Anyone still struggling with urinary incontinence after prostatectomy?

I appreciate this thread
I have two questions some may have some experience with
1. when continence is achieved ( I can only hope) do you stop doing Kegels?
2 anyone have experience with Gemtessa? How do you know it is working? Do you end up taking it indefinitely?

thanks very much

I was continent after radical prostatectomy. Two years after having salvage radiation the leaking began. Because my sphincters were blown out and my urethra damaged by the radiation kegels were ineffective and a surgical solution was ruled out. I suggest you look into using a urethral clamp while you contemplate and wait for the time when the sling or an AUS can be gotten. Needing one pad a day with a clamp, I swim, cycle, play tennis, and lift weights. The clamp is unintrusive in my daily life and for me is a permanent fix.

Hi I wear a Tena moderate guards. Fit comfortably in my briefs. I buy them either from Walmart or Target on line. Buy 144 count moderates for approximately $40.00 delivered. Good luck Pat

@edinmaryland
To answer your first question, it really depends on the person. Some people do find they need to continue kegels, though not at the high level they were doing them when working to regain some semblance of continence - so more like a maintenance schedule or refresher training a few times a week, versus three times a day every day.

…and with that, I’m off to do this morning’s set!

Let me jump in here.

Me, 3.5 years ago I had partial NS RP. Did a bit of kegels before surgery, as I had read that was beneficial.

Post surgery I want to a DPT who had experience with UI but not specifically for men who have had a RP. Partial improvement, just that. Still filling 1-2 pads a day.

Finally found a DPT in Boston who specializes in men who had a RP. She's changed my diet, my exercises, and how to properly do kegels. Really to retrain my pelvic floor. Thanks to her I am now dry except when at the gym or hiking. Then its usually less than an ounce of urine.

My advice is to look for help, but proper help. And for me, I had to reduce caffeine, eliminate citrus and spicy foods. You know for me this helped.

Never give up and your journey will not be the same as someone elses.

@dmccarthy104 thank you much for sharing. That’s what I’m looking for.. natural ways to help as I do not want the surgery options. Just curious why my ability to control changes in the evening and shower time until I go to bed. Thanks for the encouragement.

@stoney219 A few thoughts -- diet and your pelvic floor is tired by the end of the day. Might think about how to get your floor stronger. I keep a journal of my pad weight and if it's up a lot I think about what did I do that might have impacted that day. And most importantly, my DPT was my treatment partner. 90% of my success is due to her and her ingenuity. Whatever you do, never ever give up. Keep working.

Yeah, your pelvic floor gets tired as the day goes on. My worst part of the day is around 4PM-6PM, and that’s because I’m on my feet the entire time cooking, and that’s requires a lot of movement, which overwhelms my pelvic floor. Probably 90% of my daily leaking is in that two hours.

I also second getting a pelvic floor therapist who is trained in male incontinence and is familiar with RP. Both mine are. The only other thing I wish for is a therapist who uses biofeedback/ultrasound, so I’d be able to see with my own eyes when I’m doing a movement correctly. Even though I’m at a large COE, my current therapist doesn’t have access to that.

@turtbean

thanks very much
hopefully I will get to that point

@turtbean
we think alike
I know I am dense ( hard-headed, concrete whatever) I have been trained to do them correctly but am no longer seeing my PT (I had to pay out of pocket with pennies being reimbursed by Medicare) and she was a little out of the way) and worry I am not doing them as good as I should be. I would love to have some imagine and feedback to verify what I need to be doing and that I am doing them close to the right way I am doing two sets a day and yes afternoons and early evening are the bigger problem times

thanks again .