The last two days my foley catheter would not drain due to excessive mucus and I had to flush it to get it to run again. Yesterday I had to throw away one of the night foley bags because the bag itself (there the tube meets the valve mechanism) became so clotted with mucus.
Is there anyway to clear the mucus on the foley bags so I don't have to throw it away? My wife and I tried to clear it but we were unsuccessful.
How long does it take before the mucus production decreases? Does it ever disappear?
Is there something that I am doing that could be causing increased mucus production or is there something that I can do to reduce the production? I'm drinking about 8 16oz glasses of water/iced tea per day and my urine is coming out either amber or a light yellow color.
Thanks.
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RC - Mucus Question
- By Crossman
- Posted July 2, 2009 at 8:38 am · 12 replies
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- By grampadonut
- Posted July 2, 2009 at 8:44 am
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i use a "jug" at nite and everyday i run hot water thru hose and then clean jug with "white vinager".
mucus seems to vary..dont think it every goes away for good
hope this helps
peter
- By Crossman
- Posted July 2, 2009 at 8:45 am
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Good suggestion with the hot water. I'll give that a try. Thanks.
- By jj803
- Posted July 2, 2009 at 3:41 pm
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Hi Ron,
I just cleaned bags and tubing with warm water and soap daily. Mucus is with you forever. It seems to me the biggest variable is the amount of fluid intake and therefore the amount of urine output. Sounds like (light yellow to almost colorless) your fluid intake is fine so the amount of mucus for now is what you have. They say, and it was at least somewhat true for me, that the mucus production does get less than it is at first. I definitely had problems with clogged foley during the foley days. I have no mucus plugging problems that I can tell since mr Foley went back to Nashville. Best wishes,
JJ
- By BJsHere
- Posted July 2, 2009 at 10:04 pm
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What device do you have?
I have the bag.
We must remember that part of our intestine is used for the new drainage.
There is mucus in the intestine.
By using a 2 piece ostomy bag/pouch, I can remove
the bag easily to see if there is mucus.
When I see it, I wipe it off and put the bag back on.
Try pipe cleaners for declogging.
Try mouth wash to freshen the smell of the bag.
Good luck,
BJ
- By Keith1
- Posted July 3, 2009 at 7:16 am
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Hi Ron,
When you flush the foley give the tube hooked to the bag a shot with the syringe.
Under pressure it will blow the mucus right into the bag and give the line a good rinse at the same time. Live Strong!!
Keith
- By karbur
- Posted July 3, 2009 at 9:21 am
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I've had the same problem for the past 6 1/2 years. As far as cleaning, I used the cleaner sold for the purpose, but found it so expensive that I switched to white vinegar when told about it by an oncology nurse. I got talked into ordering the professional cleaner lately and now I have some sort of infection, even after nearly drowning myself with hot water trying to rinse it! Now I am back to the vinegar and hoping this will solve the problems. Good luck to you.
- By wt
- Posted July 3, 2009 at 3:33 pm
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I can share my experience with you RC with a Neo Bladder Feb18th. When I had a foley cath I was flushing every day. That seems to help keep it moving . I then went into the program of self cathing at first every 2 hours for 2 weeks,then every 3 hours for two weeks and eventually once a day . I would have to flush at least once a day. I now do not self cath or flush. The mucus does not stop but it does get to the point that you can pass it on your own. I hope that helps .
- By HighlandGuy
- Posted July 3, 2009 at 5:23 pm
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Hi Ron,
You doctor should have briefed you on flushing the Foley catheter daily. I too had problems with it plugging during the period immediately following the surgery.
Whenthe catheter is removed, you should have no further problem. The mucous is the colon continuing to function as a colon inspite of it;s new roles as a bladder. For that reason, you will always hve mucous in your urine and it normally poses no problem.
Normally you control the amount of mucous by drinking enough liquids, which it appears you are doing at present (althought consuming more liquids may help.
One concern with bladders is that they do not have muscles and if you do not completely evacuate the bladder regularly. an accumulation of entrapped urine in the bladder can lead to a conditional called metabolic acidosis. I had that happen to me and I went into acute renal failure (was in a coma for five days, a near death experience). The condition of everyone's bladder differs. I resolved the problem by completely draining the bladder, using a No. FR 14 catheter every night before going to bed. That has solved the problem for the past nine years. As a precaution, once you are healed and all the tubes are removed, you may want to discuss that with your Urologist.
HighlandGuy
- By birdman
- Posted July 6, 2009 at 4:13 pm
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I am 8 months past Neo Bladder surgery and mucus is still there. I notice more mucus or syrup like urine when drinking lots of tea,soft drinks,etc. Water seems to flow better.I believe the mucus will always be there since it was made from the intestine, but I cant say for sure. I had so mucus after surgery when flushing the bladder sometimes I could not pull anything back in the syringe. I see a lot of white mucus strips when I strain a little. Hang in there, we will all get through it somhow,I just wish I could control my bladder at night.
- By Crossman
- Posted July 6, 2009 at 7:55 pm
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Thanks for everyone's feedback.
I may have not made myself clear in my original posting. I was talking about the backflow preventer in the foley bag getting clogged with mucus, not the foley portion going into my neobladder. My wife and I were instructed on how to clear that blockage and have done it successfully.
The foley bag does get clogged at that valve where the tube meets the bag. My wife and I have found out that if you plunge air into the foley bag (NOT into your neobladder) that it will move the mucus down into the bag where it can be evacuated normally.
Since the syringe does not match up to the tip of the foley bag tube, a steady hand is required to get this to work. I had already thrown away one foley bag because of clogging, but this method has saved the other one.
Ron
- By karbur
- Posted August 16, 2009 at 11:11 am
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Hi, happy to read that your problem is "solved." I just read about flushing bag, night container or foley bag with cold water after the regular cleaning to prevent odor accumulation. I've been doing this and it seems to work.
- By Karego
- Posted August 16, 2009 at 11:53 am
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Your solution to force the mucus through the backflow of your foley bag with air is the best way I know to unclog it.
As to the excess amount of mucus. I suspect milk or dairy products increase my own buildup. You might want to watch for a few days and see if it affects you that way too.
But, you will have mucus as long as you have your neo because it is doing its natural thing. We are using it differently than its original intention where the mucus is needed in the digestive tract.
Karego
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