Medication Vs Surgical intervention.
Posted , 22 users are following.
Hi all,
Just wondering how many of you, if any, have chosen to avoid surgical intervention of any sort and remain, long term, on medication for your BPH.
By long term I mean four years or more.
In particular I would be interested to hear from anyone who has been taking Finasteride alone or in combination with Tamsulosin.
With regards to Finasteride which, supposedly, shrinks the prostate have you noticed a gradual improvement in your flow rate over the years and, in particular, in the fourth or fifth year?
I have been taking Tamsulosin for around seven years and Finasteride for almost five. Over the past six or so months I have perceived a better flow rate, variable, and less frequency along with some nights only having to get up to the loo two or three times, which is an improvement.
I was advised to have a TURP almost two years ago now, after a urodynamic test, but opted for Urolift, for which I am still waiting, but am wondering whether I still need it or should I just carry on with the meds.
Best wishes to all who read this forum.
Steve.
0 likes, 61 replies
john_14065 stephen54687
Posted
Hi Steve;
I've been on Tamsulosin for several years.
Four years ago I was getting up many times per night, each timer spending alot of time patiently trying to empty my bladder. I had many days where I felt ill for lack of sleep. Each doctor I saw gave me a different diagnosis and recommendation.
Out of desperation I had a PAE procedure which made no difference.
I had tried Tamsulosin but it didn't help me. This time I decided I decided to try .4mg of Tamsulosin and stay with it for 6 months. This time I saw improvement, down to getting up 3 or 4 times per night. And if I napped during the day, Tamsulosin put me in a deep, deep, sleep. After a half hour nap, I felt somewhat recovered from the interruptions the previous night.
At some point I took some ibuprofen for some unrelated problem and noticed that my nightly sleep interruptions dropped to once or twice, sometimes even zero. I experimented with the dosage and found that 100 mg with milk at dinner time, coupled with the .4mg Tamsulosin gives me a pleasant numb feeling in my prostate/bladder area that lasts into the next morning.
I feel that this has resolved my nocturia problem but have no idea why this works for me. I don't even know what caused my nocturia.
I do suspect that my bladder is just old and cranky, and the tamsulosin and the ibuprofen soothe it, enabling it to comfortably hold a lot of urine.
If you try it, I hope you'll let me know how it works out.
Good Luck.
stephen54687 john_14065
Posted
Hi John,
Thank you for your response.
I am sorry to hear that the PAE didn't work for you. It is very disappointing when you make a choice of a particular procedure, after having read of the 'advantages' of such, only to find it made no difference.
I have heard of others taking Ibuprofen, with varying results, and have, briefly, tried it myself in the past but found it made little difference so I discontinued it, not wishing to take any more medication than absolutely necessary.
Best wishes.
derek76 john_14065
Posted
Be very wary of long term use of Ibruprofen.
Ibuprofen can increase your risk of fatal heart attack or stroke, especially if you use it long term or take high doses, or if you have heart disease. Do not use this medicine just before or after heart bypass surgery (coronary artery bypass graft, or CABG).
Ibuprofen may also cause stomach or intestinal bleeding, which can be fatal. These conditions can occur without warning while you are using ibuprofen, especially in older adults.
Do not take more than your recommended dose. An ibuprofen overdose can damage your stomach or intestines. Use only the smallest amount of medication needed to get relief from your pain, swelling, or fever.Ibuprofen may also cause stomach or intestinal bleeding, which can be fatal. These conditions can occur without warning while you are using ibuprofen, especially in older adults.
You should not use ibuprofen if you are allergic to it, or if you have ever had an asthma attack, hives, or severe allergic reaction after taking aspirin or an NSAID (including acetaminophen, naproxen, or others).
Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to take this medicine if you have:
heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or if you smoke;
a history of heart attack, stroke, or blood clot;
a history of stomach ulcers or bleeding;
asthma;
liver or kidney disease;
**************** fluid retention;
or
a connective tissue disease such as Marfan syndrome, Sjogren's syndrome, or lupus.
tom86211 john_14065
Posted
John,
Your symptoms and experience are almost identical to mine, except that I have been using Tylenol instead of ibuprofen. These drugs seem to dull the sensation in the bladder the same way that they dull the pain of a headache and this makes it easier to get to sleep and stay asleep.
Tom
john_14065 tom86211
Posted
Tom,
I didn't have the same success with Tylenol. What dosage are you taking?
Its a safer drug, I'd much prefer it.
John
tom86211 john_14065
Posted
John,
I am taking the extra strength 500mg Tylenol. Ibuprofen causes me to retain water - like salt, so I don't use it anymore.
Tom
JerryR tom86211
Posted
If Ibuprophen causes you to retain water, that might be why you pee less.
john_14065 JerryR
Posted
I definitely feel a numbness around my bladder/prostate
tom86211 JerryR
Posted
Jerry,
Yes, I pee a bit less with ibuprofen, but gain about 2 pounds of water retention. The point of either the ibuprofen or the Tylenol is to slightly dull the bladder irritation so that I can sleep longer and when I do get up in the middle of the night, get back to sleep easier.
Tom
JerryR tom86211
Posted
Thanks Tom. I'll try it tonight.
hank1953 JerryR
Posted
I've read that Ibuprofen slows down to urine production. I am currently taking it before bed time and it seems to help me urinating better at night and getting up less often.
nick67069 john_14065
Posted
be careful with long term use of ibuprofen , it can/will cause kidney damage.
tom86211 JerryR
Posted
Jerry,
A couple of weeks ago I stopped taking my trospium (for overactive bladder) because it wasn't doing anything, and started taking Azo Bladder Control. It consists of pumpkin seed extract and soy germ extract. I noticed improvement in a couple of days - very pleased. My bladder is less irritated and my flow is slightly improved. So, I just sent for more Bladder Control from Amazon. It is sold in regular pharmacies - very common product and not expensive. There are other brands with the same formula - might be cheaper. My nocturia/insomnia issues seem to be improving a bit now that my bladder is less "sensitive".
Tom
dai12345 stephen54687
Posted
Be aware that BPH can be a bit insidious. When I started to have quite slow flow my Urologist found I had a greatly enlarged bladder as a result of back pressure. It was almost too late to avoid bladder muscle damage but urodynamic tests showed I was OK. Also be careful with simple TURP as there are some poor uros around. I had a HoLep which was 100% successful but I chose the uro carefully. When you need surgery don't rush, get all the tests done and do your homework.
Pkmodel stephen54687
Posted
I have been on Tamsulosin for 5 years. my symptoms seem to have improved over the last couple of years although it's hard to tell as I know I manage my liquid intake better also. my impression is that urologists love doing procedures but based on what I have read on these posts patients do better without them if they can live OK with their symptoms. As I can live a pleasant life with my current symptoms I'm not going to have any sort of procedure.
stephen54687 Pkmodel
Posted
Hi PK,
I totally agree with you. If you are happy to live a pleasant life with your symptoms then it would be foolish to aggravate the situation with any type of procedure.
Best wishes.
derek76 Pkmodel
Posted
What side effects does it give you. If none you re one in a million.
Pkmodel derek76
Posted
No, I've never noticed any side effects.