Word to the wise: don't use Peco hydrophilic catheters

[sociologygeek]

Hey all,

I thought that these new catheters would make the cathing process easier, because i thought hydrophilic=prelubricated.. i found out the hard way..NOPE... in order to prep the catheter for usage, you have to fill the catheter package with sterile (and sterile ONLY) water. SO, after spending a good 15 minutes using an eyedroper to fill the catheter packagae with water, i said screw it and started dipping the catheter in tall bottled water. it works, but its expensive and bends the catheter a bit. My urologist suggested boiling tapwater and using a pop bottle.. i suppose I will try that when i get a pop bottle.. but that begs the question, how do i get the boiled water into the 2 liter bottle? Ugh, just a lot of messing around.. i told J and B please just switch me to the catheters ive been using all along.. the straigh up ones from Coloplast.. applying gel isn't that bad.. just takes some time. I suppose not all hydrophilics are created equal, but in my expereine, peco leaves a lot to be desired for comfort and conviennence.

Peace out!

Rob

[B Brian]

Boil the water in a cooking bowl or deep pan. Wait for it to cool enough (at least 10 minutes), then it's ok to use. Either that, or buy distilled water from the store. Pour the water into a cleaned soda bottle, tall cup, or whatever (this makes it easier to hold/pour. Open the catheter envelope packaging at just the top, and pour the water into that (save the rest of the water for later).. Shake it a little, and count to ten so it has time to activate the coating. Remove the catheter and insert it normally.

[Ender]

Walgreens (or any drugstore) has sterile water. The stuff I get from Walgreens is in a can under pressure; the water shoots out in a thin, even stream. It would be much faster than the eye dropper method and easier than boiling water. I've used it to prep hydrophilic catheters.

[sociologygeek]

Where would you get this water Ender? I went and asked at my local walgreens and they said they didnt have any

[B Brian]

Wait, are you staying on the east coast? I had the exact same problem just this last Thursday before hurricane Matthew hit. No stores had bottled water of any kind.

(it turns out you can also just fill your already on-hand pitchers and coolers with tap water too though).

[Ender]

@sociologygeek the Walgreens I've been to carry it. The bottle is blue, Walgreens store brand, and reads 'Saline Wound Wash.' Here it is on the store website: https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/walgr ... 51-product

Sterile saline solution (purified water, 0.9% sterile sodium chloride) is used in conjunction with hydrophilic catheters: https://www.180medical.com/hydrophilic-catheters

The low saline concentration hasn't caused any issues for me, such as burning, but take care to avoid other solutions that are labeled as 'antibacterial'...

[sociologygeek]

Thanks for the tip ender, i tried it and it works well.. how long does a can last you?

[Ender]

My situation is a little different than yours, so I won't be able to give a comparable estimate on usage. I'm actually still on my first bottle after over a year.

I don't need to cath all the way to the bladder, what I'm using is a short, blind (no holes) catheter to keep a few urethral strictures open. I re-use the hydrophilic catheters and just apply Surgilube once the coating has worn off. Maybe not the smartest, but the catheters are expensive, insurance won't cover them, and I need to do it twice daily. The hydrophilic coating is more comfortable than the Surgilube and it hurts far less, but it would be about $2200 yearly to use a fresh catheter each time.

Anyways, I'm glad the spray can is working out for you.

[B Brian]

That surgilube isn't just a good idea, it's a basic requirement when using folley type indwelling catheters. After a few hours they always dry out, even the hydrophilic ones. Getting even a normal size change (which happens to most guys dozens of times each day) can pinch and pull in a painful way. Partial and full erections are way worse. When this happens you better have some good lube on hand.

[tangerine]

I'm allergic to the lidocaine and non lidocaine lube provided so don't use it for my foley changes. I believe this thread is about intermittent catheters anyway though.