Compession "stockings" and urinary frequency at night
Posted , 13 users are following.
I wanted to thank the poster who mentioned compression socks or stockings as helpful in reducing urinary frequency at night. Short story: I tried it and it works for me. Today, saw my doc and asked him about it and he confirmed that -- in the sleeping position the body works overtime to harvest every drop of fluid/urine in the system. Hence, more urination. The compression during the day (not while sleeping) has the effect of squeezing more fluid out of the extremities in the daytime...and so easing the burden on the bladder in sleep mode.
So I tried it and last night reduced my usual up-every-two-hours to just ONE bathroom trip at 4 in the morning.
Legs/calves feel more relaxed too., Will watch and wait some more...but who'd have thunk that a rather simple step like this could provide some relief. (Socks are available in black, so they don't look dorky and grandfatherish.)
0 likes, 26 replies
owen35669
Posted
Yet another NEW "clue" on dealing with nighttime bathroom trips:
Did not know that blood pressure meds are DIURETICS and should be avoided at night before bed. I've been taking 25mg Losartan for several years before sleep and have had nighttime bathroom meds for those SEVERAL YEARS.
Coincidence? Or should the docs have told me? Seems like you have to quarterback your own health a lot these days.
Will switch to a morning bp med schedule + Alfuzosin no longer at night and see how it goes. (The compression socks are still showing great promise. Even the nighttime stream has improved. No more sitting for 10 mins to pass a few ounces. This time next week, I hope my new experience will remain positive and will report here. May have a new life coming 😃
owen35669
Posted
Line 3 correction: nighttime bathroom TRIPS -- not meds
rdemyan owen35669
Posted
Owen:
Alfuzosin should be taken immediately after a meal. Studies show that the absorption rate on a full stomach is significantly higher than on an empty stomach. Google "alfuzosin absorption rate".
owen35669 rdemyan
Posted
Thanks for that valuable tip. I have been taking alfuzosin before bed and at least two hours after dinner. Now, all considered together: alfuzosin timing, losartan timing and compression stockings -- may turn the clock back 30 years 😃 I will update in this space over the next couple of weeks. So hoping for a true night's sleep after years of not!
JerryR rdemyan
Posted
I googled what you suggested and got back the following: "Its oral bioavailability is 64%, and its absorption is not affected by food. Therefore, alfuzosin can be taken without regard to meals."
JerryR owen35669
Posted
I've fooled around with the diuretic, Lasix. Taking it at bedtime should make your nocturia worse. I've tried taking it at 5pm (20mg or 40mg) to dehydrate me a bit before sleep, and it works somewhat.
rdemyan JerryR
Posted
There does seem to be conflicting information. If you check out this google result:
UROXATRAL® (alfuzosin HCl extended-release tablets) - FDA
you will see on page 2 an hourly chart of alfuzosin under fed and unfed conditions.
"As illustrated in Figure 1, the extent of absorption is 50% lower under fasting conditions. "
owen35669 JerryR
Posted
The language I saw when googled notes that absorption is diminished by 40% if taken on a "fast". Not sure if they mean "fast" literally or not. To be sure, I
I'll b e happy to take at the morning meal as their seem no other side effects for daytime use (driving, etc.)
rdemyan owen35669
Posted
Owen: If you check out the chart on page 2 of this google result:
UROXATRAL® (alfuzosin HCl extended-release tablets) - FDA
you'll see a graph that shows that that under fed conditions, the concentration of alfuzosin reaches a maximum about 8 to 10 hours after it is taken. Since most potential issues for men occur at night, I take my alfuzosin with my evening meal, so that the maximum concentration of alfuzosin is available in my blood around 2 to 4 am in the morning. Just a thought.
Howard31850 owen35669
Posted
Another quick tip: I eat half of a small bag of salted potato chips a couple of hours before bed and this has really helped a lot with my nocturia. The salt helps the kidneys retain water during the night so it doesn't get dumped into the bladder. Of course monitor your BP but mine hasn't changed over the past year and is ok.
owen35669 Howard31850
Posted
Thanks. I will try that as well. Half a bag is perhaps the calories in a cookie....or three.