Dear Sabrina,
It sounds like you have a atonic bladder that doesn’t contract sufficiently to empty the urine in the bladder completely. You keep getting infections do to the fact the there is urinary stasis. Literally, the bacteria in the urine are being given time to grow and multiply. This is why your doctor has you perform clean intermittent catheterization(CIC) emptying the urine completely from time to time. Unfortunatly, intermittent catheterization is the best treatment of choice for your bladder problems at this time. To keep yourself from getting infections and incontinence, a frequent regimen of CIC should be performed. If you are leaking, this may mean your bladder is too full and needs to be emptied.
It was important for your doctors to study your bladder to eliminate MS and outlet obstruction from the list of possibilities. Now that this testing has been done, if your bladder doesn’t contract and there is no identifiable cause, (pelvic surgery, herniated disk of the spine, STD, outlet obstruction or congenital problem, CIC is the treatment.
Don’t lose all hope, occassionaly from time to time, the bladder responds better after a long period of decompression with CIC. Continue to follow with your urologist to figure out why this has happended.
As an aside, it is important for you to keep the bladder from high filling pressures. These high pressures may lead to renal damage if sustained over a long period of time. CIC will prevent this problems.
The information provided in this forum is presented for general educational purposes only. Specific questions you have pertaining to your health should always be directed to your personal physician.
Posted By: Sabrina on Sunday, August 22, 1999
Sincerely,
HFHS M.D.-AK
*keyword:Incontinence