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Nocturia, potato chips and CIC (self-cath)

Posted , 10 users are following.

Howard31850
Howard31850

Over the past 2 weeks I have been conducting a very unscientific study on the effects of salt (sodium) in reducing my high volumes of pee at night.

I read in one of jimjames threads that he once tried eating potato chips before bedtime and that seemed to help him with his need to pee large volumes at night.

So for a week I ate 11 salted potato chips ( 1 serving according to the bag) before bed and did notice that my CIC volume dropped from 600 cc in the middle of the night to around 400cc. After a week of this I noticed further that I started to sleep through the night and was not awakened by that awful bladder pressure that kidney fluid dumps into the bladder can cause.

So for the past week I just ate a 1/16 teaspoon (tsp) of salt before bed by putting it on my tongue. This amount is equivalent to the salt contained in 11 potato chips but without the fat (and the nice taste I might add).

So for the past week I continue to sleep through the night and my cath volumes when I awake in the morning are around 400cc which is much less than before.

Just as background I suffer from BPH with a 240gm prostate. I do CIC 4 times a day and usually cath about 200 to 250ml during the day. My NVs are good at around 250ml as well and I try to keep the totals below 400ml but seem to stay a little above that.

I am 69 and in ok health. I monitor my blood pressure and it stays around 130/80. I am a vegetarian and have little salt in my diet.

So I just wanted to share this with all of you. It is hardly scientific but might be worth trying if you are awakened with huge pee dumps like I have had for years. But if you have hypertension or heart issues please be careful with the salt!

Good luck.

Howard

2 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • iqbal_45667
    iqbal_45667 Howard31850

    Posted

    Good to know your experience. I hope you do not have residual urine problem after you go to wash room in the morning. May be it does not effect you as a result of your other routine during the day. No/less visits to wash room may create this problem for us (doing no procedures during the day) which may do more harm than good.
  • lester90053
    lester90053 Howard31850

    Posted

    Is this available in pill form?
    • Howard31850
      Howard31850 lester90053

      Posted

      Hi Lester - salt pills are available as electrolyte replacers after sweating a lot but the smallest are usually 1gm which is too much for this experiment.

      My one serving of potato chips (11) is equivalent to 125 milligrams of salt or 1/16 tsp.

       

  • Howard31850
    Howard31850

    Posted

    Just as an update: last night I awoke with bladder pressure pains at 4am. I had a fair NV of 200 ml whereas before the salt experiment I would have 0 NV. Then I CICd and my PVR was 400ml whereas at night from my nocturia it would usually be 600 to 800ml. This morning at 8 am my NV was 350ml (!!) and my PVR was 200ml. Usually the numbers are NV of 150ml and PVR 400ml when I awake.

    I will try to increase my salt before bedtime from 1/16 tsp to 1/8 tsp and see what happens for a week.

    Howard

    • tom86211
      tom86211 Howard31850

      Posted

      Howard,  Remember, salt increases your blood pressure. You need to monitor this with a home blood pressure device. You also said that before the experiment your natural void was 0 - so, I believe you are saying that you are completely blocked and have to self cath. If this is a BPH issue are you planning on getting treatment? 

      Tom

    • Howard31850
      Howard31850 tom86211

      Posted

      Hi Tom - Yes I do monitor my BP with a home unit. It is ok at 130/80. I check it once a week.

      I have good NVs during the daytime. But at night my nocturia would load up my bladder like I just had 5 beers and I could not NV at all. Since starting this little experiment my nocturia is much reduced so I can now NV at night before I self-cath.

      Last night I slept through the night and had a good NV at 7 am followed by a PVR of 350ml.

      I am happy with CIC and do not plan any urological or interventional radiologist procedures.

      Thanks.

      Howard

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