Persistent urgency even after urinating, 3 months after prostatectomy

The nuance I neglected to include is: trying to "hold it" *without a plan* for progressively increasing the time between voids is counter productive. The bladder will fight back, and probably start a cycle of urge incontinence. Starting out voiding on a timed basis, with the initial interval being shorter than what your bladder can currently handle is better then simply trying to bull one's way forward. That latter strategy is what I meant by "holding it". The idea is to teach the bladder who's in control...

Maybe a little review of how I understand the bladder to work would help. The bladder muscle is unusual, in that it is under both voluntary and involuntary control. The voluntary aspect which we learn when young is to increase our intra-abdominal pressure (hold your breath and bear down). This increases the pressure within the bladder, triggering an involuntary reflex causing the bladder muscle to contract, squeezing the urine out. Things can start to go haywire when something triggers that reflex without our conscious desire to have it happen, like an infection, or surgery, or the increasing inelasticity in the bladder which goes along with aging.

Before our prostate was removed, and the bladder neck (the area where the urine exits) was operated on, we had three ways to stop the urine flow in situations like those. Now, we only have one, our "Kegel" muscles. So those have to be strengthened along with teaching the bladder not to be so hyperactive.

@markdebeach, I hope you saw @trusam1's helpful explanation in response to your question. How are doing with Kegel exercises and urination urgency?

I'll also repost this link from Cancer Research UK, which was the most helpful mainstream online resource I could find last summer for dealing with incontinence after prostate-cancer treatment:
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/prostate-cancer/practical-emotional-support/bladder-problems

Bcer update when I hit week 6 on Gemtesa it was a game changer for me. Up to that time I was still looking for some other way to not having to run to pee way to often. But now after 6 plus weeks on Gemtesa wow life is much better not peeing but 7 to 9 time a day. My next step would be Botox but I am happy not to do that now. Gemtesa is $95 a month with discount card my insurance will not cover it but it didn’t cover mybertic either. Hope you find relief faster than I did. Don’t give up keep up trying. Patience is a lesson I am learning to hard way but I suspect I needed to be thought.

One other thing my urologist/surgeon told me. When I asked him if that”urge” to urinate would decrease after my enlarged/cancerous prostate was removed, he answered that it may or may not because some people just naturally produce more urine than others. I may add that I had NO incontinence issues after surgery((I attribute that to religiously doing kegels AND an excellent surgeon). However, I still do pee a lot. I’ve been a pee-er since grade school. My former general physician told me it can be psychological. I believe that. Best to all!

I per normal since my prostate surgery no problems at all

Hi Colleen,

Thanks for checking with me. I’m about 2 1/2 months post surgery, and I’m slowly increasing the amount of time between urinations and the urgency has also decreased. I started kegels before surgery and do them faithfully several times a day. Thankfully, incontinance has not been an issue.

I had my prostatectomy in late November 2025 and have been diagnosed caner free after 3 months with blood tests. Every 3 months I need to return after having labs drawn the week before my appointment. I too urinate often and like you I walk away then feel the urge again. I use pads but pants will still get damp. There are a few reasons given and that it should clear up in 6-12 months. Then other options will be available.

@navyvet15
Get Tena pads. Amazon carries them. They can reduce the problem with getting your pants wet. They’re very absorbent and very wide and work quite well compared to a lot of other regular pads.

You actually have an appointment with the doctor every three months? Must admit I’ve never heard of that. After my prostatectomy, I got blood test tests every three months, but I didn’t have to see the doctor. I just got the results. After a year, they did it every six months. In my case, 3 1/2 years after my PSA started rising, And I had to have radiation. That’s why you never want to stop getting checked.

What does your doctor do every three months when you go for an appointment? That is a good thing for the doctor because he can bill your insurance, but What are you getting out of it?. Once you’ve had the surgery, there really is no need to see the doctor, especially if you’ve been told you were cancer free, something that really is not possible to determine. You may be one of those That was completely cured. There is a good percentage of people that happens to. But the doctor really can’t tell you that with 100% certainty.

@jeffmarc
I do use the pads. Maybe I need to change them more often or they are moving when I walk. I walk 6 miles a day all in one walk. I do it to control my anxiety and to keep my knee replacements secure. I love it too. The doctor does the blood work then checks it to make sure it is reading no PSA. IF the PSA starts getting a reading the cancer is back.