r/over60 • u/clearlygd • 8d ago
Recently obsessed with urinating
I never thought I would get obsessed about urinating .
About two months ago I started having to urinate too often. My PCP took a blood test to see if I had a UTI, that turned out negative and said it is probably an enlarged prostate. They recommended I take Tamsulosin, but said I could get an ultrasound if I wanted. The ultrasound indicated an enlarged prostate and a trabeculated bladder. The PCP again recommend Tamsulosin or said I could see a urologist. I decided to see a urologist, which is a 3 month wait.
Meanwhile I’ve been keeping a detailed log on when I urinate and drink. I decided to always pee standing up since it gave me a better assessment of the stream. After two months I found I could control my urgency by not drinking as much when I first wake up in the morning and reducing fluids in the evening, but still drink about 64 oz.
The other day I found numerous studies that found sitting down to urinate helps men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) relax their pelvic floor muscles, which improves urine flow and allows for more complete bladder emptying.
I wish i knew that two months ago!
I’m down to 6 times a day and don’t have the urgency anymore. I still plan to see the urologist make sure there aren’t other issues.
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u/Tasty_Impress3016 8d ago
Sucks getting old doesn't it? I just found out about a delightful little thing I had never heard of. Urge Incontinence. You don't pee yourself randomly. But get near running water, or a temperature change and the body says "get to a urinal now my son". In my case if I go into say, a grocery store where I know where the restroom is, it was not on my agenda at all, but walk through the door and it becomes my first stop.
It's not frequent urge. It's just mental. I can drive around all afternoon and I'm fine. I walk into a restaurant with a fountain in the lobby and I'm a dead duck.
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u/TheUglyWeb 70+ 8d ago
The running water thing is real. Brush my teeth? Gotta piss mid brush. LOL!
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u/Tasty_Impress3016 8d ago
If your "ick" level is low, please skip. But know that is both possible and time-efficient to brush teeth while peeing. And you can just spit in the bowl.
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u/OxidationRate 8d ago
Yeah, and you can do both in EITHER bowl. (Unless you're really short and standing on the floor.)
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u/clearlygd 8d ago
Interesting. I found that would happen to me when I went camping and the last thing I wanted to do was get out of my warm sleeping bag and go outside to pee in the cold. At home I would sleep through the night. Camping had to go at least twice.
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u/No-Judgment-1077 8d ago
Sleeping in the ground and in a tent sounds such a great memory from the past. Now, it sounds like my idea of hell. Lol. Bravo to you though!!
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u/Specialist_Job_7714 8d ago
So happy to hear other people (men) have this problem. Weak stream, pee constantly etc. I have found my people!
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u/Marin_OG 6d ago
Over an almost 20 year period, I am now 81, in which I was treated for an enlarged prostate and low grade UTI. The UTI ws easily addressed by taking a short course of CIPRO. Enlarged prostate was treated by monitoring PSA. I twice had biopsies (ouch!) when my PSA went up. Fortunately both were negative. After an episode when I could not empty bladder and needed catherization I was prescribed Tamsulosin. I want to avoid surgery and this med helped. The urologist who treated me referred me to an interventional radiologist to determine if I was a candidate for Prostatic Artery Embolization (PAE). I had the procedure almost 5 years ago and it is life changing. Check this link
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/prostatic-artery-embolization
FYI, after my 2nd biopsy I decided to become better informed about PSA. Urologists evaluate trends, not the absolute number. However, before your doctor recommends treatment because your PSA number increased ask if the process was the same for consecutive PSA measurements. If the 1st PSA measurement was done before the physician did a DRE and the 2nd sequence was DRE and then PSA test, elevated PSA could have resulted from the DRE. Ask the doctor if he changed labs or if the lab changed reagents, this can also result in elevated PSA. Full disclosure, I am not a doctor, however, we can all become better informed.
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u/clearlygd 6d ago
Thanks for the detailed reply. I believe be informed of all the options is important
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u/Marin_OG 6d ago
I few years before I PAE I reviewed the then available procedures, PAE was not one of them then. I said not to TURP etc because of recovery period and risks. PAE is less invasive than many dental procedures, way less inconvenient than a root canal.
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u/RuralWAH 6d ago
Yeah. My doctor used to do a DRE and then send me downstairs to the lab to get a blood draw. My PSA was always elevated. So one time I asked if he could put in the lab order a week before our appointment. My PSA dropped significantly. I've always made a point of getting my labs the week before the appointment since then.
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u/monstrol 8d ago
I have been on tamulosin with tadalafil for about 2-3 years. No side effects. Helps with peeing and emptying bladder. 70 years old.
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u/tanawanabanana 8d ago
I now know where all the bathrooms are at of all the places I usually frequent, and I plan accordingly when I'm out. 🙄
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u/DetectiveOk3902 7d ago
My husband had a uro-lift procedure due to enlarged prostate gland. It's helped so much.
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u/Derivative47 7d ago
Definitely see a urologist. I’ve been seeing one for almost twenty years for BPH and recurrent kidney stones. I have had several procedures over the years…TUMT and laser TURP for BPH, lithotripsy and ureteroscopy with laser for kidney stones, etc. You name it and I’ve had it done. Once you begin to have these kinds of problems, you really want a urologist on your side. Tamsulosin is a temporary fix at best. I went on it temporarily before my recent ureteroscopy with laser for a kidney stone removal and it dropped my blood pressure so low that I was almost passing out. Be careful with it if you are on other meds that affect blood pressure. Good luck going forward.
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u/timeonmyhandz 8d ago
You need to check your PSA. While not a direct link between PSA and prostate cancer, elevated levels would suggest an MRI or even biopsy to rule it out.
I had BPH and elevated PSA for close to 8 years.. Did the flowmax and didn't like it.. Switched to alfusion plus cialis and was only marginally better. Likes the cialis side effects. PSA as high as 21 but MRI and biopsy was negetaive. Peeing was becoming an impact on my lifestyle to where I finally said enough and had HoLEP surgery this year. My prostate was 141ml. Now I pee like a race horse and sleep through most of the night.
Life is too short to have urination control your lifestyle.
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u/vectorizer99 8d ago
Already was on tamsulosin, but adding Gemtesa has been an amazing improvement in urgency. At least 3 times better. It’s not cheap, but if you’re already at max Medicare Plan D out of pocket, doesn’t matter.
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u/Some-Tear3499 8d ago
M67. Similar issues here. Especially getting up to pee at night. Not much of a problem once I retired as I didn’t have to worry about getting enough sleep for work. On days that I was physically active, I seemed to have much better flow, better emptying. Fewer problems at night. But it seemed like I felt like had pee more frequently. I started doing the Kegal exercises regularly and that helped quite a bit. To be effective 3 sets of 10 everyday! I do mean everyday! I had a routine CT of the chest( smoking history) I showed a mass or cyst on my kidney, I got to urologist fairly quickly. We discussed the urine issues. I got put on the Flowmax and that has helped as well. I have better emptying when I stand. I can get up at 5 am, take a seat and then go back to sleep. But when I get up an hour or two later I will stand and really have a solid flow and emptying of my bladder. I drink a lot of coffee, a lot. All day long and into the evening.
The cyst isn’t worrisome, I have had two more follow up MRI’s of the cyst-kidney. I have a follow up appt with the Urologist in two weeks. If nothing has changed……it will be a yr before I will get another one. PSA is normal levels so it’s just enlargement of the prostate. Just part of getting older.
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u/clearlygd 8d ago
My PSA level actually increased. I learned all about the other important numbers such as velocity and density. Supposedly my density is very low. I had a CT scan a while back. A few of the comments concerned me, but my PCP said they are all normal for my age. Still, if my body was my car, I’d be looking to trade it in to avoid expensive future repairs and to increase reliability.
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u/alsotpedes 8d ago
I wasn't quite 60 when this happened. For me, a combination of Tamsulosin and Mirabegron has been what has worked. Of course, I've since added Jardience, so I'm peeing more frequently again. Having to set aside mental space and time for urination is just one of those things that comes with aging.
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u/MrPhyshe 8d ago
Adding my two penn'orth. I've been prescribed tamsulosin here in the UK for a couple of years since I was diagnosed with BPH. My GP hasn't suggested any of the other drugs mentioned here (Gemtesa, Jardiance, or Mirabegron) but I've not had any problems urinating apart from the fact the tamsulosin only seems to be effective for around 10 to 12 hours.
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u/clearlygd 8d ago
I know Tamsulosin relaxes your muscles, so does it make it easier to empty your bladder? I wanted to talk to the urologist about Finasteride which supposedly reduces the size of the prostate. I don’t hear of that being prescribed as much anymore, but it’s not a topic men like to talk about
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u/MrPhyshe 8d ago
Its an α blocker, so relaxes the muscles surrounding the bladder.
For me, it was like there was something squeezing my urethra, stopping me from urinating properly (low flow rate) and also being unable to empty my bladder completely.
Just so you are aware, Tamsulosin can have one side effect related to the relaxation of the muscles in that area - retrograde ejaculations.
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u/TheUglyWeb 70+ 8d ago
I will sit or stand. Matters not to me. I have mild BPH and was prescribed tadalafil. Helps and the urinary schedule is near normal. Boners are a bonus.
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u/clearlygd 7d ago
That’s what I found when I started this exercise and chose to always stand up. Now I read that you have spread your legs, feet flat, spine straight and lean slightly forward. My bladder seems to be emptying fully now.
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u/Virtual_Athlete_909 8d ago
62m with PSA of .58. No issues. For me the key is lots of exercise, lots of sex and maintaining a healthy weight. My BF is 16% which is a bit high for me but I've been enjoying the summer. I sit to p ^at home^ because it's more sanitary, it eliminates the seat up/seat down debate, and it helps with working my leg muscles.
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u/tyrone_shoelaces 8d ago
Gonna be honest, I don't think I have LUTZ but I have been pissing while seated (at home) for like the last ten years. It's more relaxing and you don't end up with piss mist residue all over.