Post Botox Bladder Injections

Post Botox Bladder Injections

Following Botox injections into your bladder some of the more common after-effects you may experience are:

After-Effect	Information
Mild burning on passing urine for 24 hours after the procedure (Almost all patients)	To enable your Consultant to administer the Botox injections, a telescope is inserted via the urethra (waterpipe) and into your bladder. Sometimes this can cause some mild, temporary irritation which should pass within 24 hours after your procedure.
Blood in the urine for 1-3 days after the procedure (Almost all patients)	A number of injections of Botox are administered into your bladder wall using a needle which can sometimes cause bleeding. You may notice a small amount of blood in your urine, however, if this worsens or lasts longer than 3 days then you should contact your GP or seek alternative medical advice if outside GP hours.
Infection of the bladder requiring antibiotic treatment (1 out of every 6- 7 patients)	Your Consultant will have provided you with a course of antibiotics to take following your procedure. It is important that you complete this course of antibiotics to reduce your risk of developing an infection. NOTE: if you take the oral contraceptive pill, it is important you use an additional contraceptive measure (e.g. condoms) as antibiotics can cause your pill to be less effective.
Abdominal pain or difficulty in passing urine which may require intermittent self-catheterisation (Around 1 in 10 patients)	This may be due to your bladder being too full. First try to empty your bladder naturally, if the pain continues or you experience difficulty passing urine you should carry out clean intermittent self-catheterisation (CISC) to ensure that the discomfort/pain you are experiencing is not due to your bladder being full. Prior to your procedure, you will have been taught how to carry out CISC by your Specialist Nurse and been provided with the equipment to do so. If you do drain 150mls of urine or more then you may need to perform this technique more frequently. This will be dependent on the volume of urine you pass and how much is left behind. Should the pain not settle following performing this technique or the symptoms persist and/or your urine is offensive then you may have an infection. You should contact your GP or seek alternative medical advice if out of normal GP hours.
Failure of the treatment to improve overactive bladder symptoms (e.g. urgency or urinary leakage) (Around 3 in 10 patients)	It may take 1-2 weeks for the Botox injections to take effect and for you to notice an improvement in your symptoms. However, sometimes patients can experience a worsening in their symptoms. This may be due to your bladder not emptying properly. If your pre-procedure symptoms have worsened following Botox, you should carry out CISC (see above) to see if this relieves symptoms.

You will receive a follow up appointment with the Urogynaecology Specialist Nurses within 1-2 weeks of your botox injections.  It is important you attend this appointment to allow the Nurses to assess the effects of your treatment and also provide support or answer any questions you may have. Please do contact us if you do not receive this appointment.

Should you require any further guidance or wish to ask any questions before your appointment the Urogynaecology Specialist Nurses contact number is: 01905 733437.

If your symptoms or condition worsens, or if you are concerned about anything, please call your GP, 111, or in an emergency 999.

Patient Experience

We know that being admitted to hospital can be a difficult and unsettling time for you and your loved ones. If you have any questions or concerns, please do speak with a member of staff on the ward or in the relevant department who will do their best to answer your questions and reassure you. 

Feedback

Feedback is really important and useful to us – it can tell us where we are working well and where improvements can be made. There are lots of ways you can share your experience with us including completing our Friends and Family Test – cards are available and can be posted on all wards, departments and clinics at our hospitals. We value your comments and feedback and thank you for taking the time to share this with us.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

If you have any concerns or questions about your care, we advise you to talk with the nurse in charge or the department manager in the first instance as they are best placed to answer any questions or resolve concerns quickly. If the relevant member of staff is unable to help resolve your concern, you can contact the PALS Team. We offer informal help, advice or support about any aspect of hospital services & experiences.

Our PALS team will liaise with the various departments in our hospitals on your behalf, if you feel unable to do so, to resolve your problems and where appropriate refer to outside help.

If you are still unhappy you can contact the Complaints Department, who can investigate your concerns. You can make a complaint orally, electronically or in writing and we can advise and guide you through the complaints procedure.

How to contact PALS:

Telephone Patient Services: 0300 123 1732 or via email at: [email protected]

Opening times:

The PALS telephone lines are open Monday to Thursday from  8.30am to 4.30pm and Friday: 8.30am to 4.00pm. Please be aware that a voicemail service is in use at busy times, but messages will be returned as quickly as possible.

If you are unable to understand this leaflet, please communicate with a member of staff.

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