How does it feel to have a Foley insertion?

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I've always wondered, but never wondered enough to try it for myself. Lol does it hurt? Is there a stretching, burning or stinging sensation? Ive had a UTI before, so I can only imagine having a foley inserted feels like those last little painful trickles of pee during a UTI. Can someone enlighten me please?

Specializes in Rural and Remote.

I have had a total of 17 Foleys inserted since I got nerve root damage when I suffered 2 back fractures.

Provided your nurse knows the procedure, it certainly does not hurt one bit.

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Specializes in Med/surg,orthopedics,emergency room,.

I have had one and it just feels like a little pressure. One trick that I have Used on patients needing a foley, I tell them to take a deep breath, and then I insert. It seems to go better

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Specializes in ER, SANE, Home Health, Forensic.
Hmm...I remember this probably more than the birth. My epidurals never really worked that well. It was more of a burning type of feeling. I also remember they had the mirror up (not my choice) and I caught poor cath technique and stopped that right away.

I've also needed to straight cath myself a few times due to retention with one of my babies. It hurt, but the pain from the retention was 100 times worse.

I bet THAT nurse was caught be a little surprise!

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I was admitted to the hosp with pneu a while ago and they were giving me IV lasix so they put a foley in. It didn't hurt going in or coming out, just a weird sensation. I was more uncomfortable with some stranger messing around down there. But I was surprised at how little they seemed to care if I pee'd after they took it out. In fact no one even asked me! I waited until the next day. When I told my nurse, "Oh by the way I pee'd yesterday." She looked at with raised eyebrows and said, "Oooookay, well thats a good thing." Lol!

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I had a Foley inserted in surgery when I was already out. I had extensive pelvic surgery. They took out the Foley in post-op and I unfortunately had urinary retention from being so swollen "down there". So the recovery room nurse had to reinsert a Foley and at that point she had trouble due to the swelling. It was a bit painful but I was so relieved and thankful once it went in, I forgot about the pain quickly. Urinary retention can be one of the worst tortures after surgery if you're in pelvic pain. When the Foley was removed 2 days later there was no pain.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, OB, ICU, Public Health Nursing.
I had a Foley inserted in surgery when I was already out. I had extensive pelvic surgery. They took out the Foley in post-op and I unfortunately had urinary retention from being so swollen "down there". So the recovery room nurse had to reinsert a Foley and at that point she had trouble due to the swelling. It was a bit painful but I was so relieved and thankful once it went in, I forgot about the pain quickly. Urinary retention can be one of the worst tortures after surgery if you're in pelvic pain. When the Foley was removed 2 days later there was no pain.

I had a straight cath and it definitely burned and then subsided. I agree with poster, the most miserable thing was I had a foley occluded by stones and I had 1,000ccs in my bladder. Miserable only begins to describes that. The nurses kept fooling around trying to call urology to get an order (for what seemed like forever). If I had scissors, I would have cut the tube to the balloon. Well, did you know that if you have an occluded foley and stupid nurses, you can go into the restroom and push foley in a bit and void around the balloon. I was desperate! That is a miserable sensation and straight cath insert was definitely a burning painful sensation. Foley was inserted during surgery so I don't know.

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Specializes in ICU-my whole life!!.
I was under anesthesia the only time one went in for me but I remember it pinching a little on the way out. 6 years ago when I had to undergo a water deprivation test, an Intern tried to tell me I'd be having a Foley. I politely told her where she could go. This was our conversation:

MD: "Are you familiar with the water deprivation test?"

Me: "I've done one on a three year old."

MD: "That must have been challenging with the Foley and everything."

Me: "We didn't use a Foley, we just weighed the diapers."

MD: "Well we're going to use a Foley on you."

Me: "Oh hell no..."

MD: "Well we need really accurate outputs."

Me: "Bring me a hat."

I like it! TEll it like it is to those interns. Well done.

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Ok , im 60 yo male. Nurse for 35 years. well I've never had one in "all by itself "

it was in conjunction with a motor vehicle accident . 7 broken ribs, scapula , clavicle, 2 "end plate" fractured vertebrae and 2 punctured lungs .. i was taking a lot of narcotics , pca and epidural , 2 chest tubes, and being a PACU nurse for 8 years I was acutely aware of my narcotics use , my sats, how high I could hit on that Damn Incentive Spirometer, and when could I get rid of those chest tubes and go home . I was also watching my urine output. The pain wasn't under control until day 2 when they increased the epidural rate to 10 cc per hour . It worked so well that I didn't need anything when they inserted the first chest tube . (It was what they call a "dart" only as thick as a 10 guage wire or triple lumen central line ) . Pain under control ! And all of the sudden my voids went from 400 cc's to 30 cc's . I knew what had happened with the epidural and all of the narcotics . . I asked for a bladder scan , 900 cc's ! I asked for the foley, pretty much immediately relief from the pressure . .

But how it felt ? Not much to compare against the chest shoulder and back pain from the fractures. It was just a mild discomfort compared to the knowledge that my bladder was going to empty again . . The increased epidural fixed the pain so I could work on breathing and stretching my lungs, and also interfered with the bladder function . So I was looking forward to the foley.. i DID learn that the "I have to pee"-no you don't, you have a foley" sensation - for me lasted about 4 hours. Then went away . .. so you can tell your patients with a new foley when they tell you

That

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Specializes in L&D, infusion, urology.

I've only had one once, and like many other women, it was when I was in labor, so it wasn't anything I even noticed. Coming out wasn't too bad, and I was more aware of that.

I've worked a year in urology, and different people respond differently, and even different insertions feel different from one time to the next. I would hear horror stories from the ER from my patients. Some people barely notice, some people leap off the table even with lidocaine. It also depends on their anatomy. If they have a very full bladder, a stricture, a UTI, BPH, interstitial cystitis, or many other variables, that makes a difference.

Since I see you work in L&D (as do I, now), most patients (that I see) who get a catheter have an epidural or a spinal, or are in active labor, so in the grand scheme, they aren't generally too concerned, except that maybe they'd rather be in a different position. Many who have them in postpartum have them because they have had a big repair, hematoma, or they have some other extensive healing to do, so again, the catheter is the least of their concerns.

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Specializes in Psych.

It hurts. But the first time I pee after it's out? It's like peeing shards of glass. THAT really hurts.

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Working in the ER we insert a lot of Foley's on men and women. Talking with your patient and letting them help you if possible in the procedure by relaxing also if possible. I would always talk to my patient as I was setting up my tray with supplies. We would start taking deep breaths together and then slowing releasing the breaths. When I got ready to insert the catheter I would have them take a deep breath. Sometimes it helped, sometimes it did not. These patients were alert, those that were sedated were easier to do of course cause they did not tense up on insertion. Men I would slowly extend their member so the catheter did not bend as it was being inserted. Once it starts to enter the bladder there will be discomfort for some patients. When I had a catheter myself the relief I had from all the urine in my bladder it was a worth the few minutes of pain. I had to have surgery on my bladder due to holding my urine and stretching my bladder out. Had to retrain my bladder after surgery. Well worth having a catheter in my case. Kudos to you for wondering and asking for opinions on how a catheter may affect your patient.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

I was straight cathed during labor and it hurt like hell. Not as bad as the back labor but still hurt.

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