Is it typical for BPH symptoms to vary from day to day or different times of the day?

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I find that my BPH symptoms and/or retention levels vary during the day or even change week by week.

Typically at night the Retention is high. During the day sometimes retention level not very acute.

Would that mean that the prostate swells up at certain times of the day or what you eat? I am not taking any medications except saw palmetto. I don't want to start taking medication if I can help it.

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  • Posted

    My symptoms sound very similar to yours. Been dealing with this for about 4 years. There's just never any way to predict it will impact me from day to day. One day I can wake up and pee with a stream like a teenager. The next day I might be so obstructed that I can't get a drop out, despite a massive urge. Between the hours of 6am and 12pm, some days I might pee twice, other days it could be 12 times. (And I regulate my fluid intake carefully; I always drink about the same amount of fluid at the same times of day, every day).

    Most nights I only wake up to urinate once, but on a bad night, it could be 6 times. Seems like overall, I have 5-6 better days per week, 1-2 bad days. Sometimes I get streaks where I urinate completely normally for several weeks, then other times I'll have 2-3 weeks straight where it's just horrible. It makes it tough to schedule life around variability like this.

    Most of the 4 urologists I've seen say this variability is "strange", but give me no practical help with it. One possible reason is I have an obstructive median lobe (imaged by a prostate MRI). It can act as a "ball valve", where the protruding part of the prostate flips back and forth, alternatively putting more and less pressure on the urethra, I believe. This apparently is called IPP, or Intravesical Prostatic Protrusion, although I'm still unclear whether IPP and an obstructive median lobe are exactly the same thing. You'd think with 4 urologists, someone could answer that question, but they never have.

    Overall my prostate is about 70g, and cancer was ruled out with a biopsy. I'm 55.

    • Posted

      <<Sometimes I get streaks where I urinate completely normally for several weeks, then other times I'll have 2-3 weeks straight where it's just horrible<<

      On those days when you urinate normally, are you including cic? I've been doing cic for about 1 1/2 yrs and I can never make a day without it. If I try I know I'll end up before bedtime retaining @ 400 ml. with no urge to pee but just an uncomfortable feeling. My urges are getting more reliable but still have to go by the clock as well.

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