Posted 6/13/2010 3:20 PM (GMT 0)
Bladder spasms are more common if you are on a catheter longer than a week or two. The catheter is an obvious foreign object in the bladder. The bladder, my dr said, is the 2nd strongest muscle in the human body, and when it contracts during a spasms, its trying to expel the catheter. Of course that's not going to happen, because the balloon end of the catheter is inflated inside the bladder.
So what you get is anything from a few seconds to as much as a full minute, of sharp, burning pain and pressure in the bladder. My analogy is that someone lit off a firecracker inside your bladder. Based on having lived with being on catheters for over a year's total
time, and on my 17th catheter, I have literally experienced easily, 3-4 thousand bladder spasms.
If you have one, and it makes you leak, yes its messy and gross, but that type, while they hurt like the dickens, give some relief of pressure by leaking. The ones I fear the most, are what I call dry spasms, the catheter holds tight, and there is no leakage. The pain is longer and deeper, and sometimes I can feel them hours later.
The doctor can prescribe a script for ditropan. It's a generic, low cost drug, it helps the walls of the bladder to relax, and in theory lessens the amount and severity of bladder spasms. I still take it 3x a day, not sure it even works, but afraid to not take it in case things get worse.
Forturnately, for the average surgery guy, he won't be on a catheter long enough for spasms to be a major problem.
Before I forget, other things that can trigger a spasms, is needing to take a poo, so make sure you take those stool softeners as needed, and believe it or not, just turning on the kitchen or bathroom sink, that through process of running water can trigger a response. Just like with some people, it makes them want to have a pee if they hear water running.
Good luck,
David in SC