Tag: Detrusitol 2mg tablet

No Sweat


Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is more than what is visually obvious. What most people see are the physically visible aspects ? weakened limbs, clawed hands, spasmodic gaits, atrophied muscles and the ubiquitous wheelchair. SCI does more than paralyse the arms and legs. Depending on the extent and level of the damage to the vertebra and spinal cord, the diaphragm right down to the bladder and bowel may be affected.

In my case, I suffer a partial lesion which means my spinal cord is not totally severed but damaged at the fifth (C5) and sixth (C6) cervical vertebra. A C5 injury affects the diaphragm which in turn affects breathing. This level of damage also affects the wrists and hands. I get breathless easily while doing strenuous tasks. I need suppositories to empty my bowels and drain the urine from my bladder every few hours with a catheter. Those are the least of my problems as I have worked them into a routine which allows me a certain degree of freedom.

Unbeknownst to many, spinal cord injury affects the body’s ability to perspire, too. As my body is unable to regulate temperature properly, any change from the usual range of temperature will make me extremely uncomfortable. This current hot spell has severely constrained my daily activities. Most days, I lounge about with the ceiling fan at full blast and generally feeling languid. The air conditioner looks inviting. On the other hand, cold is one of those factors that will set off spasms in my legs. That is why I try to minimise using it. Additionally, Detrusitol, the medicine that I am taking to alleviate my neurogenic bladder, causes drying of the mouth, eyes and skin. This aggravates the problem further. Yes, I need to be ministered to very delicately. Too much or too little from the norm and bodily discomfort will kick in. Even babies need less attention.

Being bound in lethargy throughout the day everyday is slowly wearing me down. Furthermore, my bladder spasms decided to act up the last few days. This has been a week that I wished would just quickly zip along, right up to the next rainy season. In the meantime, I am continuously hydrating myself by drinking a lot of water and cooling down by sponging throughout the day. We all know what drinking a lot of water will result in. And the cycle continues.

Different Urologist, Same Diagnosis


Visits to the doctor’s clinic in the hospital were always boring affairs interspersed with long waits and depressing sights. Wuan, who had been here since last Saturday, offered to accompany me to see the urologist who first saw me for my bladder condition back in 1991 for another assessment. Her company made it more bearable.

An ultrasound scan of my kidneys was taken in the doctor’s clinic. The diagnosis: shrunken left kidney. However, there were no signs of swelling in both kidneys, which is good news in the midst of bad. A creatinine clearance test was also done to ascertain the extent of my kidney function. It was a simple test where a blood sample was taken, the serum creatinine quantified and the figure for the estimated creatinine clearance arrived at with a straightforward formula.

My estimated creatinine clearance is 47 ml/min which is categorised as moderate renal impairment. The urologist stated that I have about 60% renal function. I am to continue with my intermittent catheterisation. I was also prescribed Detrusitol for my overactive bladder.

I was previously taking Ditropan for the same problem but the side effects were interfering with my daily routine. They included drying of the eyes, mouth and skin which was further aggravated by my body’s impaired ability to regulate body temperature. That made me very uncomfortable when the weather is hot.

Eating the correct food may also help and I have to make an appointment to see the dietician for this purpose. I am scheduled for another blood test in six months. I am keeping my fingers crossed that there will be no further damage to the kidneys when I return for the follow-up appointment.