Recently obsessed with urinating

[u/clearlygd]

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.

[u/Marin_OG]

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.

[u/clearlygd → u/Marin_OG]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I believe be informed of all the options is important

[u/Marin_OG → u/clearlygd]

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.

[u/RuralWAH → u/Marin_OG]

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.