Insomnia continues after bipolar TURP
Posted , 11 users are following.
On April 5th I had a bipolar TURP and have updated my condition several times here. My frequency/urgency symptoms are improved and my flow is now a bit stronger. Progress is slow, but I am improving, and happy that I did the procedure.
However, one of my issues before the operation was the nocturia - I was getting up 6-7 times per night and it was taking at least 20 and often 30 minutes to clear enough from my bladder so that I was able to get back to sleep. Now, I am able to calm my bladder in 10-15min, and get back to sleep faster. However, I am still getting up 6-7 times per night, and I am only able to sleep about 1.5 hours at stretch before I wake up and head to the bathroom again. I am also experiencing some serious insomnia in the middle of the night - about 3-4am. I just can't seem to get back to sleep right away. Several times this past week I was awake for two hours at a time before dozing off. I am now thinking that this is no longer a retention/prostate issue but is now a bad habit - a form of insomnia. Some here have improved their nocturia issues after various treatments, including TURP and some are now getting up just once per night.
So, my question is, has anyone else had ANY form of treatment, and found that they are still getting up multiple times per night? Did this issue eventually resolve and if so, how long did it take?
0 likes, 25 replies
timothy81571 tom86211
Posted
Walking or working in the yard in the afternoon helps me sleep thru the night inly getting up once. Just a thought.
mike24933 tom86211
Posted
Hi Tom,
I had a bipolar turp which eliminated all my retention and urgency issues. I can go for hours now without being concerned about toilet breaks. However I still do wake up several times in the night. I do think it is partly habit. Also I don't sleep anywhere near as deeply as I used to when I was younger. I think this is something that is often associated with ageing. I think I wake up partly because of discomfort caused by wear and tear problems with joints. When I wake up I usually go to the toilet because I feel more comfortable having got up and moved. The issue doesn't bother me because I usually go to sleep again fairly quickly.
On a separate issue I have suffered from really bad insomnia in the past, where I could hardly sleep at all. The only way to deal with insomnia is just don't worry about it. It sounds a bit trite to say that, but there is no way you can force a solution. If you just accept it and don't worry about it, it will eventually resolve itself.
tom86211 mike24933
Posted
Mike,
Thanks for your message. My flow is definitely stronger and I am able to do a better job of clearing my bladder now almost two months post TURP, however, I am still getting up 6-7x per night. At least I can get to sleep faster than before. I never really feel rested during the day and have to take a short nap in the late afternoon. So, this is either insomnia from aging, or still some retention, or just a bad habit. I may seek help from a sleep specialist.
Tom
lee56659 tom86211
Posted
If you're still getting up 6-7x a night, something else is going on. What does your uro say? I was getting up 2-3x pre-TURP (pretty much dependent on my fluid intake after dinner) and now only once about 5 days a week. I find that if I wake up before 2:30 or so (going to bed at 11) and get up rather than trying to go back to sleep, I'll need to get up again at 5:30 or 6. If I can make it until 3, I will almost always sleep until I wake up, typically around 7.
tom86211 lee56659
Posted
Lee,
Yes, still getting up 6-7x per night. Next appointment with uro is next week. They will measure PVR. If I am still retaining urine then we will have to consider another procedure. If not, then it's a bad habit - learned insomnia. I am able to empty my bladder faster and easier now and the irritation that remains is less than before the TURP - a good thing, but I just wake up for no apparent reason after I been asleep for an hour and a half - sometimes 1:15 and occasionally as long as 2:00, but the average is about 1:30.
Tom
bob955 tom86211
Edited
Hi Tom - Your message really scared me. I have pelvic muscle dysfunction, a markedly distended bladder (also found on my 1998 test report), and a median lobe obstruction of my prostate which causes nocturia.
My prostate is only 38gms.
When I read your insomnia issue, I couldn't believe it - it was if I wrote it!
I go to bed around the same time- between 11 & 1130- with all the sleep hygiene things several hours before bedtime. I fall asleep quickly, but after my 3rd or 4th awakening, which is usually between 330 and 530, I cannot fall back asleep.
Have seen 2 doctors for help with the insomnia, and of no help. Tomorrow telehealth with a recommended sleep physician.
My urologist is concerned about the following:
If we go ahead with surgery - Rezum or Green light (to preserve ejaculation) will my insomnia continue and therefore not help me?
What is causing my emptying issues? My tight pelvic muscles, the pelvic obstruction or are both contributing? Because if mostly or all the pelvic muscles, the surgery will do nothing. My distended bladder may also be contributing but was told nothing could be done about that - but if the surgery helps and my bladder thereafter holds less liquid, it could shrink/heal to some degree.
Have you found any success in retraining or stopping your inability to fall back asleep? And less times awakening overnight?
Thanks Tom, or any other knowledgeable contributors here for your ideas.
Bob