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Bladder irritants post surgery: Lifelong Issue or not?

Posted by fritzo @fritzo, 3 days ago

So, just wondering,...are bladder irritants post prostatectomy a lifelong gotcha?

For me, 3 1/2 months post surgery, alcohol is an instant trigger . I can just have a sip and 30 minutes later I'll have a massive urge to go that is uncontrollable to stop.

Just found out the Gatorade G2 is also a trigger. Makes me have to go about every hour for about a full day. Don't know if it's the Sucralose/Splenda in there or the red food dye.

Good news: I can drink Stevia and clear carbonated drinks, so there's that. (tried a Zevia and regular Sprite/Ginger Ale with no issues).

Decaf tea? Nope-makes me go. Lemonade-same.

So, will I have to avoid irritants forever or will my nerve stressed bladder permanently want me to drink water?

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fritzo | @fritzo | 2 days ago
In reply to @surftohealth88 "My husband never had this problem. He stayed away from known irritants for about 2 months..." + (show)
Profile picture for surftohealth88 @surftohealth88

My husband never had this problem. He stayed away from known irritants for about 2 months and than started introducing one by one - coffee was the first since he is a big coffee drinker. Had no irritation than he tried tiny amount of red wine, no irritation. Spicy food was not the problem either. I guess as with anything it is very individual thing and it varies from patient to patient.
I hope that your sensitivity will go away in very near future 🍀.

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@surftohealth88 Ahhh, I'm super happy for him (and you). Yeah, I waited about three months to sample irritants. Fortunately, I can handle the spicy foods. Just the liquid ones, but if I stay clear, I'm doing pretty well. Irritant urge issues though are a real pain.

Thanks for your well wishes!!

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fritzo | @fritzo | 2 days ago
In reply to @readandlearn "For me, it's that the really effective muscle is gone, & I have to rely on..." + (show)
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For me, it's that the really effective muscle is gone, & I have to rely on the other two that haven't been trained since birth (unlike the other half of our species). Before surgery 5 years ago, I could last all day. Now I carry one of those specially shaped plastic bottles in the car, but so far have not had to use it. If I'm out, I no longer automatically think "I can make it home".

I plan ahead. If the urge is there, I deal with it soon. I usually can make it through the night.

I do drink more fluids these days, so combined with the weaker muscles, I end up with frequent trips to the commode.

However, THE MOST ANNOYING THING about all of this, is NOT the frequent trips. It's that my penis has shrunk (see related threads) to the point where getting it out of my pants needs more than a little help. Even sitting naked on the commode, I have to check that the scrotal sac is not blocking the penis. If I don't, I urinate all over myself.

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@readandlearn Shrinkage is definitely a real thing. I was very much worried about that for sure. I think I read a bunch of your postings and feel really bad you're dealing with this issue for so long.

I'm not saying do this, but the Restorex unit appears to be effective for me for that issue. Mind you, I had no intention of going this route, but my sexual function doctor got me signed up for a trial and got the unit for free (it's $550 otherwise). I agreed because I figured it would push me to actually do it daily.

I've been using it for two months and can definitely tell a difference in size. It takes at least a month before you really notice changes. It's a FDA approved device developed by the docs at Mayo.

Don't know if you've explored this, but perhaps you could reach out to a specialist and see if it makes sense for your situation. Hang in there and thanks for sharing.

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chippydoo | @chippydoo | 1 day ago
In reply to @edo "Alcohol and caffeine trigger urgency and dribbling/dripping for me. Still the case 4.5 years after surgery..." + (show)
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Alcohol and caffeine trigger urgency and dribbling/dripping for me. Still the case 4.5 years after surgery and 3.5 years after salvage radiation. I am happy to report these effects have lessened over time but are still present.

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@edo It was the salvage radiation that has given me long term spasms. I was continent 5 months are RP. The gifts of radiation keep on giving due to being hit with a low bladder a few times. Bowels too. I gladly accept the tradeoff due to being undetectable for over a year now.

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fritzo | @fritzo | 1 day ago
In reply to @chippydoo "@edo It was the salvage radiation that has given me long term spasms. I was continent..." + (show)
Profile picture for chippydoo @chippydoo

@edo It was the salvage radiation that has given me long term spasms. I was continent 5 months are RP. The gifts of radiation keep on giving due to being hit with a low bladder a few times. Bowels too. I gladly accept the tradeoff due to being undetectable for over a year now.

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@chippydoo Nobody signs up for this, that is sure. But, congrats on being undetectable.

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chippydoo | @chippydoo | 1 day ago

Fritzo thanks. A one-year reprieve hoping for another. Nothing is guaranteed with this hideous disease. Best wishes on your journey.

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