1. < Kidney & Bladder

Abdominal pain

Posted by gordy6898p @gordy6898p, May 20, 2023

Anybody here an indwelling urinary catheter?....

My "Foley" catherter is exchanged each month by myself, which the VA allows (I'm an Air Force veteran).

I flush it daily with a saline solution. If not flushed routinely, it plugs within a couple weeks.

My problem...

I'm awakened each night by lower abdominal pain after sleeping only 4 or 5 hours. I'd put pain level at about 5 on a scale of 1-10.

It's only a problem at night. Once I'm up and moving around the pain disappears, or falls to less than level 1 within 5 or 10 minutes.

However, any time I push against my lower abdomen it's quite painful... about level 5.

In the past six months, the VA has scanned with ultrasound, Xrays, MRI, and recently "CT of the abdomen and pelvis with intravenous constrast."

The results of this latest test being that my liver, kisneys, prostate, and intestines are functioning normally.

Seems to me that rules out everything else but my bladder as the pain source.

The CT exam mentions "The bladder wall demonstrates diffuse bladder wall thickening and prominence of the superficial vascular structures sugesting inflammation."

The "...suggesting inflammation." part leads me to think that is the most likely source of pain. Perhaps there's an infection.
If so, what can be done?

Doctors at the VA hospital in Madison, Wisconsin seem to be baffled by the source... weird!

Anybody here also having a similar problem?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Kidney & Bladder Support Group.

codered032 | @codered032 | May 26, 2023
In reply to @gordy6898p "I have a similar problem, and a Foley catheter... Abdominal pain, but the VA doctors don't..." + (show)
@gordy6898p

I have a similar problem, and a Foley catheter...

Abdominal pain, but the VA doctors don't seem to be able to isolate the cause.

However, the results of a recent scan indicate "...thickening of the bladder wall and indication of inflammation."

No mention of infection, just "inflammation."

Now for the scary part....

During another recent visit the doctor mentioned, in regard to bladder infections, that antibiotics eventually lose their affect, and infections can be fatal.

I feel certain that my abdominal pain is due to a bladder infection. I need to get a straight answer from the VA, along with what their intentions are.

Jump to this post

My first Neph had limited experience with treating my diagnosis of MCD. With the support of this patient peer group and various other websites i.e NephCure I became my best advocate. I was able to locate a doctor who was more knowledgeable of my condition. Educating myself has helped me to understand what questions to ask and when to request additional labs. Good luck and keep asking questions.

REPLY
gordy6898p | @gordy6898p | May 27, 2023

Thanks for your response and encouragement.....

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