I had the laser reduction operation for benign enlargement one year ago but still have to urinate 3 or 4 times during the night. What else causes this? I don't drink after 5pm.
Unfortunately the prostate doesn't stop growing. If you were relatively young undergoing this then the chances are this is what has happened. That or the procedure was poorly or conservatively done. The latter can happen if the surgeon is trying to preserve normal functions.
Not many regrow in a year. Mine after GL took nine years to become a problem. Diabetes and Heart disease building up cause nigth time urination before diagnosis.
Which procedure did you have and has daytime improved ?
I don't think that BPH is 100% to blame for nocturia in the elderly.
I've been getting up at night 3 times for at least 6 years, which is how long I've been tracking it. It can vary from 2 - 4 times, but 3 is the average -- and it's pretty constant.
I've never been able to figure out how to consistently reduce my voids to 2 per night.
These things don't seem to help: exercise, more frequent sex, drinking most fluids early in the day (although later in the day might hurt).
These things might help: deferring total daily sodium intake to night because theoretically the body produces the antidiuretic hormone vasopressin to maintain the sodium concentration in your blood; do not eat spicy, bladder-irritating food at dinner time; don't take naps during the day so as to be more tired at night; avoid anything that is potentially diuretic late in day -- like caffeine and maybe green tea. "Double voiding" during nighttime trips to the bathroom might help if it works.
Bladder training during the day might be useful, but I haven't done it. I think the opposite -- i.e. peeing whenever you feel the slightest urge would carry over into the night.
Ericleo,
What procedure did you have ?
Have you had a urodynamics test to determine the condition of your bladder ? Your bladder may be stretched or Trabeculated. The condition of the bladder can also be seen with a cystoscope or on a 3TMRI. What is your PVR, Post Void Residual ? It can be measured by ultrasound in a Urologist's office, or it can be measured by self catheterization.
Have you tried medicines for overactive bladder.
Thomas
You might consider having a sleep study done. Younger urologists are trained to consider that issue.If your sleep is disturbed, you can wake up and then think, "Is that my bladder calling?"I have a friend who had the same thing happening after TURP. His doctor prescribed a light sedative for sleep and he started sleeping through the night.
The surgeon said he'd lasered over 90% off the prostate so it cant be that! Prior to the op the medics did a number of tests but couldn't get a probe up my bum to measure something to do with the bladder! I can control it during the day and dont need to pee often (but I dont drink much - only decaffinated.)
I'm sure there are lot's of causes. One thing that I've found that helps me empty before bed is walking for 20 minutes within an hour of going to sleep. This seems to make my last pee before sleep empty more.
as others said, you need to provide more info to get any sensible answers -what laser procedure you had, there are at least two -what other BPH symptoms you have -what is your IPSS before and after procedure
Thanks dougo. I do most of what you suggest. I suppose its something you have to live with when youre in your seventies.
good point Glenn. What do you class as a light sedative? Docs don't like giving out sleeping tablets, understandably.
Same issue with me. It's a form of insomnia. In my case urine retention caused me to get up frequently at night and now it's a bad habit even though I had a TURP and can pee now. Also, you may be experiencing some bladder irritation, a form of overactive bladder. There are medications for this. I take trospium and also pumpkin seed oil really helps. Talk to your doctor about other non-habit forming sleep aids.
I just had TURP surgery but the reason was not because I was getting up 10 times a night or racing from my car in the driveway to the guest bathroom just inside the house or having to pee every time I got up from off the couch. While those things were true, the reason was that the prostate shut down the entire flow of urine. When I had Foley catheters and still had the nasty urge to run to the bathroom to pee, sometimes not being able to and other times peeing around the outside of the catheter, I realized that my prostate, although "large" wasn't at the root of those issues. I had "bladder spasms". (Look up "bladder spasms"). In fact, now that I've had the prostate surgery and I can now pee again, I'm still racing to the bathroom. So, maybe (and I'm NOT a urologist) your problem is NOT (just) your prostate, but could be a bladder issue. BPH is prostate but OAB is bladder. So you might just have an overactive bladder. As I said, I'm not a professional, so I'm just guessing here.
You might be retaining fluid in your lower extremities. That seems to be the problem that I have. This can happen without outward signs of swollen ankles. My legs look absolutely normal. I find that wearing compression socks from when I wakeup until I go to bed helps (do not wear them while sleeping). I recently wasn't wearing them and was waking up 3 to 4 times a night to urinate. I started wearing them again and after a day or two have stabilized to two times per night.
If you have the wherewithal, try to measure how much you urinate when you wake up to pee. Use a flashlight rather than turning on lights as too much light can make it difficult to get back to sleep. If it's a fairly large amount (say > 250 mL), it's likely that your kidneys are just producing a significant amount of urine at night. In this case, the compression socks should help. If you are only urinating small amounts, then doubtful. Note that I am not a doctor.
Its quite small amounts usually. Something to just live with at my age, 73!?
Since my TURP surgery, my urinating only lasts 5 seconds. I went to see the urologist and he did one of his tests and found that, even though my bathroom experience is short, I was, in fact, completely emptying my bladder in 5 seconds. So this is now my new "normal"? At 69? However, I still have painful/burning urination and the end of the flow is very abrupt. So, Monday I go in for a cystoscopy session in which he will be cutting away some of the scar tissue and getting rid of any remaining large scabs/clots so will see what that improves. He did a culture and I don't have a UTI.
Have you tried taking melatonin? It's a natural homone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. It's over the counter and considered to be safe. You can get it in liquid or tablet form. I find that when I take it, I typically get an extra 30 to 60 minutes before I wake up and have to urinate (but not always). You should give it a try.
I started taking it again at bedtime over the last week and maybe that along with the compression socks has reduced the number of trips from 3 to 2 at night. In the past, I've also taken the liquid form (just a few milliliters) after I've peed during one of the trips. I like the liquid form, because you don't have to drink water to take it. It definitely does seem to provide some help, but I wouldn't expect to sleep through the night.
Thanks, I may try that if it's safe and doesn't have side effects?
If you have dog that will make it happy as they also have a prostate :-)]