I have a suprapubic catheter and have recently started leaking out my penis or urethra. What should I do?
Check if you have a UTI
- Head to your GP and have a urine specimen taken.
- If your urine comes back positive, your GP should prescribe you with antibiotics that the bug is sensitive to.
- Once you have treated the UTI the urine leakage should stop.
- If, after you have stopped the antibiotics, you are still leaking in between, get a urine test to ensure that the bug is no longer there.
Check if you have a loaded bowel
- Have your bowels been opening regularly?
- Contact the spinal outpatient nurse to talk about the best ways to assist you to empty your bowel.
Check if you have an overactive bladder
- Sometimes it takes a while for the bladder reflexes to come back after a spinal cord injury. This is called an overactive bladder and causes you to leak frequently.
- If you have ruled out a UTI and your bowel being loaded, contact the spinal urology nurse, or get a referral from your GP to see a urologist to discuss.
