Help: bleeding while cathing!

jimnms · 05-18-2003, 09:52 AM

I'm battling with a UTI at the moment. I suspect that the last one never fully went away. I think it was monday or tuesday, I started leeking, and when cathing it was light colored, but very thick and cloudy. I was going to get a sample, but I couldn't find any of the steril sample cups.

I can tell when I have to cath, I get this funny feeling all over. I would get that feeling, but as soon as I got the feeling the urine was already coming out on it's own. This was happening every 2-3 hours when my bladder was not even full. I would tried cathing anyway afterwards and most of the time did not get anything. One particular time, I had just cathed before going to bed and just as I got undressed and in bed, urine started shooting out, but it wasn't much.

Thursday night, very suddenly I got chills and started feeling sick. I parked my chair in front of a heater and fell asleep. My temp stayed around 101 all night and most of friday.

Friday night, I woke up every two hours with that feeling to cath. All except the last time, I was able to get up and cath without it leeking. Each time I cathed that night, it came out clear like water, and was on a full bladder.

I got my attendant to go get some collection cups friday morning, and I collected a urine sample and had my sister take it in that afternoon. The doc started me on Cipro until the culture comes back. It was after I took the first Cipro that my fever went down.

I felt better Saturday, but I continued to leak every 2-3 hours as before during the day. That night I did wake up once with the feeling to cath, but it did not leak. Then I woke up again this morning with the feeling to cath, but it had already leaked in bed. I got up, went into the bathroom to cath. I pushed the catheter in and held it there for about a minute and nothing came out. Then as I started to pull it out, urine started flowing. I use an extension tube so I can go directly into the toilet. The extension tube started slipping off, so I let go of the catheter to fixt the extension tube, and blood starting coming out around the catheter, and a little bit was inside the catheter. When I let go of the catheter, it slid out and the urine stoped flowing.

I didn't know what to do, so I yelled for my mom. She came in and called our family doc's office. My doctor (regular doc, not sci doc) was the one on call, and he called back after about 10 min. While waiting for the call, urine started coming out a couple of times. When he called back, he said I might have hit a blood vessel and to finish cathing and call back tomorow if it continued to bleed. I pushed the catheter back in, and more urine came out, but no more blood.

The UTI started over a month ago. I went to my sheduled appointment with the urologist, and they did all the routine tests. It was after they did the test where they fill your bladder with fluid, that it became difficult to cath. I thought it was just irritated from the tests, but two days after my visit, they called and said I had a UTI and put me on macrobid. It continued to be hard to cath, but they said it was because of the UTI.

After I finished the macrobid, it was still hard to cath. When I insert the catheter to where urine normally starts to come, nothing happens even if I hold it there several minutes. I have to push it farther, and if I let go of the catheter at any time it will shoot out very rapidly and I have to start over. Even when I get urine flowing I have to continue to hold the catheter, if I let go, it shoots out and the urine stops, and I will have to do it all over again to get it back in.

I am going to try and get an appointmet with the urologist monday, but I doubt they will take me on such short notice. I doubt I can get a ride on this short of a notice too. They only see patients on mondays, so it will probably be next monday before I can see a doctor. What should I do until then?

_____
Learn from the mistakes of others, you won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.

crags · 05-18-2003, 10:42 AM

hemorrhagic cystitis is usually pretty bloody and is often confused with the typical sci uti

SCI-Nurse · 05-18-2003, 04:09 PM

Are you still having a fever and feeling bad? It is likely that you still have a kidney infection and either the Macrobid was the wrong medication or you did not take it long enough. Call your urologist back Monday AM, and if they will not see you, go to the ER or urgent care and get a new culture and sensitivity. Meanwhile, use extra lubricant on your catheters to do your cath.

It is important to always rule out an infection PRIOR to having urodyanmics, and even then at our center we give a one time dose of IM gentamycin immediately after the study. Our UTI rate is very low as a result.

(KLD)

rye1945 · 05-19-2003, 01:09 PM

You have a lot going on that might cause the bleeding. Still, I will tell you about the times that I have had bleeding. Basically, my bleeding is from a traumatic cath. If my bladder sphincter is particularly tight, I have had the catheter double up on itself, damage the urethra, and cause bleeding. When this happens, I use a lot of extra lubricant and take it very slowly when cathing. If it stops bleeding and does not bleed again for a couple of days, I am ok. My urologist has told me that if it happens again I may need to put a foley in so that it can heal without a catheter going in and out several times a day.

This is probably not your issue but it is something to think about just in case.

defiler · 05-19-2003, 08:14 PM

Speaking from a personal view point only. Frequent cathing cases bleeding. Tramatic cath causes the same as my twin hc stated. Cipro will make me feel better temporarily but is usually a temporary fix for me. The "funny feeling" you get on your body I call stimulating. It is your/my bodies way of saying either A: I gotta go or B: I'm going. This happens both with bladder & bowel care and no other time. Difficulty cathing.... Many years ago I was getting cathed & at the same time had a pressure sore. The catheter pierced the urethra & exited my pressure sore. It eventually healed. Ever since that happened cathing is difficult. It takes a lot of skill&ky to get the cath in. Annoying but bearable. My opinion, scar tissue.

"Failure is impossible"

05-18-2003, 09:52 AM	#1
jimnms Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Mississippi Posts: 2,673	Help: bleeding while cathing! I'm battling with a UTI at the moment. I suspect that the last one never fully went away. I think it was monday or tuesday, I started leeking, and when cathing it was light colored, but very thick and cloudy. I was going to get a sample, but I couldn't find any of the steril sample cups. I can tell when I have to cath, I get this funny feeling all over. I would get that feeling, but as soon as I got the feeling the urine was already coming out on it's own. This was happening every 2-3 hours when my bladder was not even full. I would tried cathing anyway afterwards and most of the time did not get anything. One particular time, I had just cathed before going to bed and just as I got undressed and in bed, urine started shooting out, but it wasn't much. Thursday night, very suddenly I got chills and started feeling sick. I parked my chair in front of a heater and fell asleep. My temp stayed around 101 all night and most of friday. Friday night, I woke up every two hours with that feeling to cath. All except the last time, I was able to get up and cath without it leeking. Each time I cathed that night, it came out clear like water, and was on a full bladder. I got my attendant to go get some collection cups friday morning, and I collected a urine sample and had my sister take it in that afternoon. The doc started me on Cipro until the culture comes back. It was after I took the first Cipro that my fever went down. I felt better Saturday, but I continued to leak every 2-3 hours as before during the day. That night I did wake up once with the feeling to cath, but it did not leak. Then I woke up again this morning with the feeling to cath, but it had already leaked in bed. I got up, went into the bathroom to cath. I pushed the catheter in and held it there for about a minute and nothing came out. Then as I started to pull it out, urine started flowing. I use an extension tube so I can go directly into the toilet. The extension tube started slipping off, so I let go of the catheter to fixt the extension tube, and blood starting coming out around the catheter, and a little bit was inside the catheter. When I let go of the catheter, it slid out and the urine stoped flowing. I didn't know what to do, so I yelled for my mom. She came in and called our family doc's office. My doctor (regular doc, not sci doc) was the one on call, and he called back after about 10 min. While waiting for the call, urine started coming out a couple of times. When he called back, he said I might have hit a blood vessel and to finish cathing and call back tomorow if it continued to bleed. I pushed the catheter back in, and more urine came out, but no more blood. The UTI started over a month ago. I went to my sheduled appointment with the urologist, and they did all the routine tests. It was after they did the test where they fill your bladder with fluid, that it became difficult to cath. I thought it was just irritated from the tests, but two days after my visit, they called and said I had a UTI and put me on macrobid. It continued to be hard to cath, but they said it was because of the UTI. After I finished the macrobid, it was still hard to cath. When I insert the catheter to where urine normally starts to come, nothing happens even if I hold it there several minutes. I have to push it farther, and if I let go of the catheter at any time it will shoot out very rapidly and I have to start over. Even when I get urine flowing I have to continue to hold the catheter, if I let go, it shoots out and the urine stops, and I will have to do it all over again to get it back in. I am going to try and get an appointmet with the urologist monday, but I doubt they will take me on such short notice. I doubt I can get a ride on this short of a notice too. They only see patients on mondays, so it will probably be next monday before I can see a doctor. What should I do until then? _____ Learn from the mistakes of others, you won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.

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05-18-2003, 10:42 AM	#2
crags Senior Member Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 1,024	hemorrhagic cystitis is usually pretty bloody and is often confused with the typical sci uti

05-18-2003, 04:09 PM	#3
SCI-Nurse Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: USA Posts: 41,520	Are you still having a fever and feeling bad? It is likely that you still have a kidney infection and either the Macrobid was the wrong medication or you did not take it long enough. Call your urologist back Monday AM, and if they will not see you, go to the ER or urgent care and get a new culture and sensitivity. Meanwhile, use extra lubricant on your catheters to do your cath. It is important to always rule out an infection PRIOR to having urodyanmics, and even then at our center we give a one time dose of IM gentamycin immediately after the study. Our UTI rate is very low as a result. (KLD)

05-19-2003, 01:09 PM	#4
rye1945 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 137	You have a lot going on that might cause the bleeding. Still, I will tell you about the times that I have had bleeding. Basically, my bleeding is from a traumatic cath. If my bladder sphincter is particularly tight, I have had the catheter double up on itself, damage the urethra, and cause bleeding. When this happens, I use a lot of extra lubricant and take it very slowly when cathing. If it stops bleeding and does not bleed again for a couple of days, I am ok. My urologist has told me that if it happens again I may need to put a foley in so that it can heal without a catheter going in and out several times a day. This is probably not your issue but it is something to think about just in case.

05-19-2003, 08:14 PM	#5
defiler Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: usa Posts: 180	Speaking from a personal view point only. Frequent cathing cases bleeding. Tramatic cath causes the same as my twin hc stated. Cipro will make me feel better temporarily but is usually a temporary fix for me. The "funny feeling" you get on your body I call stimulating. It is your/my bodies way of saying either A: I gotta go or B: I'm going. This happens both with bladder & bowel care and no other time. Difficulty cathing.... Many years ago I was getting cathed & at the same time had a pressure sore. The catheter pierced the urethra & exited my pressure sore. It eventually healed. Ever since that happened cathing is difficult. It takes a lot of skill&ky to get the cath in. Annoying but bearable. My opinion, scar tissue. "Failure is impossible"