CIC and Avodart work wonders. My solution to prostate problems.

Posted , 6 users are following.

Following a colonoscopy, my prostate (quite large to begin with, giving me urination problems) got irritated, probably swelled, and shut down my urethra. After weeks of Foley catheters, my Urologist wanted to schedule a turps . After researching this , I said NO and found I could self catheterize and go on Avodart to shrink the prostate permanently. Success ! After 4 months I am able to urinate easily although sometimes too much and reduce night episodes to once or twice. I self catheterize (CIC) once in a while if I need to go for hours at a time without wanting to urinate. I follow the Dial soap, alcohol routine to disinfect my reusable catheters. CIC is no big deal. The Avodart has yet to complete its full effect but is supposed to shrink the prostate by 25 % with no growth beyond (it chemically cuts off the dihydrotestosterone that causes prostate growth). It also cut my PSA in half although this means little unless there is a sudden wild jump. This is my solution to prostate growth and urination problems. Why are so many of you taking a surgical route ?

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10 Replies

  • Edited

    Hey Roy. Good to hear you are doing well! The exact thing happened to me. With my enlarged prostate I couldn't urinate after my colonoscopy prep and was in the ER with a Foley (first time ever). After the colonoscopy I was feeling like my gastro system was getting backed up because I hadn't had a bowel movement for the two days after the procedure and I wasn't passing gas. I had the Foley taken out after two days and I was nervous that I was still going to have the same problem, putting me back in the ER with a new catheter. But I took 3 Ducolax and drank some prune juice and everything worked again, including my ability to urinate. Since this has happened, I look back and realize that some of the bouts I have had with serious urination problems could have been helped with a stool softener. I can point to at least two situations where I was eating a lot of meat and also travelling which slows down my gastro system for some reason. This isn't an answer to your question but reading you had the same problem as me, I think it's important to note the connection with gastro problems putting pressure on the prostate and shutting down the urethra. As my urologist told me with all seriousness, "don't ever get constipated." I realize my prostate issues will need to be addressed well beyond stool softeners, but this is something I will be mindful of from now on. And eating better as well.

    • Edited

      Hey Rich. My prep drove my kidneys crazy. Up all night urinating painfully in spurts. Then 3 times just before the procedure. Told them I would probably keep it up during the colonoscopy but I didn't. It was after that hell began. Pain and inability to urinate. Visit to ER where 900 ml of urine was extracted and Foley inserted. 4 days later, Foley removed by my GP, still can't go, back to ER for another Foley.

      Got a cystoscopy 3 wks later, no damage detected but I insisted on another Foley after determining that my prostate was likely irritated. I only got the Foley taken out 3 wks later AFTER I learned about self cath from jimjames on this site and also the results that could be attained by reading up on Avodart.

      I was a chemistry teacher in pre retirement so give me a chemical solution over the barbaric scraping, burning and lasering prostate tissue that is only going to grow back all long as the chemical (dihyrotestosterone) that causes it to grow keeps being manufactured by our bodies.

    • Posted

      Rich, A lot of guys have the problem of difficult urination when the colon is full. Personally I think it is worse with an enlarged median lobe. My theory is that the colon pushes against the median lobe and kinks the urethra tube, like kinking a garden hose. According to my MRI of the prostate that's what looked like would happen, to me.

      Be careful of drugs like Avodart, they can reduce your libido, and cause ED. Those effects make be more permanent than doctors will tell you. For me the effects seemed to last a year or two after stopping the drug. If you don't care about that then no problem.

      If you do experience a problem with ED, I can recommend the device called Eddie by a company called Giddy. It actually works, but is expensive, but less expensive than recurring ED drugs.

    • Posted

      ... A lot of guys have the problem of difficult urination when the colon is full ...

      So true! Many people don't know this and ended up with unsuccessful and unnecessary surgeries while their main problem is constipation. Hank

  • Posted

    Next time when you cath you might try to do it into a container just to measure how much you are retaining. if it's only a small amount then it's okay to cut once a while. If it's significant then you may want to try to cath more often otherwise your kidneys may have problems later. Take care. Hank.

    Btw, what type of catheters are you using?

    • Posted

      Hey Hank. I owe my catheter knowledge to the articles posted by jimjames on this site. This was the best thing the could have possibly happened after hell I went through. Thank you Jim !

      I use MED-RX Robinson supposedly one time use but with extreme care they are easily reusable. I won't really know how much cathing to do until the Avodart has reached it's max effect in about 2 months.

      By the way, I slept for 7 hrs straight last night so good stuff is happening.

  • Edited

    Happy to hear its going so well for you! I had a physician offer Avodart as an option. Due to the lowering of testosterone and increase risk of cancer I decided against it.

    There are so many existing and emerging methods to handle BPH that we can decide what's best for us individually.

    Continued good health to you.

    • Edited

      Hey Bob. it's my understanding that testosterone levels are not affected just the conversion to the dihydro version which causes prostate growth. Also this supposed "masking" of aggressive type cancers is very overrated from what I can determine. There is no increased risk of cancer from the Avodart itself.

  • Posted

    Hi Roy,

    How often do you use the catheter daily and which timing?

    • Posted

      Ben; My catheter use can only be described as random right now. I can easily urinate but often unpredictably as to time and volume but greatly improved from before all this distress. I would sometimes have a hard time or pain trying to urinate especially at night and get up several times. This would improve somewhat during the day.

      I started to cath after the Foley came out to save having to have another put back in and cathed maybe a few times a day but this has drastically improved as the Avodart takes effect. I only do it now once every few days if I think I am not releasing enough urine when I urinate.

      I understand why some are on a program of CIC but I can urinate quite a reasonable amount and the goal is to let the Avodart get me to the state where cathing will hardly be necessary ie the equivalent of a surgical procedure without worry of a future "redo"

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