Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

AIBU to want to avoid Urodynamics testing?

98 replies

BobbiPink · 11/05/2021 11:51

I know I’m acting like a child, but after reading the description of the procedure, I really, really, really don’t want to have it.

Just for background, in addition to a whole host gynaecological issues (suspected endometriosis), I’ve been getting random pelvic pain, the urge to wee every 15-30 mins and apparently my bladder is not emptying properly.

So the consultant has asked to to do a scan (which is fine with me) and and Urodynamics test which involves a catheter, a balloon up my bum (!!!) and weeing on a special toilet in front of an audience.

My immediate reaction is no thank you. It sounds painful, I’ve never had a catheter or anything up my bum!!! And it’s impossible that I’d even be able to wee with an audience. I can’t even do it if someone is just outside my bathroom door, let alone an audience.

I also wonder if the consultant is overreacting maybe? Is frequent urination and bladder not emptying properly really so serious that it would warrant something so invasive? And if the tests come back clear, I’ll have put myself through the misery and humiliation over nothing.

Feel free to tell me off if I’m being silly. Also, if people can share their experiences of the same procedure with any tips, it’d be much appreciated!

OP posts:

Original poster

BobbiPink · 11/05/2021 11:55

I should add I’m 33 and don’t have children, so I’ve been told the issues I’m having with my bladder are even more unusual because of my age and history of no childbirth. Having said that, I still don’t know what the test will accomplish

OP posts:

DottyDoo123 · 11/05/2021 11:56

Hi OP

I had the urodynamic test and I was worried too but it really is the way forward.

There was only one nurse in there and it was not as uncomfortable as I thought. The catheter they use is very fine and quick to put in. When you sit on the special toilet they will put a screen around you, and will be monitoring on the screen what happens.

In my case my body was telling me I was desperate for a wee and on the computer my bladder was barely full. I'm now on medication and it is life changing.

Original poster

BobbiPink · 11/05/2021 11:58

@DottyDoo123

Hi OP

I had the urodynamic test and I was worried too but it really is the way forward.

In my case my body was telling me I was desperate for a wee and on the computer my bladder was barely full. I'm now on medication and it is life changing.

that’s very reassuring! So the catheter doesn’t hurt going in? And what kind of medication can they give to fix issues like these?

OP posts:

Missingthesea · 11/05/2021 12:00

I had this done several years ago - the staff do leave the room when you're using their special toilet, but I still couldn't "go" as the seat felt more like sitting on a chair, so that must have been a psychological thing! The whole process was far less embarrassing than I'd expected, because the staff do it every day and just take it as a matter of course.
HTH

Original poster

BobbiPink · 11/05/2021 12:03

All the stories I’ve read online people say that this is one of the worst things they’ve ever had to do, and that the catheter is very painful 🥺

Do they always place something in the rectum too? That really makes me want to run a mile, this sounds so degrading

OP posts:

Yamashita40 · 11/05/2021 12:06

I've had this and it really wasn't bad. This is the staff's full time job. It's as normal as brushing their teeth to them. Really nothing to be frightened of.

ShinySquirrel · 11/05/2021 12:07

I'd completely forgotten that I had this until I'd read your post. It really was a non-issue on the day, but I understand why you're feeling anxious about it.

It is worth it because this is the way they'll discover what's causing your problems.

Pepsimirror · 11/05/2021 12:07

I’ve had it before. What I found traumatising was when they put the catheter into the vagina. It was excruciatingly painful. I wanted to burst into tears after it happened. Everything else was fine. There wasn’t an audience so much. A nurse did everything, whist the consultant was behind the other screen. I will have to get it done again and I’m absolutely terrified of the pain. It might be because I’m still a virgin so even when I’ve had the incontinence nurse put her fingers in to check my pelvic floor she had to stop as I couldn’t take the pain.

Sorry I don’t mean to worry you but this was my experience

Cocolapew · 11/05/2021 12:08

I had the same experience as pp, I don't remember having anything up my bum though 🤔.
It's really not as traumatic as you imagine though.
The worse bit for me was going with a full bladder, they were running late and I had couldn't hold on and had to pee, then I had to drink a jug of water to fill it up again.

Meowchickameowmeow · 11/05/2021 12:09

Are you really willing to put up with a lifetime of issues and pain because you can't face a few minutes of embarrassment?
I guess you have to ask yourself which is more important, your health or a short lived loss of dignity.

Original poster

BobbiPink · 11/05/2021 12:09

@Cocolapew

I had the same experience as pp, I don't remember having anything up my bum though 🤔. It's really not as traumatic as you imagine though. The worse bit for me was going with a full bladder, they were running late and I had couldn't hold on and had to pee, then I had to drink a jug of water to fill it up again.

Perhaps it’s up the bum for men but for women they place a catheter in the vagina? I hope that’s not painful 🙄

OP posts:

Elbels · 11/05/2021 12:10

You're not going to wee in front of an audience, you might have a single nurse or doctor there at best or they might have a set up with a toilet chair and a machine which provides a read out of your flow.

Catheters aren't uncomfortable at all.

It's the same as any medical problem really, they see this day in day out.

A lifetime of bladder issues has made me slightly jaded though probably!

Pepsimirror · 11/05/2021 12:10

They also under the father into the rectum. It hurt a little but it was fine. It hurt more when the pulled it out. They do numb the area before inserting the catheters but I guess it’s just the opening.

Original poster

BobbiPink · 11/05/2021 12:11

@Meowchickameowmeow

Are you really willing to put up with a lifetime of issues and pain because you can't face a few minutes of embarrassment? I guess you have to ask yourself which is more important, your health or a short lived loss of dignity.

You’re right, but going to wee every 15 mins has kind of just become such a part of my life that I never thought of it as an “issue” until the doctor told me it needs to be checked out. Perhaps I’m in two minds because I don’t understand what they’re trying to diagnose, they didn’t explain the benefits of the procedure to me.

OP posts:

Pepsimirror · 11/05/2021 12:11

*put the catheter

Original poster

BobbiPink · 11/05/2021 12:13

@Pepsimirror

Sorry I don’t mean to worry you but this was my experience

So sorry about your experience 😞 Did you find it beneficial and worth it in the end? Did it diagnose anything or fix a problem?

OP posts:

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 11/05/2021 12:18

I had similar tests when I was a teenager (I developed stress incontinence - such fun for anyone, especially a teenage girl). I didn't have to have the balloon up the bum but did do the weeing on the special toilet.

It was all done very sensitively and with all possible respect for my dignity.

Original poster

BobbiPink · 11/05/2021 12:21

All the stories I’ve heard say that the catheter going up the urethra was extremely painful 😞 Can I also to get some heavy duty anaesthesia there?

OP posts:

Pepsimirror · 11/05/2021 12:25

@BobbiPink

They got me to cough to see if I would leak. I do normally leak but I think I was holding it in. It’s not pleasant when a male consult is looking at you when they ask you to cough. Also in between, another male doctor came in and was having a chat with my consultant whilst the nurse did everything.

With the urodynamics, they fill your bladder with water and ask you when you feel full so they can see when you are getting the urge. They scan you to see the measurement of the bladder. They get you to wee when you feel it’s full. Then they scan you again to see how much is emptied. I guess it’s a very useful procedure and I’m sure it will help you. What I had to do was fine. It was just the pain of the catheter I couldn’t take.

Weenurse · 11/05/2021 12:25

Come in with a full bladder and wee in special toilet for initial flow. We leave the room and get you to ring a bell when you are done.
Then very fine catheter into the bladder (not vagina) and very small catheter into rectum. These catheters are attached to transducers that measure pressures.
We are looking for what upsets your bladder and at what fluid level.
We fill your bladder through the catheter in the bladder and get you to tell us when you feel you want to go to the toilet, and when you would be busting.
We then get you to empty your bladder with the catheters still in so we can measure pressure and flow.
If you are not emptying well, you risk recurring UTI’s.
The test indicates why you are not emptying well and give the Doctor an idea on what they can offer you to help.
Sometimes you might need a procedure, sometimes some medication.
We do this all the time, and with all of the possible areas of nursing we could go into, we have chosen this area as our job. Helping women like you is why we do this.
Patients tell me the rectal catheter is uncomfortable but not painful. Breathe out as it goes in.
Good luck

Pepsimirror · 11/05/2021 12:28

All the stories I’ve heard say that the catheter going up the urethra was extremely painful

The urethra was fine and so was the rectum. It was more like a scratch and they do numb the area. I only found the vagina painful. But I’ve never put anything in there before so it might just be me that found it painful. Was in my early 20s when I had it done.

Original poster

BobbiPink · 11/05/2021 12:30

@Weenurse

Come in with a full bladder and wee in special toilet for initial flow. We leave the room and get you to ring a bell when you are done. Then very fine catheter into the bladder (not vagina) and very small catheter into rectum. These catheters are attached to transducers that measure pressures. We are looking for what upsets your bladder and at what fluid level. We fill your bladder through the catheter in the bladder and get you to tell us when you feel you want to go to the toilet, and when you would be busting. We then get you to empty your bladder with the catheters still in so we can measure pressure and flow. If you are not emptying well, you risk recurring UTI’s. The test indicates why you are not emptying well and give the Doctor an idea on what they can offer you to help. Sometimes you might need a procedure, sometimes some medication. We do this all the time, and with all of the possible areas of nursing we could go into, we have chosen this area as our job. Helping women like you is why we do this. Patients tell me the rectal catheter is uncomfortable but not painful. Breathe out as it goes in. Good luck

Thank you, that’s so helpful! It’s really really hard for me to accept how humiliating this procedure is. 🙈 Is it possible to have pain relief while putting the catheters in? Everyone I’ve asked said that they were not prepared for how bad the pain was and it’s terrifying me. 😔

Just to say, I haven’t had a UTI in years. So while the frequent need to urinate is extremely irritating, I just don’t think it’s serious enough to do such drastic tests! Is there any other danger apart from UTI’s to leave this unchecked?

OP posts:

Weenurse · 11/05/2021 12:31

People generally find the urethral catheter is ok, it is the rectal catheter they don’t like.
We do have lubricant with local anaesthetic in it that we can use.

Original poster

BobbiPink · 11/05/2021 12:33

@Weenurse

People generally find the urethral catheter is ok, it is the rectal catheter they don’t like. We do have lubricant with local anaesthetic in it that we can use.

What does this test diagnose? If my frequent urination isn’t bothering me much, what might the benefits of this test be?

OP posts:

BlackGoldSun · 11/05/2021 12:33

I had urodynamics testing, I didn't have anything up my bum, when I used the special toilet I was behind a curtain and they measured the flow via whatever machine I was hooked up to.
I had to start with an empty bladder and they gradually filled it to see when I noticed it felt full to me so they could measure how much was actually in there.
I was given further tests after the urodynamics.
Following that I had medication administers via a catheter on a regular basis, it wasn't painful, sometimes a tad uncomfortable going in and can feel a bit weird.
It really wasn't too bad although I felt very nervous beforehand.
The staff will be used to it and want to put you at ease. For me it was very worthwhile.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Swipe left for the next trending thread