Urolift - Review

If you think you need a Foley catheter don't hesitate to get one put in. I was totally blocked for five weeks after radiation for prostate cancer in 2014, and had Foley's in and out until I was able to urinate on my own. The prostate swelling just had to go down. I also self cathed a few times after the Foley was completely removed. I was able to obtain hydrophilic 14fr catheters, self lubricating, so that was fairly easy once I figured out how to do it.

After my last radiation treatment my prostate became swollen and I had total retention and was in incredible pain. My wife drove me to the emergency room and they put in a Foley and drained off 1200cc of urine. All the pain went away.

I got used to the Foley, had the drain tube taped to my leg so there was no tugging or pulling sensations, and used triple antibiotic gel to keep the drain tube lubricated and sterile. The whole experience was good overall and I was able to sleep at night because my bladder was always empty. Had to get up once per night to empty the drain bag.

Some on this forum dread having a Foley put in, but I found it to be easy and only slightly irritating at times - got used to it after a couple of days. So, don't hesitate if you think it will help you until the prostate swelling goes down.

I would also try to get some hydrophilic catheters so you can always self cath as a last resort, rather than having to go to the emergency room. At the ER you wait and wait and wait and you are in terrible pain, and it's not a good experience.

All the best.....

Tom

Billy sorry that you are having a problem. Did you doctor tell you that Urolift is not for retention. Maybe it will help but before you go for any TURP make sure you get the bladder taking care of That is most likely your problem not your prostate Ken

Billy, your Urolift failed because you didn't need it. Your retention is normal, should not cause UTI. Also, Urolift does not fix retention, even if you actually have it. Unless you are missing something, no BPH procedures, including TURP, will help you. Just treat the UTI and move on. Hank

I would like to know. Being that his His PVR is normal. Why did the doctor tell him he needed the Urolift anyway ????. And now this doctor is talking about a TURP. I would turn around and run not walk out the door...........Ken

Good point, 20-30cc is indeed normal.

UTI = urinary transient incontinence? if yes, kegels or palvic floor exercise may help UTI.

Ken, I was wondering the same thing and that's why I changed URO's but then he just followed suit with the others

Hank, treating a uti every 3 to 4 months will eventually take its toll on even a hardcore like you. I've taken so many antibiotics that I'm resistant to Cipro, Levaquin and Bactrim, there aren't too many left. I need to find out the underlying problem and get some normalcy in my life.

Ken, Im with ya on that one. Thanks

dl, UTI : urinary tract infection. Hank

Billy, when you had UTI, I assume it's the real UTI that comes with high fever, burning urinating, etc. Most of us that self cath have the asymptomatic UTI, in which there are plenty of bacteria in the cloudy urine but without the above symptoms. aUTI generally doesn't need treatment but I found eating raw garlic for few days will correct this aUTI. You might want to try it. Hank

John, I'm 70 years old. I have been to several Uro's in my area because of my recurring utis and the first thing out of their mouth is, BPH, and all want to do the gold standard (turp) so when I found this clinic near me that does the urolift I thought I would be good to go. I never really had a problem until about 3 years ago when I started having recurrent utis, about every 3 to 4 months like clock work. I saw the video as he was scoping me and my urethera was not visible. I told him I will exhaust every avenue before I succumb to the turp. I honestly believe it is a bladder problem, maybe even a fistula. Makes for a very poor quality of life when one has to face a uti and what goes with it every 3 to 4 months. In the past one and half years I've been to the ER begging to be catherized so I could void.

Billy so sorry for that but have you through of doing CIC on yourself It would stop you from running to the hospital??? Ken

i am ignorant about UTI. would appreciate if someone has time to explain what caused it.

20-30mL retention is great for a 70 year old. Hank

Even 50cc retention at 70 is good. How i envy you! 😀 Hank

yes, recurrent uti is the underlying problem. you need more of a work up. see our a urologist at a university setting. ...

dl,

A UTI, urinary tract infection, is caused by bacteria. Most common cause is urine retention in the bladder - the bacteria get "stuck" there and multiply. Antibiotics kill bacteria - both the bad and good. One can also develop resistance to the antibiotics - not good. So, it is possible to kill the bacteria with natural methods - drinking cranberry juice, eating garlic, and a method I just used last week that absolutely worked - vitamin C.

I began to experience all of the symptoms of a bladder infection - frequent trips to the bathroom, constant bladder irritation, pain while urinating, urine retention. So, I had a urine analysis done at the lab. My urine PH was up - normally 5.0, now 7.0. My research on the net said this can be the result of an infection. Also, a more acid urine PH, say 5.0, will kill the bacteria. So, I began to add vitamin C powder to my liquid intake. I made a mixture of cranberry juice, water, and vitamin C powder.

After about 12 hours my symptoms began to go away, and by the next day symptoms were gone. This happened last week, and I am still feeling OK - still adding the vitamin C powder to some drinks (not alcohol). Passing this on because if this works for others (and it's on the net) it is certainly better than antibiotics.

Best of luck, Tom

Hi Tom, where on the net that you find 7.0 pH indicates an infection ? 7.0 pH is normal. Anything too much below and above raises your risks of bladder stones, acidic stones and alkaline stones, respectively. When I had an infection, my urine pH was 8.5. Hank

BTW, thanks for sharing your tips. Hank

hello tom,

thanks for explaining UTI!

Before when i read someone has 500cc retention, i didn't know what it meant. Now I learned not to take retention lightly as it could have serious consequence.

it is amazing that u understand the real cause of UTI and were able to use vitamin C to lower the pH to restore the urine to its former pH. it is just remarkable that such cheap vitamin can alleviate such serious problem that requires CIC. a simple fix to solve a serious problem, just amazing.

there is a school of thought that vitamin can also prevent cold or flu. will too much vit C cause formation of bladder stone?

i sincerely hope that ur methos can help other UTI victims too.

it seems that this is a positive feedback loop, UTI causes more retention, more unvoided urine volume bleeds more bacteria, then more retention. it seems that surgery to reduce the initial retention volume could help to stop the positive feedback. not sure is correct.

Report

Lowering pH appears to be working for tom.

Is my understanding correct that it will take a long time for stone to grow to an undesired size? Whereas UTI makes the patient miserable, possible having bad quality of life by the need of CIC.

Stone can be removed when it gets to be too big, before then the patients enjoy a good quality of life.

I know nothing about UTI. If I am saying something stupid, please let me know and also excuse me.

For readers not familiar with UTI.

From MAYO CLINIC

1. Tests and procedures used to diagnose urinary tract infections include:

Analyzing a urine sample

Your doctor may ask for a urine sample for lab analysis to look for white blood cells, red blood cells or bacteria. To avoid potential contamination of the sample, you may be instructed to first wipe your genital area with an antiseptic pad and to collect the urine midstream.

Growing urinary tract bacteria in a lab. Lab analysis of the urine is sometimes followed by a urine culture. This test tells your doctor what bacteria are causing your infection and which medications will be most effective.

Creating images of your urinary tract. If you are having frequent infections that your doctor thinks may be caused by an abnormality in your urinary tract, you may have an ultrasound, a computerized tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Your doctor may also use a contrast dye to highlight structures in your urinary tract.

Using a scope to see inside your bladder. If you have recurrent UTIs, your doctor may perform a cystoscopy, using a long, thin tube with a lens (cystoscope) to see inside your urethra and bladder. The cystoscope is inserted in your urethra and passed through to your bladder.

2. Treatment

   Antibiotics usually are the first line treatment for urinary tract infections. Which drugs are prescribed and for how long depend on your health condition and the type of bacteria found in your urine.

2a) Simple infection

Drugs commonly recommended for simple UTIs include:

Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra, others)

Fosfomycin (Monurol)

Nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin, Macrobid)

Cephalexin (Keflex)

Ceftriaxone

The group of antibiotic medicines known as fluoroquinolones — such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro), levofloxacin (Levaquin) and others — isn't commonly recommended for simple UTIs, as the risks of these medicines generally outweigh the benefits for treating uncomplicated UTIs. In some cases, such as a complicated UTI or kidney infection, your doctor might prescribe a fluoroquinolone medicine if no other treatment options exist.

Often, symptoms clear up within a few days of treatment. But you may need to continue antibiotics for a week or more. Take the entire course of antibiotics as prescribed.

For an uncomplicated UTI that occurs when you're otherwise healthy, your doctor may recommend a shorter course of treatment, such as taking an antibiotic for one to three days. But whether this short course of treatment is enough to treat your infection depends on your particular symptoms and medical history.

Your doctor may also prescribe a pain medication (analgesic) that numbs your bladder and urethra to relieve burning while urinating, but pain usually is relieved soon after starting an antibiotic.

2b) Frequent infections

If you have frequent UTIs, your doctor may make certain treatment recommendations, such as:

Low-dose antibiotics, initially for six months but sometimes longer

Self-diagnosis and treatment, if you stay in touch with your doctor

A single dose of antibiotic after sexual intercourse if your infections are related to sexual activity

Vaginal estrogen therapy if you're postmenopausal

Severe infection

For a severe UTI, you may need treatment with intravenous antibiotics in a hospital.

2c) Lifestyle and home remedies

Urinary tract infections can be painful, but you can take steps to ease your discomfort until antibiotics treat the infection. Follow these tips:

Drink plenty of water. Water helps to dilute your urine and flush out bacteria.

Avoid drinks that may irritate your bladder. Avoid coffee, alcohol, and soft drinks containing citrus juices or caffeine until your infection has cleared. They can irritate your bladder and tend to aggravate your frequent or urgent need to urinate.

Use a heating pad. Apply a warm, but not hot, heating pad to your abdomen to minimize bladder pressure or discomfort.

Alternative medicine

Many people drink cranberry juice to prevent UTIs. There's some indication that cranberry products, in either juice or tablet form, may have infection-fighting properties. Researchers continue to study the ability of cranberry juice to prevent UTIs, but results are not conclusive.

If you enjoy drinking cranberry juice and feel it helps you prevent UTIs, there's little harm in it, but watch the calories. For most people, drinking cranberry juice is safe, but some people report an upset stomach or diarrhea.

However, don't drink cranberry juice if you're taking blood-thinning medication, such as warfarin.

Billy : "In the past one and half years I've been to the ER begging to be catherized so I could void."

Billy, now we are getting somewhere! While your normal retention is low, 20-30cc, what you had above was called Acute Urinary Retention (AUR) and it can and usually cause UTI if unresolved soon enough.

Even our friend Ken, with a successful Urolift, "it is wide open" as he put it, still experienced it occasionally, and yes, with UTI as well.

The few times I had AUR and UTI, I had too much liquid in a short time, and having to hold it in. Hope this helps. Hank

Hank

Small stones can be very troublesome, and they can be formed within weeks. Small kidney stones can lodge and stuck inside the ureters. Small bladder stones can lodge inside the uretha, causing bleeding, or irritations to the prostate as well. Hank

Hank,

"Most of the bacteria responsible for urinary tract infections make the urine more alkaline because the bacteria split urea into ammonia and other alkaline waste products."

I had my urine tested and the PH came in at 7.0. Last month it was 6.0 and normally it's 5.0, so the 7.0 jumped out at me as something different. Then, I began to do my research. We may all have different "normal" levels - but the 7.0 was the highest I have every recorded. It says in many articles on the net that 7.0 is normal, but then why have I always recorded a 5.0 as my normal? Maybe the results vary from lab to lab.

Tom