainman,

What was the problem with your straight cathing that you later required a foley? Did you have urodynamics?

AAD

AAD

My bladder spasms to much now that I can insert a catherter in myself. I have very week hand strenght. And when I go without a catheter I get AD.