Steam Treatment for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

On behalf of readers like myself who have seriously considered the Rezum treatment, thank you for caring and taking the time to report your experience to all of us while in the midst of your slow and challenging recovery from the procedure. While we may find hundreds of cases who had a good experience with Rezum, there are likewise hundreds of patients who've had at least a long healing period after the surgery. Note in my opinion we need to recognize the potential trauma to human tissue that even an out - patient "office procedure" can induce to our body in even a short procedure and call it what it is: surgery.

I want to share my information in the hopes that it will help others with similar problems; plus I have one question (at the end). I am 75 now and started having difficulty urinating about 6 years ago. My urologist at the time prescribed Alfuzosin 10mg once a day. That helped a lot, but after 2-3 years I started to have difficulty again. My urologist did a cystoscopy and said my bladder had lost some flexibility and prescribed Oxybutin 5mg once a day. This worked until early last year when I started having problem again. My urologist retired so I had a new one that did another cystoscopy and said my prostate had grown and I should take the Alfuzosin twice a day along with the Oxybutin. This worked until the end of 2022 and then I started to have problems again. In addition I started to have chest pains and saw a cardiologist that did x-ray, EKG and stress test. His conclusion was that my heart was fine but that the Alfuzosin was probably causing the chest pain. So my urologist recommended the Rezum procedure. I had the procedure done on 1/26/23. It was extremely painful. More than I expected. I was on a catheter for 5 days which was also extremely uncomfortable especially at night. I bled from my penis around the catheter the entire 5 days. The catheter was removed on 1/31/23. The nurse told me to drink a lot of fluids to keep the urine flowing to prevent a clot which might cause me to have be re-catheterized. It has been 5 days and I can hardly urinate at all. My urologist prescribed the double dose of Alfuzosin for another 30 days, but it is not helping. All I urinate is a teaspoon or two at a time every 45 minutes. This is a manageable problem during the day but a bigger problem at night. It's impossible to get a good nights sleep, and last night I was awake for 3hours trying to urinate a little to relieve the pressure. Finally a lot of blood came out and I was able to urinate a little. I am still bleeding and still can't urinate more than a teaspoonful at a time and it stings each time. Plus, my urologist had me Cipro 1000mg/day for 7 days. My hemorrhoids acted up and I thought the Cipro was making me constipated, but after stopping the Cipro my problem continued and I realized that my perineum was swollen and irritated probably from the swollen prostate. So, I was bleeding from both ends. This is where I am today. My question is this: I can live with the bleeding and pain and discomfort for the 6-12 weeks that they say it will take to recover, but how long will it take before I can empty my bladder. This is my biggest problem. At this point I can't say that I would recommend the Rezum procedure to my worst enemy.

Terrible.....hoping you improve and especially the pain can be controlled.

Thanks for your thoughts. I considered changing urologists or at least getting a second opinion, but my doctor is a board certified urologist, Harvard educated and head of the urology department at a major hospital in my city. So, I've decided to stick with him until I get through this. I went in again to see him yesterday (which was exactly 2 weeks since the Rezum procedure). Besides the Bactrim and Alfuzosin, I am now taking Oxybutinin, Myrbetriq, Uribel, and Prednisone. Seems like a lot of drugs, and I'm worried about side effects, especially regarding my kidneys. I "feel" a little better, but I'm still bleeding continuously, still have difficulty urinating, and still have a lot of pain when I do urinate. Even with all the drugs, last night I had to get up 8 times.

Rezum should not be an "office procedure"; it is too painful and invasive. Update since my last post: I've been in tremendous pain plus constant bleeding. I was thinking about going to the ER but waited till this morning and called the urologist's office. Was able to get in for a quick consultation. I have a urinary infection and am now on Bactrim for 7 days. This after being on Cipro for 7 days.

It's been 3 weeks and a day since I had the procedure. Still bleeding (constant drip of blood plus in urine) and I have developed incontinence. Pain is very much diminished. I never had a problem with incontinence, now I have an urge to urinate every 15 minutes. Just a few drops comes out each time. I get up 15 times each night. This is hell. I'm much worse after having the Rezum procedure than before. I would NOT recommend it to anyone.

Thanks for your thoughts. I considered changing urologists or at least getting a second opinion, but my doctor is a board certified urologist, Harvard educated and head of the urology department at a major hospital in my city. So, I've decided to stick with him until I get through this. I went in again to see him yesterday (which was exactly 2 weeks since the Rezum procedure). Besides the Bactrim and Alfuzosin, I am now taking Oxybutinin, Myrbetriq, Uribel, and Prednisone. Seems like a lot of drugs, and I'm worried about side effects, especially regarding my kidneys. I "feel" a little better, but I'm still bleeding continuously, still have difficulty urinating, and still have a lot of pain when I do urinate. Even with all the drugs, last night I had to get up 8 times.