percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) - bladder

[anon07072023]

Today I had my 1st percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) to try to get my bladder spams/pressure down so I won't have kidney damage & to try to stop my urgency & incontinence, etc. It's supposed to be once a week for 1/2 hour at a time for 12 wks. It's for my neurogenic bladder. I hope it works. I keep you all posted.

[jensequitur]

I began having urge/stress incontinence a few years back, and some bladder spasticity as well. Fortunately I don't spray everywhere when I go, but I've had times when I had to go and couldn't.

Now that I'm pregnant, every time I cough I pee. What's even worse is that I've had bronchitis this week, and I'm constantly coughing. I have to run to the restroom every time I need to cough. I've done four loads of laundry and I'm considering adult diapers. I'm tired of smelling like pee.

When this pregnancy is over, I'm going to have to go to a neuro-urologist about the neurogenic bladder. My bladder muscles are so weak that a slight amount of pressure will let me void the bladder, but I know that's not good for me.

So keep us updated! I'd love to have some solutions to this problem besides just self-cathing.

[anon07072023]

It is very strange, isn't it? Besides wiping off myself, I have to wipe off the toilet, as well. It's crazy spasticity.

[karryon55]

Hey Kelly you're not on your own. I spray across my butt cheeks even if I'm leaning as far forward as I can possibly go. I have very little room in my bladder so I go an awful lot each day which also means I could go bankrupt with purchasing the toilet paper to dry my butt. :D

I hope this treatment goes well for you.

Take Care,

Karry.

[anon07072023]

I'm worried about my kidneys. My urologist said I'm borderline danger zone for kidney damage. Mine is just above 40 for the pressure.

I have a huge amount of spasticity, too. When I go pee, it shoots forward thru & up and over the toilet seat, even if I try to lean forward to re-direct it. Sometimes it will get on the back side of my clothes. When I did a bladder diary my range for voiding is wide - 70 ml - over 800 ml at one time. Then I'll start to leak. And I have bad bladder spasms that I can feel all the time.

I went to pelvic floor PT for 4-5 months but it didn't help. My resting muscle tone in that area avg'd almost 14 when it's only supposed to be 1.5. Many times during the sessions, she'd say that my bladder was spasming like crazy - and at those times,  I didn't even know that it was spasming. I can only imagine how much spasming it's doing when I can actually feel the strong spasms..

[essdipity]

If you absolutely cannot pee, that is a medical emergency. If urine backs up into your kidneys, which can happen, grave damage can occur, and sepsis is a real possibility. That's happened to more than one person here.

You may not have obvious infection, but just looking at it or smelling it doesn't prove anything. Twice that happened to me, and even after the dipstick test, the common infection bacteria didn't show up. But the specimens were sent to a lab, and I did have infections, just not the common ones. And after all, I was the one doing (or not doing) the peeing, and I've been doing it for many years  :-) and I know what's normal for me and what's not.

You need urodynamic testing asap. Don't mess with this situation, as it's serious. And if your neuro is pooh-poohing all this, replace him or her with someone competent.

ess

[HVAC]

Kelly
I hope it works. Is it hard to go through?

bbassel

Sometimes medications can cause this. My doctor told me it was my meds. You probably already know that, but I didn't.

Alex

[bbassel]

I am going through bladder stuff atm *** well. I have to pee and my bladder is full but I can't go. Sometimes I have to try 15 times before success and there is no way I can sleep with a full bladder. It *****! My doc made me pee in a bottle to rule out infection. I am a nurse and I know what infected pee looks like lol. Also when I get infections and my body gets warm from them my legs stop working until the infection is gone. My doc knows this as well. I guess she is just ruling out the obvious.
I explain it to her it is like a trap door being shut and it is very hard to open. Anyway she has mentioned botox as well in the future but I am sure I will be having to self cath soon.
I have missed family functions because I was having these issues and didn't want to spend all day in the bathroom trying to empty my bladder.

[essdipity]

Good luck with this!

Several people here have periodic Botox injections, which do help, but it's a very big deal involving general sedation, etc.

I'm lucky my bladder stuff is nowhere near as bad. I have pretty much the gamut of symptoms--hesitancy, distended bladder, spasms, urge incontinence, and my particular fave, public emptying with no warning whatsoever, no urge. Of course not all at once! and not all the time. I just have to do due diligence about bathroom visits whether or not I think I need them, and when I do feel the need, to drop everything and run. I no longer have to cath. This is all a royal pain, but still, things are under control for me the vast majority of the time, so as I said, I'm lucky.

Please let us know how it goes.

ess