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Liquid Intake and Urinary Retention

Posted , 12 users are following.

hank1953
hank1953

I've read so many prostate books but one stood out in which a well established author suggested that people generally do not need to drink any extra in addition to the liquid that is already in the foods. Does anyone remember the name of the book ? In a way it makes sense since less liquid intake -> less urine -> less urinary retention. I've been self cathing for over 2 years and I know for a fact that the more you drink, the worse your retention is. So far, I found the best way to lower retention is to drink less. Control liquid intake, control your retention!

Perhaps we should consume less fluid. Would we have other problems like constipation, bladder stones, kidney stones, etc ? Hank

1 like, 46 replies

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  • owen35669
    owen35669 hank1953

    Posted

    Very interesting.  I am 70+ and all of my life have consumed what could be considered extraordinary volumes of fluids.  At least 3 quarts daily -- milk, juices, water -- and significantly more in warmer weather.  (A gallon of milk per day in the summer not unusual. Not a big soda or beer guy)

    It's a "duhhh" kind of moment, but even a curtailed volume of fluid now just might alleviate the chronic urinary difficulties I have had for at least 15 years.  Thank you for the clue. 

    • hank1953
      hank1953 owen35669

      Posted

      Owen, just as I mentioned to Howard above, our bladders can only pump so much. After a certain volume, it becomes harder to push it out naturally. I would consider lower your liquid intake. Zero intake is too radical. I am planning on 1 liter, which is about 1 US quart. Hank
    • hank1953
      hank1953 owen35669

      Posted

      See my post to Arlington. I had serious kidney problems after long-term consumption of high level of liquid, probably about 3 liters or more a day, including foods. Hank
    • owen35669
      owen35669 hank1953

      Posted

      Thanks Hank.  Good advice.  Makes perfect sense.
    • bob31550
      bob31550 hank1953

      Posted

      -Ditto, without the kidney problems-

      Have made drastic liquid intake changes!!  

      I found posts in this forum where the initial sudden retention came from drinking a 30 oz. or more liquids in a short time.

       

    • hank1953
      hank1953 bob31550

      Posted

      Yes, so many ER trips taken to have a Foley catheter installed can be contributed to drinking too much at once. Hank
  • bob31550
    bob31550 hank1953

    Posted

    I agree with the Healthy Prostate book:  Don't drink unless your body is "asking" for it.

    My Noturnia is from drinking 4x more water than I need.

     

    • hank1953
      hank1953 bob31550

      Posted

      Hi Bob, thanks for finding out the book's name. I thought that you might know it since you know of so many other stuff. Yes, cut down on liquid intake will lessen your nocturia. Hank

    • hank1953
      hank1953 bob31550

      Posted

      For others : Whole Life Prostate Book by Ballantine Carter , MD. Hank
  • keith42667
    keith42667 hank1953

    Posted

    Another factor to consider is if the liquid you consume is a diuretic like coffee.  I've brought this up before and was surprised there wasn't more agreement.  If you drink a cup of coffee brewed with say 1 cup of water; then it will cause your system to produce 1.2 cups of urine (my ratio there is completely made up, but you get the idea.  May be more like 1.04 or something) but you aren't gaining on H20 in your system by drinking coffee; at least decent strength coffee.  You end up with a net loss.  You may have to pee a lot if you drink a lot of coffee but there is more than the water in the coffee your shedding.  I don't know where it comes from; just from fat cells that store water or something.  The human body is what... 2/3 water or something like that.  

    • owen35669
      owen35669 keith42667

      Posted

      Keith --

      I believe coffee is a culprit for it serves as an irritant to the bladder (the caffeine signaling "gotta' go" more than it should.)

      That said, a morning with coffee is a great jump start for my system and seems even to alleviate the aches and pains of getting out of bed in the morning -- the blood circulating more swiftly as it does with coffee in my system.  I am retired but work a part-time "fun" job that keeps me physically active and mentally alert.  The coffee just makes me sharper...and the job more fun. 

    • hank1953
      hank1953 keith42667

      Posted

      Thanks for sharing Keith. Water is everywhere in our body. Where is the additional water coming from after consuming diuretic depends on the individual. However, it stilk all ends up in the bladder, contributing to bladder retention. Hank
  • nick67069
    nick67069 hank1953

    Posted

    How much you need to drink depends on many factors in your lifestyle. If you are active and the weather is hot, you will need more liquid to replenish your hydration to proper level. For example, if I am working out hard and it is summer time, I NEED about 1liter every 45min. When I go for longer bike ride, I take with me 2 or 3liter of water with some salt added. The most interesting factor is that most of it is sweated out, because I hardly urinate during that time.

    I judge how much I need to drink by the color of the urine and drink until it is "proper" color. Dark yellow, or even brownish indicates that one is dehydrated.

    • hank1953
      hank1953 nick67069

      Posted

      Well said Nick! Exactly right! Thanks for covering what I missed. Hank
  • lester19220
    lester19220 hank1953

    Posted

    Drinking less leads to dehydration which leads to fainting spells.
    • bob31550
      bob31550 lester19220

      Posted

      I used to drink a lot of water because I got headaches if I didn't.

      Have changed drastically --- even not drinking any liquid for days -- due to the sudden onset urinary retention and its complications from cathing.

      I have never felt faint.

       

    • hank1953
      hank1953 bob31550

      Posted

      Bob, you are not drinking much. What is your diet like, lots of fruits and vegetables ? Are you experiencing any constipation ? Hank
    • bob31550
      bob31550 hank1953

      Posted

      Not much in produce dept.

      Never any constipation.

      I used to binge on Kombucha (2L bottles) on some days.

       

    • hank1953
      hank1953 bob31550

      Posted

      Wow! I always assume that one needs fruits and vegetables and sufficient liquid to fight against constipation. Perhaps fruits or vegetables are making people constipated and demand more liquid ??? Hank
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