Worried about my brother

[Rayoflight123-]

My brother is recovering at home after 18 months in hospital from a brain injury . He’s had a catheter in all this time but 2 weeks ago this came out. He’s having to retrain his bladder. Since this came out he’s been increasingly exhausted. He’s getting up in the night a lot to pee. He suffers with fatigue anyhow but this is far worse - sleeping most of the time. I’m worried something is wrong….but then again I wonder if it’s just a combo of something new and no sleep…...

Anyone else had experience of catheter removal? Any thoughts anyone ?

[philcollis]

Hi, I think that you should have a chat with a Continence Advisor, you should be able to get a referral, then you can talk through any issues and come up with a management plan to help address any continence issues. Other things that might help are 'Squeezy' for men which is a free app. Check out 'You Tube' for 'pelvic floor exercise'. Check out 'Bladder and Bowl UK, 'just can't wait card'......but initially try to get an assessment from a 'Continence Advisor'....some of the issues you mention may be just part of the recovery process? If you think continence issues are something that needs to be addressed now or in the future then a continence advisor could be helpful.....hope this helps and good luck

[ored13]

Hi,

Did they have him use a flip flow catheter 1st to retrain using a bottle at all? When my husband came home he was quite good at getting himself to the toilet however it impacted his fatigue levels quite severely. We started using a bottle by the bed so that he didn't have to physically walk to the loo which was often a 20 minute trip there and back. This did help. However his continence took an unexplained downturn and we were eventually referred to urology. They prescribed a medication taken once daily in the early afternoon to decrease urgency. This has helped quite a bit and he now gets a good run of around 6 hours through the night which is a huge improvement.

[ored13]

Meant to say that I know medication is not always the answer, but it has been for us. Definitely a chat with the GP to ask about options. We were given some not so good ones that we sort of knocked back quite a lot. The medication in this instance has really helped.

[cat3]

Hi Rayoflight.

After catheter removal my mobility prevented me from reaching the toilets in time and I constantly had accidents. But my shame was misplaced as the other three women on my ward (still catheterised) praised my determination to walk after being offered the choice of a commode or (as the nurses put it) to 'Carry on running the Gauntlet'.

I found the accidents embarrassing and frustrating. But after 6 weeks of staggering to & from the loo and regular Kegel flexing, my muscles gradually became stronger and began delaying urination 'til I was good & ready.

I think toning up fitness by taking exercise, and the flexing of pelvic muscles is the key. So if your brother no longer has the discipline of hospital staff to get him moving during the day, perhaps his GP could prescribe a temporary mood enhancer to help his stamina and motivation during this low period.

I do hope he can somehow achieve a better sleep routine with less interruptions, and follow up with the will to progress further. He needs to avoid caffeine, fizzy drinks, alcohol and citrus fruits if possible, to prevent extra aggravation of the bladder.

All best wishes to you both, Cat x

[Skulls]

Hi Ray,

That is a very long time to be catheterised. Get him to have a chat with the doctor about tamulosin hydrochloride if he is having problems relaxing to pass urine. It relaxes the muscles outside the bladder and prostate to enable free flow. Having experienced a few waterworks accidents trying to get downstairs in time, I bought some urine bottles from Amazon which removes the urgency a great deal (as long as one remembers to empty them!). One needs at least two, I have found.