Anyone have pain after BCG Treatments, especially with urination?

Pain...yes. Sometimes seemingly unbearable! But, several suggestions. Find a doc who has the space for you to stay the required 2 hours with the catheter in and then drains it all out before you go home. Use ice pack during the procedure and later at home (I think particularly good for men with more of the urethra external. If you are a man, insist on them using a catheter with a curved section designed to pass by the prostate more comfortably. Go to a doc (or nurse) that will insert the catheter GENTLY. You can try taking uribel or AZO, but I've found them not very effective. But, give them a try...it can't hurt (no pun intended). Doctors are reluctant to offer anything stronger which may not help that much anyway. Advil or Tylenol might help if either has worked for you in the past.

I've had the first 6 week course and my first maintenance of 3 weeks with a scoping between, AFTER a similar round with another doctor and again 5 years earlier. The scarcity of BCG was interrupted that plan. All treatments were uncomfortable, some with a little blood clotting. Three things I've found helpful. If you are a man, insist on them using a catheter that has a curve in the tubing at a critical point that passes by the prostate more comfortably. Second, find a doctor who has enough treatment rooms so you can stay there for the 2 hour waiting time holding the BCG while they leave in the catheter, and then use it to drain your bladder including the BCG. Diminishes the difficulty of driving home while holding in the BCG, and draining out most of the BCG via catheter is much less uncomfortable than peeing it out. Third, I found that an ice pack on the groin will reduce the pain of inflammation both while holding in the BCG and later at home while still getting some irritation from passing what remaining BCG is in your bladder. And a fourth bonus, find a doc (or nurse) who GENTLY inserts the catheter. My first doc would pretty much ram in the catheter past the prostate while the current nurse is far more gentle. Irritating the prostate makes for more pain urinating later.

Sorry about the delay, well the TENs machine is positioned on the ankle /foot blocking the tibial nerve pathway. It has been used for overactive bladder.
As I have problems retaining the BCG for full two hours. I thought it might help. It certainly distracts my attention.

@janine1991, There are over 300 discussions related to TENS machines on Connect. See here https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/discussions/

How might the TENS help with BCG? Excuse my ignorance. I haven't heard of this. Was a TENS machine recommended by your cancer team?

Dear Hikercalifornia,
I am about to have 3rd BCG induction treatment this Tuesday. So far the pain hasn’t been as bad as when they do biopsies. I take Buscopan (hysocine) that reduce bladder spasms and a lorazepam prior to treatment. If pain bad, repeat the buscopan. Talk to your GP re medication. I also find a low dose amiltriptaline & Lyrica helps. (Which I take for pudendal neuralgia & peripheral neuropathy pain) Oral urine alkalinizer 4 times a day, plus lots of water. I am also looking into TENS machine placement to help me keep the initial BCG insitu ( I have small bladder capacity from pelvic radiotherapy last year) Anyone else have any suggestions. Please reply.

@hikercalifornia, welcome. It's been a couple of weeks. Has the pain started to subside or are you still experiencing the burning when urinating?

Yes it’s very annoying but you will get adapted on the 5th and 6th , this what happens to me when I finished the 6 inductions last week.
Surely not easy but better than going to a harsher situation.
Wish you a better adaptation to cope with the inevitable pain.

Good Morning from California ,
I have received initial 6 BCG treatments

Maintainance 3 BCG treatments

Maintenance BCG 3 treatments and now have pain , burning when I urinate and drinking lots of water

Has anyone had this type of pain after the maintenance regimen?

What did you do for it

@tgsmith
Yes, I can stop. I have put off starting this week due my bloods plus still have dysuria from the biopsies. From what I have researched if your continually immunosuppressed, BCG treatment has a lower overall success. But I will give it a go. Last year breezed through platinum based chemo & full pelvic radiotherapy. (For mixed histology small cell bladder cancer & urothelial cancer in situ) If BCG treatment ineffective, there is intra vesicle chemotherapy.

@janine1991 I don’t know if there is a right answer, I do know that the pain I had with the last three BCG treatments was unbearable I have said multiple times I could not would not do it again, thank God my last cystoscope was clear my suggestion would be do what is needed. If it becomes too painful can you not always stop?