FAQs

This depends on the type, and size of your catheter, and how much urine you have in your bladder at the time, but you can generally expect catheterising to take a few minutes. Of course, in the beginning, you should give yourself as much time as necessary to catheterise with comfort. 

Once the flow of urine stops, you can remove your catheter. Just bear in mind that it might start again as you remove the catheter, so do it slowly, bit by bit. Your bladder may still contain urine that is just below the draining eyelets (openings at the tip of the catheter), so remove it slowly and let 
any remaining urine drain from your bladder.

This can vary from person to person, and you should always discuss this with your healthcare professional so you can know what to expect.

For most people who catheterise, leaking between catheterisations isn’t common, but if you do notice this, it could be a sign of other issues like bladder spasms or infection, so be sure to let your healthcare professional know.

It can help to pay attention to how much urine you get when you drain your bladder, so you can start to understand what a normal amount looks like and notice any significant changes.

There are a few things that can stop a catheter working well, including

• not inserting it far enough
• already having an empty bladder
• dehydration (or not having drunk enough fluids that day)
• inserting it into the vagina and not the urethra (for females)

Try readjusting your catheter and see if this helps start the urine flow.

Other issues may also prevent you being able to catheterise properly including using the wrong length or type of catheter, suffering from constipation, or sediment and stones in the urine. Talk to your healthcare professional if you think any of these may be an issue.

Lots of things can affect how much urine you drain. If you find that you are draining more than 500 mL from your bladder when you catheterise, you should talk with your healthcare professional as you may need to catheterise more frequently or adjust your fluid intake.

Yes it does, so be sure to share this information with your healthcare professional, they’ll make a catheterisation schedule for you that matches how often you usually drink throughout the day.

Yes, this is useful for your healthcare professional but it’s also useful to you to understand what a normal amount of urine looks like, so you’ll notice if anything ever seems unusual.

This could be for several reasons. Try catheterising more frequently and report this back to your healthcare professional so they can help you create a more suitable schedule.

It’s also a good idea to keep a diary of how much fluid you pass every time you catheterise, as this will help you and your healthcare professional notice if things ever seem unusual. You should be passing less than 500 mL every time you catheterise.

You can try the following to check if the issue is the placement of your catheter or the actual device

• slowly insert the catheter a little further, about an inch at a time
• slowly remove the catheter and check the eyelet holes for blockages

If you’re a male who has been diagnosed with benign prostate hyperplasia and using a straight catheter, you can speak with your healthcare professional about switching to a Coudé tip catheter, as this can offer better flexibility.

If nothing changes, you can talk to your healthcare professional who can advise you or might recommend a different kind of catheter.