Possible enlarged prostate. Early signs

Men's health
1

Every hour I have to go to the toilet. My bladder isn't fully and nothing much comes out. But the need to go is unbearable. It's all I can think about even 20 minutes after having gone. I am 36 years old and have never really had a strong bladder. But in the past month it's gotten a lot worse.

I had to come home from work today the problem is so bad. I've also told them not to expect me back until I can get a handle on the problem.

On monday I'm going to register at my local clinic. Luckily it's less than a 10 minute walk!

I've read a few stories on here and the treatments being offered (TURP and Prostate massage) don't appear to help at all.

I'm not in any pain, I don't wake up in the night wanting to piss, but there is something pushing down on my bladder.

I am very careful with my diet being a vegetarian. For a few weeks I went without carbs and thought my problem might be due to this, so I stopped and started eating carbs again. This didn't work.

If I am diagnosed with an enlarged prostate and didn't want to suffer with this for the rest of my life. Would a removal of the prostate 'cure' the bladder problem?

How are sufferers able to work when in constant need of the toilet. My work doesn't allow me free access to the toilet except on scheduled breaks. Has anyone worn an adult diaper and if so was it effective in holding a reasonable amount of liquid?

2

You need to first identify what the problem is and then go from there........but until you see the doctor, DO NOT EAT OR DRINK any

alcohol, soda, spicey foods, anything citrus, onions or peppers, chocolate, coffee or tea (caffeine), and a few other things I'm forgetting. Do some research for the rest of the food items to avoid.

It appears more of a bladder issue than prostate since you didn't mention weak stream, difficulty starting to urinate, etc. The above foods will greatlt irritate the bladder and you'll have these kinds of issues. It sounds like bladder spasms to me.

They may scope you (go into your bladder with a tube that has a camera and look around for cancer, stones, blood, etc) as your first step which doesn't hurt but may be uncomfortable for a few minutes.

 

3

Deepblue,

You need to be diagnosed and have a urine test, and maybe a blood test, sonogram or cycstoscope to see what is causing the blockage.

What you are describing could be due to an enlarged prostate. If so,

a turp will clear the path for a few years. But it could also be from

stones, from bacterial or non bacterial prostatitis, a stricture in the urethra or a tight bladder neck, or something as simple as a urinary tract or bladder infection, or rarely in men, Interstitial Cystitis. 

The first step a urologist would probably take is to give you anti-biotics if an infection is present, or if not, flomax (or the generic  tamsulosin) to see if relaxing the prostate will allow you to empty more, making it possible to go longer between bathroom visits. If that doesn't work you need to find out what is causing the obstruction and deal specifically with that.

A few years ago I was in your shoes, in retention, just peeing an ounce at a time, burning like hell, and needing to go constantly. Over the next few years I was diagnosed and treated for an enlarged prostate, chronic non bacterial prostatits, a tight bladder neck and bladder stones. All had to be dealt with. I had a microwave TUMT procedure, a greenlight laser turp, removal of a membrane in the urethra, a bladder neck resection, and removal of bladder stones. I found diet didn't change anything.

Adult diapers don't hold enough liquid to be used in place of a bathroom. You could use an external condom catheter with a leg bag, but will need to empty the bag when it fills up during the day and night, and it's inconvenient and uncomfortable. Removing the prostate may well leave you not able to have sex or control your bladder, and if any of the other factors are causing the problem won't even help.

4

I agree with Bart in that you are imagining the worst. Your GP can quickly, easily, and painlessly check your prostate in a 10 second examination and can get you a very quick referal to Urology who can examine you and possibly use camera to examine your bladder. They may also do an ultrasound (another simple, quick and painless procedure) which can check for stones, proper emptying (and can also image your prostate). It is likely you are worrying and suffering over something which in all probability is minor and easily rectified; but needs to be investigated sooner rather than later.

 

5

After reading everything again, along with the comments, I'll again say it sounds more like a bladder issue than a prostate problem. I say this because of two things you wrote, 1) you're not up 2-4 times at night having to pee and 2) you're feeling pressure in the bladder. The bladder sits ABOVE the prostate.

Many things can aggrevate the bladder i.e. diet, stress, medications, infections, std's,stones, cancer, etc., etc. As a BPH (enlarged prostate) sufferer for around 15 years myself, the way you are describing your symptoms are somewhat different than I've read and experienced which is why my guess is more bladder related than prostate. 

6

You could have a bladder infection, blockage due to crystal buildup and many other problems. At your age it probably is not a large prostate. Removal of the prostate is likely to leave you impotent for life and won't be necessary anyway. Good advice from others about spicy foods, alcohol, citrus, etc. I had the scope a few weeks ago where they go in thru your urethra to look at everything including the bladder. That's not very painful, a little irritating for a couple of days, no big deal. You watch it on a monitor while all that is being done. Very Interesting!

I'll tell you something you might consider if you are having a wait to get into the clinic. You certainly don't  want the pain of a complete blockage. Sounds like you may be not far from that. You can do a self-catheterization to drain off urine if you're  blocked. Not a pleasant thought but when I saw the ease with which a technician inserted a camera into my urethra and looked around it made a believer of me.  You could use one to empty the bladder completely every few hours or so if necessary. I'm going to learn how to do it as I have a large prostate, which will have to have the turp routine someday soon.

At any rate, You've just got to get in to see a Doc. Yours is not going to be a major problem but you need to get it taken care of, posthaste.   

7

Ron.

Don't do it!

The technicians are experts and the equipment they use is fully steralised. If you insert anything, apart from possible damage, you will almost certainly get a serious bladder infection.

 

8

Agree with all my friends advices. It could be overactive bladder that means involuntary bladder contractions lead to frequent and often urgent urination, even if the bladder is not full. OAB is not the only cause for these symptoms; other possibilities include urinary tract infection, diabetes, medication use such as diuretics (water pills), prostate disease, bladder tumours, or interstitial cystitis (causing pelvic pain, urinary frequency and urgency), your GP advice should be your best bet as of now.

About two-thirds of the time, a blockage to the flow of urine by the prostate is the culprit, but there are other causes as well. These include weakness of the muscles of the bladder, infection of the bladder or prostate (prostatitis), bladder stones and even bladder cancer. Neurologic conditions such as Parkinson's disease, nerve damage from a stroke, multiple sclerosis and diabetes can also cause symptoms of OAB.

The doctor should take a brief history, focusing on the urinary tract and previous medical conditions and procedures. The doctor then should examine you; typical examinations include a digital rectal examination, focus neurological examination and anal sphincter tone. The doctor should also check a urine specimen for infection or microscopic blood. He/she should also check how well you are emptying your bladder. That can be done by a simple examination or by an ultrasound - a simple, non-invasive, painless test done in the office. If there are signs of infection, you will be started on antibiotics and you should be better within a matter of days.

Monitoring your fluid intake, paying attention to your diet are few of strategies to deal with OAB. Consider the weight factor as well.

I wish you best of health and medical care,

Vincent.

9

Thanks, I wouln't do it casually. You buy the catheters already sterilized and I know you have to learn how to do it. I think I can and I know I may have an occasion when I need to. I study things to death before I try it. I know people do it on their own. If I do I'll let you know. 

10

I don't start pissing straight away unless it's first thing after waking up. If weak streams are urinating in very small amounts, then I have done that also. Out of the list you mentioned I only eat chocolate. It's my one vice.

I read pelvic floor exercises can help with bladder spasms and I have tried doing that, but the pressure on my bladder is the main concern.

A strange thing has happened in the last 48 hours. The pressure I spoke of has gone away (possibly temporarily) but I still need to go to the toilet every hour or so. Although without the pressure I can hold out for maybe 2 hours at a push. I've begun counting the time between every visit.

11

Bob120 can you tell me how things are now after those procedures? How long between visits to the bathroom before and after?

I just need some idea of what life might be like after these operations.

12

See an urologist (maybe you have done so already) and have a cycstoscope procedure done. I have one about a year ago, had some of the symptoms you are experiencing and It was confirmed that I had an enlarge prostate. Had a Turp done five weeks ago

13

I suffered with this problem and its not nice. caught in the car in a traffic jam and eventualy saw my gP who refered me to the hospital. I had lasor treatment as a day care patient,in and out the same day and problem solved.

the sarey bit is making the first move but treatment is good.go for it.

14

I'm really glad for you Peter.

Read my amazing story I copied from another thread. i swear it's true. 

This will be the strangest BPH post you will read for a long time. I'll start with my BPH history and bring it up to date. I cannot believe this, myself. I'm almost 76 years old (July 4th) and have had bph for many years, 30 at least. Just gradually getting more urgent and more frequent pee trips, up to five times at night. I didn't seek medical help until I hit 65, 11 years ago as I had no health insurance and have been under the care   of my current uro for about 8 years or so. He put me on Flomax, and switched to another med and finally about Jan 13 to Jalyn which is a combo of two common bph meds that each address the symptoms in different ways. I began retrograde ejaculation years ago and ed began as well These damn meds do a number on your sex life in several ways. Just be prepared.

I also began in 1-13 twice monthly testosterone injections,  (1 ml)  which I administer myself in my upper thigh. Tiny needle is not painful at all. 

I began to use Viagra as soon as it was availabe then switched to Cialis later.  I then decided to try the $2 pills advertized everywhere, every five minutes on Fox News for example for Cialis generics. This stuff comes from India, I believe, and works just like the American made. I would just take it a couple of times a week or so and it made things work fairly well. It costs a small fraction of the American version. This is not a commercial, I promise.

The last time I ordered it, I got confused by the generic names and ordered the Viagra generic instead of Cialis generic. Ok, I know how stupid that is.  I even got blue pills instead of brown ones and still didn't realize I had ordered wrong. Ok, Ok, I'm stupid.

All right, I'll get to the amazing part. I knew the Jalyn was destroying my manhood so I tried a couple of times to get off of it but after a few days the urges were actually painful and right now urgent. I had to get back on the Jalyn and take the consequences or wear diapers or stay home or something. 

A couple of months ago I heard about the urolift procedure, researched it exhaustively and became a believer in it's minimally invasive usefulness. I sought out a urp who does the procedure, went to his clinic, had the scoping up the urethra and the ultrasound up the rectum routines  and determined that my prostate is 114g with a third lobe so no urolift for me, only TURP is an option.    

Returned home very depressd about my prospects of a normal life. 

The amazing part is going to be told, really!

About this time I heard about "Cialis for daily use" as a treatment not only for ED but also for BPH. Remember, now I thought my Indian generics were Cialis but were actually Viagra. Yeah, I know how stupid that is. Anyway, I started cutting my Viagra generic in half and taking one half everyday. My urgency and frequency problems improved so much that I tried again to get off Jalyn and I am actually free of any bph meds for at least a month!!!!!! 

I'm taking only the generic (50 mg) and I visit the bathroom  every couple of hours although I can actually wait a few minutes if I want. I'm up regularly one time in the night about 4:00 or so and then again when I arise around 7:00. There is another technique I use, maybe unwisely, I take two ibuprofen pm's when I go to bed. This makes me sleep so sound that I don't feel the little fake urges that I need to go, I sleep right through them. Of course, I am thouroughly dependent upon the Ibuprofen PM to sleep. Without it I won't sleep a wink. I don't know what this is doing to me, it's not supposed to be addictive but that is BS.   

I'm now dealing with bph better than I have in years, I actually think I could take the generic every two days instead of daily and I am going to try it. Maybe this will help me get off the Ibuprofen PM.  

None of this has done anything for my sex life. I think the damn meds have ruined that part of my life for good. I'm still doing the testosterone but i think it's marginally effective. It builds muscle though.

I should also say that I'm trim and muscular, take no other meds, do hard labor whenever I want to, walk five miles three times a week, etc. My uro and my regular doc say I'm a poster boy for old age.

So, that's my amazing story. 

15

Deepblue, Just saw your question. It's been 6 months since my bladder resection and removal of stones. I go every couple of hours during the day and about three times at night. That allows me to do what I want and go where I want. The extreme urgency is gone. I can hold off for 20 minutes or so to find a bathroom, and at night I can turn over and go back to sleep for another hour if I get the urge to go. After the greenlight laser I was good for about 6 months, but then the other issues (membrane in the urethra, tight bladder neck, hematuria and bladder stones) all contributed to return of symptoms. But It was never as bad as it was prior to the GL. The the enlarged prostate which was opened up with the GL was part of the problem but not all of it.

16

Before the procedures the maximum I could last between bathroom visits was 45 minutes during the day and about an hour at night. By the way, you can buy 100 "10 parameter urine test strips" on amazon for about 20 and check your own urine for infection, blood, and protein. These are the same strips the urologists use, and will tell you if you have an infection. Also if you have an infection your urine will be cloudy instead of clear in a cup, and will burn when you urinate.

17

As long as you rush to get a Doctor's appointment, there is no issue with taking precaution yourself.

I had an infection in my prostate (I thought it was Kidney/UTI) but almost immediately, with the pain, began wetting my pants. I experienced a mixed bag of urgency and incontinence symptoms. Before I could even get into the Dr. I was sure to get some daytime pullups and plastic nightime briefs so I could continue on without doing much more laundry.

After visiting with the doctor, I found that it could take a week to clearup, so I was glad to have the diapers until things cleared up. They are also much more comfortable than wet cold pants. I actually wore them for about another week, in case of residual accidents, and because they are comfy.

18

My husband has been taking the Dr Max Powers Prostate Support for 2 weeks, in the first week he reported less trouble passing water and the dull ache in his testicle has almost gone. He is very pleased with the tablets. They are a little expensive but that is not an issue if they supply relief.

I can hardly tell you how relieved he is to have found that these work for him.

19

Hello, did you find out what is going on with your prostate?

I've been having issues with my prostate for a few years. I had it check for cancer but nothing was found. I took antibiotics for several weeks and that seem to help. Then it would start back up. I can feel my prostate enlarged but I never have a problem urinating. This does effect me sexually as well so I haven't been active in over a year. I'm only 27yrs old and im just tired of it. I noticed when I drink coffee, orange juice, vodka it bothers my prostate. Also, one day I woke up feeling like a had an infection and then I felt my prostate dull pain coming on. Can you give me some insight on what is going on? Tips?