Salt, peeing at night and self-cathing (CIC)

Men's health
1

I self-cath 4 times a day due to BPH but at night I am often awakened by bladder pressure at 2 am which requires me to CIC after which I have trouble going back to sleep.

I don't call this nocturia since the volumes are not that great and I only get up once after I CIC,

I have been experimenting with consuming salt in the evening to try and get my kidneys to avoid a big dump at night. I don't have high blood pressure (likely due to my alpha blockers for BPH) and check it each week.

I tried salted potato chips in the evening and that did help but I gained weight. So I tried 1/8 tsp of salt in the evening but that did nothing.

Last week however I think I struck gold! I ate a handful of salted sunflower seeds in the evening and I slept through the night like a baby. My CIC at 6 am was just like during the day.

The amount of salt in each test was about the same - a serving of potato chips (20 chips), a serving of salted sunflower seeds ( full handful) and 1/8 tsp table salt.

Seems to work for me and I just wanted to share it here.

2

Howard,   FYI:  You can also use sodium bicarbonate, which would also neutralize stomach acid and help you sleep.  Alka Seltzer also has sodium bicarbonate in it.

Thomas

3

Howard,

I experienced the same thing. I found catheterizing just before I go to bed as well as taking Mira Lax just after dinner will draw some of that fluid away from urine and use it for softening your stool. Thereby killing two birds with one stone...decreased urine amounts and more comfortable bowel movements. The difficulty with getting back to sleep was less a function of catheterizing as it was the prostate meds I was on. I am now off all meds and still occasionally wake up at 2:00 or 3:00 am and have to use a catheter but don't have the same level of difficulty getting back to sleep. I hope this helps.

4

Thanks. Which BPH drugs were you on and for how long and did you have any difficulty getting off of them? I've been on Avodart for 10 years and uroxatral for 15 years.

5

Thanks for sharing Howard. I think the difference between just salt and salted sunflower seeds is the seeds have some protein that might keep you from hunger. Hunger sure will wake me up early so I always have small snack before bed, anything with a little salt and sugar will help me to sleep better and longer. My current snack is a piece of bread, spread with a little butter or margarine, sprinkled with a little salt and sugar. Very unscientific but it seems to work. I usually sleep from 10 to 4 or 5. Hank

6

Thomas, how are you taking the sodium bicarbonate before bedtime ? Pills, powder, liquid ? I might try it. Hank

7

DCR, are you taking Miralax after dinner every day ? How much are you taking ? Hank

8

Hank,  I have not used sodium bicarbonate much, but when I do, I usually take 1/2 tab of Alka Seltzer, trying to keep the total sodium intake down. Then I have half a tab left over, which can be folded inside it's metal foil wrapper, to use another night. Alka Seltzer also has aspirin in it, so helps to thin blood clots.

Thomas

9

Thanks Thomas. How much water do you take with it ? I don't care for aspirin, so I am thinking Alka Seltzer Gold, which is aspirin free. Hank

10

I was on Avodart and Flomax from 2003 to 2011, but since my prostate was still growing I discontinued them and went the multiple supplement route till this July. Wen my prostate began to cut off the plumbing between my bladder and my groin they put me back on both, then later change me to Rapaflo and just recently discontinued that.

11

I take about 5 grams in 5 ounces of water in the morning with breakfast and the same . I need to as I also suffer from diverticulitis for about 15 years.

12

Interesting.  A TCM recently stated "no salt" for my bladder retention.  I'm on a Foley while weighting various tests.

All the best!

13

Hey, your post is useful, since I'm on supplements and also TCM and prayers, breathing method, et al while I await tests and suggestions.  Received one miracle so far, similar to a poster in the Urethra(sp?) forum.

Have a Foley catheter and the leg bag at the moment.

Re, another method, to prevent prostate growing, I'm now into squatting defecation.  When I get to pee again, I will pee in a sitting position.  Based on studies.

 

14

Bob, how does squatting while defecating prevent prostate from growing ? And why is peeing in sitting position is preferable? Thanks. Hank

15

Lookup SQUATTING PROSTATE with DuckDuckGo.  The studies are too technical for a layman like me to explain.

16

Found it. Thanks. Hank

17

I have an east Indian friend of many years and he told me a long time ago that when sitting on a toilet for a poop they always lean forward as if to touch their toes. He said it is not practical to do as they did in India and just dig a hole and squat but when using a toilet we can get the same effect by leaning forward.

My problem with peeing while sitting is that my prostate is so large from the BPH that the pressure of sitting tends to close off the urethra whereas standing does not do that if I relax.

What is TCM?

18

I too found peeing while sitting is more difficult, but leaning forward makes it easier. Hank

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Traditional Chinese Medicine (doctor/practitioner)

20

Leaning forward peeing is same, then, as leaning forward in squatting defecation.

Good to know, thank you.