Turp experience and questions

Men's health
1

Hi there,

JUst wanted to share my experience with my turp surgery. I'm 45yrs old, too young some say for me to having prostate issues but I put it down to my father side of the family (my father and uncles all currently suffer from enlarge prostates) 

For the last couple of years been suffering from weak urine stream, having a full night sleep and waking up in the morning with the urge to go wee just to wee a small trickle. I also suffered from time to time having blood in the urine.

Went to see the Urologist, he did some testing, test on the strengh on my urine flow (very weak the doc said) he put a camera up my penis to see inside and we could see clearly that my prostate was enlarge and was putting pressure on my bladder which probably explained why sometimes I could see blood on my urine. I have a benign enlarged prostate, no cancer worries which is good.

While I decided if I wanted to have surgery, doctor put me on Avodart. It did help but I wasn't sure if I wanted to take antibiotics for the rest of my life. Avodart temporary reduces the size of the prostate but if you stop taking it, you will still have the same problem again and it will only get worse.

Dedided to have the surgery, I had it three weeks ago. spinal block, stayed in hospital one full day with a catheter inserted. Catheter was removed the following day in the morning, had to urine a few times into a container, followed by a scan machine pressed to my belly to see how much urine was left in the bladder. Passed the test and  was allowed to go home that day at midday.

I can see the immediate benefit of the surgery where my urine stream is very strong. When I get up in the morning with a full bladder, no more urine trickle, just a strong urine flow. On the other side, I'm still suffering from post surgery effects, for example, frequent urges to go to the toilet and pee ( I probably go every 40 to 60 minutes) blood on the urine and pain (burning/stinging) everytime I have to take a piss. The doctor says is normal for this symptoms to happen and it will take weeks before everything is back to normal. how long?  it depends on the individual. I can get an erection, it feels a bit different and I will suffer from retro ejaculation ( I was warned about this)

Anyone that had Turp done, how long it took until you where pain free? (no blood and pain)  Did you take any medicine to stop the pain or the bledding?

Thanks for reading,

Henry

2

Took about 6 weeks to start to feel better. Full covery was 8 to 9 weeks. Took vicodin for first few days. Only experienced pain at the end of urination, these were bladder spasms and quite painful. Learned to just hold on for the 30 seconds or so they lasted rather than stay on the pain meds. Sporadic bleeding lasted about 8 weeks.

3

Also forgot to mention, extreme urgency and frequency also lasted about 6 weeks. Afraid go out withut Depends for about 6 weeks in case I couldn't hold it, but never had an accident. However the urgency caused lots of accidents around the house. I had about a 4 second fuse before uerination started. Frequency gradually improved to about once an hour to 90 minutes so I could leave the house

4

Hi PTY.......there is another forum on here that will answer all your questions and concerns:

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/turp-operation-or-laser-or-leave-alone--61900

But everything you are experiencing right now is completely normal. My bleeding stopped in about 10 days after the surge

5

Hi.  I am 50 years old.  Just had the green laser a month and half ago.  Still bleeding and urgency every now and then.  I guess the dust will settle by 3 months I was told.  The ret

6

Sorry......

Bleeding stopped 10 days after the surgery but I'm in my 6th week of recovery now and still experiencing pain and spasms, even with the med's I'm taking. Recovery will be slow, and for some it could take up to 15 weeks but normally will take between 8-12 weeks. Read the above link......that will help with your concerns.

7

Hello Henry, ditto been discharged today after laser and turp by Birmingham prostate clinic, (uk ) for my bph condition of several years.. Your post op symptoms sound identical to mine , but also constipated!! It is amazing there is no pain at all! Apart from the burning sensation whilst peeing. Also wearing a pad as small drops of occ blood , which. They say is normal. Have you noticed the pressure and stream is pretty good and no dribbling at the end ! And that is  same day as catheter removal. 

8

Ok.   I didn't finish my post.  So just remember that sex will be a bid different at the beginning.  Retrograde ejaculation will feel quite different at the start.  Don't be bothered by the negative posts about this matter.  It will get better.  Remember that many folks have done this procedure. A majority of the posts are for folks with problems.  Patience is the name of this game.  

9

Thanks for the link Bart, I will check it out

10

Thanks for all the comments guys, looks like patience is the name of the game. I got my follow up post op appointment in 5 weeks time, hopefullty some more improvement by then.

Had a silly question, should I be avoiding any type of foods, drinks? Sometimes when I pee there's very little blood and sometimes there's more. I normally have a glass for orange juice for breakfast but I have avoided having any after the operation fearing it might irritate the prostate and make more painfull to pee. 

 

11

I was told by the hospital to refrain from alcohol and coffee for a month............but I would also avoid spicey foods, onions and peppers, citrus fruits i.e. lemons and cranberrys, and things overly salty. A good laxitive (i use Konsyl) each day will also be helpful, so you don't have to

12

Henry, thanks for your reply, I wish we could get dozens more here. I missed your post for four days, sorry about that. It sounds like you are recovering at least normally. I know you are in pain and having difficulty but nothing like some of the horror stories I have read in the last few weeks of research. The other replies below are encouraging, too. You know what the great majority of us really want is to know that after a painful, very inconvenient and somewhat scary duration our symptoms will be improved, we'll still have a sex life and we can live more normally. That's me in a nutshell, I'll gut it out for a few months if all will be ok then. I just don't want to be worse-off than I am now. 

13

Folks.   I am now 6 weeks after the procedure.  Bleeding has stopped at last.  Only problem are the bladder spasms that occurre at the end of the urination.   I guess this takes time.  Also I am getting used to the retrograde ejaculation. It is not that bad.   Actually on a positive note, it is less messy smile

One thing you need to remember about these blogs is that it attracts patients with more problems.   Hence by 'natural selection' you will hear more horror stories that successes.  

14

Yeah, I know you're right about just hearing from guys who are having a really hard time. But we're beginning to see more success stories as well and I'm encouraged. I know these blogs are an excellent source of real information that you won;t get from your Doctor. For example I learned about Urolift on the net, my Doc had never heard of it and he's head of Urology at a first rate hospital.  It won't work for me but for younger guys with smaller prostates It could be a quick, easy solution that will last for at least several years, maybe a lot longer. You'll have to search for a Doc that is doing that procedure as it isn't widely known and you may have to pay out of pocket since Medicare and Insurance companies are not yet on board but the procedure works for the majority of BPH sufferers and in a week or so your problems may be over!  I also learned that  "Cialis for daily use" has been found to help with BPH!. I've taken Cialis when needed every since it was introduced, seven or eight years, i guess, all that time having bph symptoms and taking all the different meds for that. I've taken Cialis to help counter  the ED effect of the damn BPH meds. So, I heard about Cialis For daily Use, just cut my pills in half and take one every night. I quit taking Jalyn, a combination of two BPS meds,  at the same time and so far it's working great. Not a single BPG med at present and I'm getting up once at night and with reduced urgency during the day. I doubt that it will continue for very long but I am surely going to hold out as long as i can. 

Knowing what I know now if i were younger with a smaller prostate and I was diagnosed with BPH I would find a urologist to perform the Urolift procedure and NEVER TAKE ANY OF THE MEDS!! They cause retrograde ejaculation for one thing which is probably irreversible, they destroy your libido and cause ED which after years may also be irreversible. If the prostate grows too large for Urolift there's always TURP and by the time that occurs there will be other, less invasive procedures. Plus they will eventually figure out how to perfom Urolift on large prostates,  medical technology advances at remarkable speed. I remember not so many years ago when there was no TURP,  green light or button or however. My advice: find out if you are a candidate for Urolift and if so, do it, now.    

15

How you going Ron?  Totally understand where you coming from. Still having the ongoing symptons sometimes it makes me wonder if I made the right decision, jst have the be a bit patient smile

16

Similar to what I'm experiencing. I'm four weeks after turp, very little bleeding but like you bladder spams are still there. The weird thing is that I'm able to hold going to the toilet for about 45mins but the minute I enter a toilet the urge to go is so great that if I don't go right away, I just  wee myself. Funny how your mind isn't able to control that but I'm hoping it will get better with time. I also suffer from retrograde ejaculation, hoping to see some sperm come out someday smile

17

Same feeling exactly!   As soon as I think of going to the toilet, you get this severe urge to pee!!   Hehehe. I am not alone!    It will get better I think. 

18

Well, I'm still taking half a Cialis pill every night, No Jalyn or any other BPH meds. I do take a couple of Ibuprofen PM's at bedtime to help me sleep thru those little pee urges that get you up to go. Last nite I went once, the night before not at all, urgency during the day is reduced as well. Have to say I'm handling it better than anytime since I first got on Jalyn. 

19

Had a bit  of a setback 10 days ago. Thought I share, see if this has happened to anyone...  Entering my fifth week after surgery and having very little blood on my urine and still some prostate spams, one night I went to the toilet about three times. Those three time I urinated a lot of blood with either blood clots or scar tissue, hard to tell because of the blood. when trying to wee the fourth time, I was completed blocked. I could fill my bladder full but when trying to urinate very little came out and what came out was just a bit of thick blood. Luckily I leave about 10 mins from the hospital where I had my surgery and since it was 4AM, I just put my clothes on and drove myself to emergency.

Once I got there, I got admitted, they inserted a catheter and hook it up to saline solution to flush out the clots. This went on for about a day and a half, they then took off the catheter to see if I could pass the clots which I did then went home the second day in the morning. The doctor explanation for this was the it could have been that some of the scar issue fell off causing blood vessels to bleed.

For the first week after this happened, almost no blood in the urine, just the ocassional small clot. Frequency of urinating improved a bit, still suffering from prostate spams. For the past couple of days I have seen some blood in the urine.

Is been 6 weeks since surgery and I'm still bledding at times and also having the discomfort with the spams. Not sure if I should be concern. I will see the doctor in three weeks time, see what he says then.

Cheers

20

Hi,  I read the sloughing of scar tissue with some bleeding can occur.  Don't be scared about the bleeding.  It took me almost 7 weeks for the bleeding to stop.  I still have spasms and it is now almost 2 months.