Posted , 5 users are following.
I had the UroLift 11 months ago and have been thinking it was a fail. I was prescribed Alfuzosin and stopped taking it 2 weeks ago and my symptoms have actually improved. I have a better flow and seem to empty much better. Is this my imagination or can something intended to relieve symptoms can actually make it worse?...............Billy
0 likes, 3 replies
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rdemyan billy16089
Posted
Hi Billy:
I keep a detailed journal of my urinations. Even after 15 months of doing this, I am always amazed at how often I guess wrong as to whether I thought I peed alot or a little. My point is that unless you actually measure the amount urinated, you might be doing better or worse or about the same. Has the number of times you are getting up at night changed? This might be a better indicator as long as your diet hasn't changed much and you are on the same schedule of drinking fluids throughout the day and before dinner time (alcohol can have a large affect).
As an aside, the more I measure my amount urinated and the number of times I go per day, the more I understand why urologists don't pay that much attention to these data points. A lot of things can affect how much and how often you pee. For example, if I want to urinate a lot all I have to do is drink peppermint tea. The other day I urinated at one time during the daytime 270 mL, which for me is unheard of. The previous high was 240 and the average amount I urinate during the daytime is around 160 to 180 mL each time I go. Post-void residual (PVR) really is the better statistic. It lets you know how well your bladder is emptying. But if you don't self-cath, you'll need a bladder scanner.
Having said all of that, I still keep a urination journal, because with a lot of data, I can see trends emerging which might hint that my situation is getting better or worse. I started the journal about 3 months before I started taking alfuzosin and dutasteride. The journal clearly showed a dramatic increase in the average amount I urinate during the daytime and a reduction in nighttime frequency resulting from taking alfuzosin and dutasteride compared to before. Another area it worked well was with a UTI I had last year. I could see about a day and a half before the symptoms hit me hard that my amounts urinated were falling substantially. But other than that, it's tricky to see significant changes.
tom86211 billy16089
Posted
Billy,
Isn't our goal to be off meds if possible? I would say great, if you're doing fine without the Alfuzosin good for you. Make sure to check your blood pressure, because Alfuzosin is know to lower BP and stopping it might make your BP higher.
Tom
jim94474 billy16089
Posted
You can see my discussion "What if Urolift fails" about my Urolift experience.
Glad Alfusion is working for you after your Urolift failed. I tried Alfusion but it lowers my BP so much I had to give it up. Now retrying Flomax and taking it every other day to possibly help with the retro ejaculation side effect but still work for BPH.