Posted , 11 users are following.
I am 69 and have been managing my BPH for about 8 years with Doxazosin (2mg). Generally get up twice at night as long as I don't drink too much after dinner. Also suffer from bladder spasms somewhat mitigated with oxybutinen. I am at the point of considering a surgical remedy but my uro wants to do a regular TURP (he's 60 and says that's still the best treatment). I have read enough to know I don't want that and even my GP advised against it. I'll be looking for another uro for is not opposed to a more modern approach (the button TURP appears to be as good with a shorter recovery period).
Anyway, for those of you who have had BPH surgery, I'm curious how long before you bladder elasticity returned and you were able to go 3 hours or more between bathroom visits. I think part of my frequent urination issues (every 2 hrs or less during the day) is due to reduced bladder capacity (I rarely pee more than 5 or 6 ounces). There are also times when I don't feel like I've fully voided and have to go again in 30 minutes which is really annoying.
FWIW I am in northern Indiana so if anyone up this way has a urologist recommendation, I'm all ears. Thanks.
0 likes, 26 replies
dennis47445 lee56659
Posted
Lee, I'm the same age as you, 69. I've done three turps in around 14 years. My prostate, was 141 grams in size, which is a whopper! Because of its huge size, after the surgery, I still had to be on medication, to get a decent flow going. The third turp, was around two years ago. After the surgery, I couldn't urinate at all. Very stressful time. I had to wear a catheter 24/7. I notice in my life, I will go through something critical, always, so far, there's a good side to the bad. Because of my inability to urinate, I am now doing CIC. It's the best thing I did for my condition since all this mess started 14 years ago! If I could go back in time, 14 years ago, I would mention to the uro, that I would like to try CIC first, before doing anykind of surgery. I strongly suggest that you do the same. Why do something invasive, when you can maybe solve your problem with doing something way less intrusive. Uro's are only human, and they may put their best interest ahead of what is best for the patient.
derek76 dennis47445
Posted
alan1951 lee56659
Posted
" ... [my urologist] is 60 and says that's still the best treatment ... "
Ask yourself, lee56659. Is he even capable of doing other procedures?
His credibility lessens if he's a one-trick pony.
No disrespect to the urological community.
"I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail."
- Maslow
lee56659 alan1951
Posted
Yes, he's capable of other procedures but I think he sincerely believes TURP is the best. He said he uses the plasma button at the end of the TURP to smooth out the surface (or something along those lines) but doesn't think doing the entire procedure with a plasma button results in as good a job. Since upping my doxazosin dose to 4mg from 2mg has improved my symptoms, I don't feel the need to do anything else at the moment. If and when I feel medication can no longer do the job, I will definitely consult with another urologist.
mike588 lee56659
Posted
I was like you Lee - the danger of relying just on pills is when they are no longer effective you haven't solved the issue of obstruction and you are putting more stress on the bladder. The longer you wait the more damage it can do to the bladder. I am one year post surgery, I feel some elasticity has returned, I figure I still need to go every 2 hours or so but at night I can sometimes get up only once, other nights more depending on what I ate and drank. I might not be the best example though, even in my 20s I went frequently. I did FLA and am happy but it could have been better, I still rely on Flomax - at least I have no sexual side effects apart from those from Flomax.
lee56659 mike588
Posted
Thanks for the info Mike. How did you find a doctor doing FLA? Seems like it's not a widely performed procedure, especially for BPH. Google wasn't much help but it did indicated a Dr. S in Florida. I have read the thread by the gentleman who had it done in Houston and he certainly seems happy with the results.
oldbuzzard mike588
Posted
lee56659 oldbuzzard
Posted
mike588 lee56659
Posted
mike588 oldbuzzard
Posted
I tried it once, it wasn't as good but mainly it must have lowered my blood pressure since I had trouble playing soccer, heart racing. I agree if you are only trying to avoid RE Alfuzosin is better.
oldbuzzard mike588
Posted
Different people react differently to the same drugs. The odds are better with Alfuzosin, but there are plenty of people who can't tolerate it. It never did all that much for me - I just kept taking because I needed all the help I could get and it didn't cause me any symptoms.
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