Hello All,
I began Clean Intermittent Catheterization (CIC) a month ago for my Urinary Retention and would be interested in any who have tried acupuncture for this condition.
I welcome any and all feedback, thank you.
Patrick
Hi Patrick, I tried acupuncture and every other holistic scheme, remedy, or potion I could think of to no avail. After 3 years of CIC I finally had REZUM at Loyola University in Chicago on June 28. Now I can pee--- and no nasty side-effects! Good luck, Fred
Yes, Patrick, I did, particularly if the site in the ankle was stimulated. I would get a bladder sensation very similar to what I feel when my catheter is in there. However, it proved to be an expensive alternative, and I went back to my C.I.C. as soon as possible; more comfortable and enjoyable. BTW I cath myself three times a day. Best of luck to you. Alan86734.
Patrick,
I tried Accupuncture about 10 years ago. It did not help my urinary problems. I tried it because of a friend who claimed it helped him. He was also taking a special tea brewed by the practitioner in Alaska, so maybe that was what helped. I think the effect lasted a year or two for him. Now that were on the topic of CIC, I found that when I insert a catheter, and it runs up against the sphincter at the end, if I spread my knees 18 inches (45 cm) apart and bend at the knees, and bend almost 90 degrees at the waist, the catheter goes past the sphincter very easy.
Thomas
I did search for all possible options because I have hemophilia A and could not go through traditional surgeries due to high risk of bleeding even long time after surgery , what I found the least risky was FLA , focal laser prostate ablation , and even my Hematologist agreed , I had FLA done last October 22 and after a 3-4 weeks of Foley indwelling and intermittent self catheter I began to void better and better , has been 6 weeks and I still doing self catheter once at night to make sure bladder is empty and I am very close to stop the self catheter as I am getting only small amount of urine with it , by the way I also had a 1.3 cm nodule of cancer that was also ablated . I had FLA done in Houston , TX with Dr Karamanian and I was in the hotel the same afternoon and flew back home at 48 hours after making sure everything was alright .
Why was the catheter in so long?
Fred, thanks for your response and happy to hear the REZUM worked for you. May I ask if you were peeing on your own before the procedure? My problem is my "massively distended bladder" discovered during a recent CT scan after a spill from my bike. The uro says although my urinary retention is due to BPH, over 5 litres were drained during a recent ER visit so my bladder is flabby and the muscles won't squeeze.
Bottom line, no use in opening the pipe unless the pump is working. He said my chance at peeing after a procedure are at 20-30%...so I'll keep with the CIC and hoping for an outcome like Jim's.
Hey Alan, thanks for your reply. So the acupuncture was not successful at all and you were not able to urinate after getting the sensations?
And yes, I realize most acupuncture and alternative treatments are not covered and are out of pocket, making it a bit of a gamble. I tried chiropractic and acupuncture treatment for my tinnitus, both out of pocket and both ineffective.
Best to you,
Patrick
Hey Thomas,
Thanks for your response. May I ask if the acupuncture was for urinary retention?
And thanks for the tip on CICing. I usually spread my legs a bit, relax the buttocks with bald-headed Pete looking up at me for Jim's patented "nose dive" technique. After getting by the resistance of the prostate, I find Jim's technique of pointing Pete to the wall effective in getting in.
Best to you going forward!
Patrick
Kissimmee, thanks for your response and happy to hear the FLA did you well. Curious if your problem was due to a distended bladder or BPH. I failed a urodynamic test due to my bladder condition rendering me unable to void, so my uro is rhinking until my bladder is improved by CIC, surgical procedures would be chancy with a success rate of 20-30%., so I will continue CIC with the hope my bladder will improve.
Patrick
I was having very bad urinary retention before the procedure and I self catheterizing at least three times a day , many times more than three , after FLA prostate gets inflamed and Dr advises it needs three weeks to be in the same state you were before the procedure and then starts the improvement , it took 4 weeks for me due to my condition was really bad before the procedure , now at 6 weeks I'm voiding much more than I had been voiding in the last four years and very good stream and very fast , it used to take me a long time to void a very small amount of urine , now I can void a large amount with a very good stream in few seconds , I'm very happy with the results and very grateful with Dr Karamanian that has been in contact with me through email, test messages and calls to his cell phone !
I had a Gleason 6 ( 3+3 ) 1.3 cm cancer nodule that was indolent but what was hurting me was the huge BPH , both were resolved with the FLA , Dr can check on the MRI the bladder walls condition as well , in my case he told me bladder walls were a little thickened but he was optimistic I would be voiding well after the procedure !
Tried acupuncture and Chinese herbs for about 6 months and unfortunately no help. But, after it was finally determining my problem was due to a median lobe not surprised since I don't think acupuncture can help with a physical blockage no matter how much you do it. Did Urolift with minimal benefit, then did Medlift about 8 months later and it has helped so I only have to CIC about once every 5-7 days. CIC should hopefully help your bladder improve before deciding on a procedure.
Patrick, I also have a distended bladder, neurogenic bladder. I was retaining 1.5 liters of urine before I started CIC. I thought that was a lot, but nowhere near your 5 liters. I have been performing CIC for over two years. I don't know if my bladder will shrink back up, but I do get the occasional urge to urinate. So far I have been unsuccessful in voiding naturally. However, CIC is now second nature, and I am pretty much on a schedule for voiding with a catheter.
Thanks for your reply. Yes, holding over 5 liters makes for a flabby bladder after it's emptied...and I'm not sure how much I can expect it to shrink but am hopeful CIC will help. Has your uro given you any options other than CIC? Mine has said my bladder is not neurogenic but atonic and the muscles won't squeeze the urine out. Before my bike spill and trip to the ER where my distended bladder was diagnosed, I was urinating regularly but was advised by the urology staff this was due to the pressure from 5 liters in the bladder and once this was removed by the ER Foley, I haven't voided naturally since.
Hoping this will change but getting habituated to the CIC routine.
Best to you going forward!
Patrick
I had the same excellent results, I am now 3 months post FLA with Dr.K, my flow rate is 16.6ml/sec, which is excellent for someone of may age, highly recommend Dr.K and Donnie and their team
Patrick, . If they took 5 liters of pee out of you, then your bladder was very badly distended and most like damaged too. Acupuncture and other new age nonsense isn't going to do squat for your bladder. . You need a urodynamics test to determine the condition of your detrusor muscle and a cystoscopy to determine condition of your bladder wall. Both of these will determine the bladder damage. . Have you had both of these yet? . BPH results in bladder outlet obstruction (BOO). BOO results in bladder damage. If your bladder is damaged (which 5 liters or retention will do), removing the obstruction from BPH may or may not help. . In January 2018, I had 2 liters of pee removed and a Foley put in for a month. After the Foley was removed, I could not pee on my own. It took 3 more months to get any sensation to pee. . At 6 months, I failed my urodynamics test and at 10 months, my cystoscopy showed moderate bladder damage (trabeculation). After 10 months of self-cathing, I decided to try a Rezum . . My BPH obstruction was cleared by a successful Rezum and I can pee again. After the Rezum, it took 9 months for my bladder to recover to where my PVR's were under 100 ml which is OK for guys our age. . As you wrote "Bottom line, no use in opening the pipe unless the pump is working". Good luck to you on bladder recovery. Rezum will be the least invasive procedure available today. Maybe it will work for you. . Steve
Dr K and Donnie gave me much confidence by phone and after meeting them even more , I had the procedure done without any stress even though I am very nervous , I am going to the Urologist next week , he was very skeptic about the FLA , I know he will be surprised with the results , last time I saw him was at third week after FLA and by that time I could not void even a drop and he ordered a urine culture that came back negative , was your urine flow test ordered by a Urologist ?
Patrick, I could not pee at all for 3 years. My prostate had been getting bigger and bigger until it hit 93 grams with a median lobe and I ended up in the ER with acute urinary retention and they put in a Foley which I kept for about a week. I think the 3 years of CIC rehabilitated my bladder somewhat. I can pee pretty well right now and rarely have to use a catheter. Glad I had the REZUM procedure .
Hey Steve,
Appreciate your reply. Yes, I had both the urodynamics testing (which I failed) and the cystoscopy. My uro only said "the muscles are not squeezing" but did not elaborate further than say any procedure at this point would only be 20-30% successful in allowing me to urinate without a catheter. Considering those odds, I chose to defer any procedure and give the CIC more time to maybe rehab and recover my bladder function. I know it's a long shot at this point, but worth a chance considering the alternative of opting for a surgical procedure which is likely to not help and then live with any negative side effects.
Thanks for the suggestion of Rezum which I will discuss with my uro next visit. For now I will live with the minor inconvenience of CIC therapy which buys me time and hopefully helps rehab my bladder.
Curious if you are still doing CIC after your Rezum or if you are urinating on your own 100%. Were you self-cathing during those 9 months following Rezum?
Patrick