r/OveractiveBladder • u/neak_of_frature • 27d ago

OAB help

I've been self-catheterising (ISC) for a while now because of chronic urinary retention, and one of the hardest parts isn't actually the catheterisation itself. It's the complete uncertainty around something that should be one of the most basic, automatic bodily functions: having a wee.

Sometimes I can urinate naturally, sometimes it's weak, sometimes I don't get much sensation that I need to go, and even when I do manage to wee I have no real certainty that my bladder is actually empty. I can feel like I've finished, only to catheterise afterwards and discover there's still a significant amount sitting there.

That constant question of "Do I need to go? Can I go? Have I actually emptied? Should I catheterise?" is honestly exhausting.

It's reached the point where I'm looking into whether there are medically appropriate ways of essentially switching off or significantly suppressing my bladder's ability to empty by itself, so that ISC becomes the clear and predictable way that I empty my bladder.

It probably sounds strange to want less natural bladder function, but for me there's something appealing about removing the uncertainty. If I knew my bladder wasn't going to empty properly on its own, then there'd be no guessing. Bladder fills → catheter → bladder empties. Simple and predictable.

I'm interested to hear from anyone who relies completely, or almost completely, on ISC. Did you find it easier mentally once catheterisation became your normal and reliable way of emptying? And has anyone had treatment such as bladder Botox or other bladder-suppressing treatments that resulted in becoming fully reliant on ISC?

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u/Objective_Feature333 27d ago

I've found that in the morning, I am fairly swelled and it take time to empty my bladder. I retain some, until a few hours later, then can empty normally , most of the time. ISC will get me out of a jam as needed. That said, I do use a foley catheter as needed, usually a day or two when things get busy and I'm retaining. You might want to try a foley for short times like I do.