Need help with AMS 800.

Can anyone please tell me how to activate the the AMS 800 artificial
urinary sphincter? I deactivated the device but now cannot get it to
work again. I thought to reactivate the thing you just squeezed the
bulb at the bottom of the control, but that is not working. Of
course, there is no help to be had at the AMS website. All they want
to do there is sell you one. I'd like to give them mine back and if I
get anymore frustrated that may happen!

Thank you.

Buttercup's Dad wrote:
> Can anyone please tell me how to activate the the AMS 800 artificial
> urinary sphincter? I deactivated the device but now cannot get it to
> work again. I thought to reactivate the thing you just squeezed the
> bulb at the bottom of the control, but that is not working. Of
> course, there is no help to be had at the AMS website. All they want
> to do there is sell you one. I'd like to give them mine back and if I
> get anymore frustrated that may happen!
>
> Thank you.
>
>
I have had the AMS800 for a couple years now, but have to rely on memory
here as I have never had to activate or de-activate it.

There is a small button on one of the flatter sides of the device, on
the rigid flat portion of the pump. It is easy to feel. I believe it's
just a matter of pressing that button to activate it. It took a lot of
pressure to push that button in and make mine activate, so try and make
sure your fingers do not slip off the device while doing this. It was
uncomfortable, but not really painful, as all you are squeezing against
is thick skin and the device.

Normally when it is de-activated, it would be in the off state, ie, the
cuff would freely allow the flow or urine and the soft end of the pump
could be felt to be soft. When you activate it, you can tell it worked
by feeling the pump end become hard again as it fills with fluid.

There is a small brochure that came with mine that explains it all, but
I have no idea where I put it.


The only AMS phone number I have is 800-328-3881. Good luck to you

On Mar 10, 10:25*am, "Bob C." <B...@Bob.org> wrote:
> Buttercup's Dad wrote:
> > Can anyone please tell me how to activate the the AMS 800 artificial
> > urinary sphincter? *I deactivated the device but now cannot get it to
> > work again. *I thought to reactivate the thing you just squeezed the
> > bulb at the bottom of the control, but that is not working. *Of
> > course, there is no help to be had at the AMS website. *All they want
> > to do there is sell you one. *I'd like to give them mine back and if I
> > get anymore frustrated that may happen!
>
> > Thank you.
>
> I have had the AMS800 for a couple years now, but have to rely on memory
> here as I have never had to activate or de-activate it.
>
> There is a small button on one of the flatter sides of the device, on
> the rigid flat portion of the pump. *It is easy to feel. I believe it's
> just a matter of pressing that button to activate it. * It took a lot of
> pressure to push that button in and make mine activate, so try and make
> sure your fingers do not slip off the device while doing this. It was
> uncomfortable, but not really painful, as all you are squeezing against
> is thick skin and the device.
>
> Normally when it is de-activated, it would be in the off state, ie, the
> cuff would freely allow the flow or urine and the soft end of the pump
> could be felt to be soft. When you activate it, you can tell it *worked
> by feeling the pump end become hard again as it fills with fluid.
>
> There is a small brochure that came with mine that explains it all, but
> I have no idea where I put it.
>
> * * The only AMS phone number I have is 800-328-3881. *Good luck to you

Bob:
Thank you for your response. I got a booklet too when I got my AMS
800 but have no idea where to look now for it. Too many changes over
the years and now I really do not know where it would be.
Thank you for the 800 number. I appreciate your help!

David

"Buttercup's Dad" <friendofcurtis@yahoo.com> wrote:

>Can anyone please tell me how to activate the the AMS 800 artificial
>urinary sphincter? I deactivated the device but now cannot get it to
>work again. I thought to reactivate the thing you just squeezed the
>bulb at the bottom of the control, but that is not working. Of
>course, there is no help to be had at the AMS website. All they want
>to do there is sell you one. I'd like to give them mine back and if I
>get anymore frustrated that may happen!
>
>Thank you.
>

You can download the manual, in PDF format, from...

http://www.americanmedicalsystems.co...ublic/5107.pdf

Larry

Larry Sabo wrote:

> You can download the manual, in PDF format, from...
>
> http://www.americanmedicalsystems.co...ublic/5107.pdf
>
> Larry

Hmmm. I was happy to read the manual per the link you provided, but not
very happy to see that the instructions to activate and deactivate are
not the same as what I remember. It has me wondering now, is it
different for different vintages or is my memory that lousy. I am not
even going to guess, but it is time to try and find my manual and read
it again. Thanks

On Mar 10, 8:50*pm, Larry Sabo <larry_s...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> "Buttercup's Dad" <friendofcur...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >Can anyone please tell me how to activate the the AMS 800 artificial
> >urinary sphincter? *I deactivated the device but now cannot get it to
> >work again. *I thought to reactivate the thing you just squeezed the
> >bulb at the bottom of the control, but that is not working. *Of
> >course, there is no help to be had at the AMS website. *All they want
> >to do there is sell you one. *I'd like to give them mine back and if I
> >get anymore frustrated that may happen!
>
> >Thank you.
>
> You can download the manual, in PDF format, from...
>
> *http://www.americanmedicalsystems.co...ublic/5107.pdf
>
> Larry

Larry:
Thank you for that link. I downloaded the manual and will save it
in a couple different places so next time I can find the thing.
Thank you again for your help.
David

On Mar 10, 10:47*pm, "Bob C." <B...@Bob.org> wrote:
> Larry Sabo wrote:
> > You can download the manual, in PDF format, from...
>
> > *http://www.americanmedicalsystems.co...ublic/5107.pdf
>
> > Larry
>
> Hmmm. I was happy to read the manual per the link you provided, but not
> very happy to see that the instructions to activate and deactivate are
> not the same as what I remember. It has me wondering now, is it
> different for different vintages or is my memory that lousy. I am not
> even going to guess, but it is time to try and find my manual and read
> it again. *Thanks

The part I forgot, or maybe never knew, was that you never push the
button to deactivate the device when the bulb is empty. The fluid in
the bulb is what reactivates the thing when you push it, but obviously
that does not work when there is no fluid there. What he did this
morning was push on the top part of the control device, hard!, and
that distorts the control and lets fluid in the bulb. Then pushing
the bulb reactives the AUS.

Hard lesson learned. I cannot tell you how many pads I have gone
through in the last three days!

By the way, I was testing a clamp when I got into this mess on
Saturday. I don't want to knock clamps, I know lots of guys use them
and are satisfied with them, but this morning they told me to never
use a clamp with the AMS 800 AUS. He said it puts pressure on the
urethra and that can cause you trouble. I felt pain not from the
clamp, but when urine started to build up it hurt behind where the
clamp was placed. It was like pressure was building up in the urethra
and it did hurt. This was with the AMS deactivated. So no more
clamps for me.

Thank you guys for your help.

David

"Buttercup's Dad" <friendofcurtis@yahoo.com> wrote:

>On Mar 10, 8:50*pm, Larry Sabo <larry_s...@hotmail.com> wrote:
[snip]
>>
>> You can download the manual, in PDF format, from...
>>
>> *http://www.americanmedicalsystems.co...ublic/5107.pdf
>>
>> Larry
>
>Larry:
> Thank you for that link. I downloaded the manual and will save it
>in a couple different places so next time I can find the thing.
> Thank you again for your help.
>David

You're very welcome, David.

Cheers,
Larry