This will depend on the amount of your fluid intake, the amount of residual urine to be drained and the effect of any medication you may be taking. Some people may only need to catheterize once daily, while others may catheterize up to six times a day. Your clinician will advise on a schedule that will suit you.

Depending on your doctor’s advice and your health, you should drink about 6-8 cups of fluid every day.

Just relax for a few minutes and try again. You may be anxious causing your sphincter muscle to tighten. Coughing may help. If you still have difficulty, contact your clinician for further advice.

Sometimes there may be specks of blood on the catheter or slight bleeding after removal. Don’t worry, as this will usually clear up in a couple of days. If the bleeding persists, you should contact your clinician for advice or go to the emergency room at your local hospital.

This can happen if you are tense. When you are tense your muscles can go into spasm and prevent the catheter from coming out. Eventually these muscles will relax and allow you to remove the catheter, so rest for a few moments then try again. Coughing several times as you begin to remove the catheter will also help. If these suggestions don’t work, you should contact your clinician or go to the emergency room at your local hospital for help.

Ask your clinician for a letter stating that you are carrying the catheters to manage a medical problem.

There are many different types of catheters and your clinician will show you a selection from those that are suitable for you. Together you will be able to choose one that suits you best.

It may feel like a strange sensation at first, but ISC should not be painful. For some the urethra is more sensitive when first learning, but ask your doctor for advice if this does not settle with time.

This will depend on the underlying reasons for catheterization. Sometimes ISC is a temporary measure until your bladder and urinary sphincter regain normal function. You should report any changes in drainage volume or pattern of passing urine to your clinician who will review the clinical need for continuing ISC, or altering the frequency.

You should catheterize as soon as you remember. Then continue as normal at the regular intervals you have been advised. Remember that you must completely empty your bladder to remove any residual urine and reduce the risk of infection.

If you miss catheterizations once or twice don’t worry, but if this happens often it can cause various adverse events such as a urinary tract infection or urinary leakage. If the pressure in your bladder becomes too high there is a risk that your urine may back up to your kidneys, which can cause serious injury

Simply remove the catheter and dispose of it, then start again with a new catheter.

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