Find Senior Care (City or Zip)
Join Now Log In
D
Drayno Asked March 2015

Mom (86) has an indwelling catheter for 5 years and no one can solve our UTI issue. Any advice?

It's killing her....slowly. Help? Antibiotic maintenance has been a failure. As soon as we get one under control the other bacteria come back. I've done all I can think to do including adding back the other antibiotic that quit working - not on the bacteria that raises up again - but the new one. We've been through cipro, augmentin, bactrim, ceflex....... all end up failing alone as she is colonized in her bladder with ALL of the bacteria. We see an Infectious Disease Specialist on Wednesday March 11th but we've been through the all of it before. It is the only thing (besides PAIN) that is killing her. Please help. No one else seems to have been through this. Thank you.

Drayno Mar 2015
I AM THE ORIGINAL QUESTION / POST. I have no idea what this first sentence said. It did not type out I guess.I just went back to review before I post and below is where it starts. So sorry. I am the original question looking for help.

and no one seems to get it! She, and therefore I, have suffered through this for what seems like a whole new lifetime. Does that sound ignorant, or delusional, because it never ends. My Mom get's delusional and it'll scare the H**L out of you. I'm not in touch with the right people. Her PCP has been great as well as her Urologist, I just don't see us going in a direction that's consistent. That's why the Infectious Disease Specialist -tomorrow finally - hopefully has a cocktail of maintenance antibiotics that cover ALL of the colonized bacteria. Something is wrong with this whole approach when I
, the son, has to come up with these remedies and the fix. She has tried self-cath but has belly fat and a back that is so bad.......that just isn't an option. She is 86 and I would have a hard time doing that process, as well as her - we discussed it.
She deserves some dignity in her waning time.

Thanks for the help. Will try to post after IDS appt tomorrow. It's so helpful just to talk to someone who is listening. If there are others who have been where we are PLEASE RESPOND. You can and are anonymous. Thank You

Nojoy3 Mar 2015
Chronic UTIs are very common with urinary catheters. It is not at all uncommon to clear up one UTI and have another quickly appear. Can the catheter be eliminated? That's probably your best option for eliminating the frequency of UTIs. Following up with a urologist or the infectious disease specialist as you are planning may help. But, as long as she has the catheter in you are probably going to be battling UTIs. Unfortunately it is the curse or urinary catheterization. Sorry.

ADVERTISEMENT


PcareHm Mar 2015
Don't give her any kind of juice that have acid,like orange juice or pineapple juice( for example) no others kind of juice period! Shower will help for her hygiene( catheter will not falls out) Some medication(s) side effect could do that to her too.Water/water/water is the best.

pamstegma Mar 2015
Silver. I know that is way out in left field, but after 5 years I would even try the silver catheter. "Significant differences for silver alloy but not silver oxide-coated catheters" per the CDC. Ask the supplier.

freqflyer Mar 2015
The only thing I can suggest is for you to take your mother to a new Urologist... if that Urologist can't help, then try another Urologist. There has to be a doctor out there that can finally get this problem under control.

ADVERTISEMENT

Ask a Question

Subscribe to
Our Newsletter