www.incontinentsupport.org

So last weekend I started feeling a bit "punky" at work. I began with a headache and then began to run a fever with the associated chills and body aches, no fun. Even worse, I'm at work with 18 hours left in a 24 hour shift. I went home the following morning after peeing 8-10 times over night probably 40-50 times throughout the day. (I was peeing every 15 minutes, no joke) it would be one of those scenarios where I would come home and the wife would be putting a foley in me, but I had a pretty good idea that this was a UTI so I didn't want to exacerbate that by having a foley in. I suffered all the next day with a fever and finally went to the ER at dinner time. They were pretty quick to let me know I had a UTI and gave me a prescription for cipro. I called the urologist to let them know that this was likely from catheter use and it sounds like they want to see me later in the month. I've been without a foley for a little more than a week and while a bit gun shy about having it back in, I don't think there's an easy way to live life without it. As I've been up 2-3 times every night and 8-10 times at night during the height of the infection. It causes serious sleep deprivation issues when I'm without the catheter......

Darn PB&J, UTIs are no fun, but particularly in your situation. Get well quick!

--John

Hi, PB&J - I'm sorry about your UTI. Hope you're back to feeling well soon. As to getting up several times during the night, are you so very adverse to wearing a high-absorbency diaper/pull-up to bed and voluntarily voiding into it as necessary just until you can go back to using the Foley? I'm sure your sleep quality would vastly improve, as would the quality of your daytime hours. Might be a good temporary solution.

Wetters

PB&J,

Back in the bad old days, before my sphincterotomy, I had several UTIs. They were very uncomfortable. Each time ciprofloxacin did its job. Since the sphincterotomy, I have not had one UTI, which is OK by me. I hope you get the antibiotic that will work for you.

As you guys know I have had more than my fair share of infections over the last 15 months but I have never had prescribed this Cipro that I hear you guys mention from time to time to treat UTIs.
Do you think it's a new antibiotic and mabe not available in the UK. Is it something I should be asking about in the future.

Any way get well soon.

4wheeldave.

Ciprofloxacin is used at various times for a variety of infections. It is very good against Pseudomonas for example. However it is not very effective against e coli, which is the most likely bug for a urinary tract infection. Normally, in the UK, ciprofloxacin is used after sample has been tested and the organism responsible found to need it. It isn't usually a first line drug prescribed before any samples have been analysed.

Thanks for that Wheels.

4wheeldave.

So I've completed my course of Cipro. And I am back to normal. thank You to all who chimed in suggestions. I have my foley back in now, it's been 5 days and all seems well. I'm going to work,for a 48 hour shift tomorrow so it'll be coming out tonight. I don't wear a foley at work. As far as wetting on purpose in my diaper. I discussed this option with the wife while I was restricted from using catheters, we both agreed this wasn't a great solution. Me because I started wearing diapers to not have wet pants and her because she didn't like the idea of waking up in a wet bed. So we opted not to go with that solution. I went with out a catheter for 8-10 days and everything seemed to go ok. I was up 2-3 times a night nearly every night. I'd almost rather get up in the middle of the night than wake up with a wet diaper......I HATE the feeling of being wet. Anyway, Cipro is a commonly prescribed antibiotic for UTI's in the US. I am not sure why they wouldn't prescribe the same one in the UK, I had a 10 day course of it and it seemed to work good. I spent 2 days in bed and after that I was back to business as usual.