Peeing issues

FLowmax worked well for me. I only needed it for a couple months after treatment. The main side effect I experience was getting dizzy when I first stood up from lying down but that was it. It lowers blood pressure so if you take blood pressure medicine you'd have to check with your doctor about whether to temporarily lower your dosage.

I was having a problem where I would wake up at night two or three times feeling like I had to go and I knew I really didn’t. I was also having some incontinence problems.

I asked my urologist to give me a prescription for Gemtesa which I heard helps with this. He said he can’t prescribe that but he can prescribe Myrbetriq. I’ve been taking it for at least nine months now. Two pills a day make it so I get up at the most once a night and I never have a feeling of an urge to go when I don’t need to go. It also has helped a lot with incontinence. The pill does cost about $1,300 a month, Though I pay nothing since I’ve hit the $2000 Medicare limit in January.

I took Flomax after the third of my five radiation treatments to deal with a urination restriction and was flowing again overnight. I stopped it after about few weeks or so. No urination issues since my treatment in February of 2023.

@stew80
Can you let me know was EBRT Fractions is? Is it like SBRT, photon radiation, proton radiation or something else?

To give you my experience. When I was going through 30 rounds of proton radiation the main thing I developed was a very high urgeny to urinate. Was really hard not to dribble trying to get to toiliet. I decided not take medication for it as I found if I wen to urinate when I thought I could that prevented the urgency if I waited. I had little to no other side affects.

About 2 years after my treatments ended started having a lot more need to urinate, dribbling, urgency. I had a 2 year follow up with my R/O who said is very common. He prescribed Cialis (got generic). I had appointment with PCP to discuss taking the prescription and alos why after two years having some issues did not have during treatments. My PCP says the prostate has really gone through war and can act up later. He left it up to me to try the Cialis or not.

I was getting up about 3 times a night to urinate but did not seem like a lot. I took the generic (can't remember name as I type this) and found I only got up once during night and had a lot more urination. I talked to my PCP about this and he said although was intended (Cialis) for BP it was found to help with ED and now it has shown to help with relaxing the prostate, bladder, uretha. So for me the very low dose of Cialis worked and improved my symptoms.

Been on FloMax for about 5 years now. Started on it because of bladder cancer issues, ie; couldn’t pee. Now after prostate cancer, 44 radiation treatments and 6 months on orgovyx I’m up usually 4-6 times a night peeing. My oncologist wants me on orgovyx for another year but we have a “pause” because of coronary issues. The orgovyx combined with radiation exacerbated my coronary/heart condition. Now taking more drugs for the coronary issues but I’m still here👍🏻. Seeing doctors (3) over next few weeks and I’ll see what they can do to help. Hate taking more drugs 😡. Best of luck to all the great people here. Ken

I recently completed 28 fractions of proton therapy and about half way through I was having trouble peeing, especially at night. When I had to go it sometimes took minutes, with a very weak stream. My RO prescribed Flowmax which didn't do much, so he upped it to two pills a day, which did the trick. After my therapy ended I cut back to one a day and everything is almost back to normal. Will try to cut it out altogether in a bit. However, to address you concern, the only side effect I had was a slightly reduced blood pressure (5-10 mmHg systolic, a little less diastolic), so if you're already on meds for hypertension you'll need to consult with your docs. Besides that, absolutely no side effects.

In External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT), a total radiation dose is divided into smaller, separate doses called fractions (in my case, 20). Each fraction is a portion of the total prescribed dose (for me 55Gy), and the therapy is delivered over multiple treatment sessions.
Thanks for sharing about Cialis.

@stew80
So I had EBRT also.

I had 30 rounds of proton radiation at UFHPTI. My R/O there preferred the low dose longer duration that high dose short 5 day sessions. He cited, and this is him not me, his research was showing more side affects for the high dose short duration. My PCP at Mayo said same thing.

I am not sure but if I posted something that inferred a better outcome with proton over photon that was not my intent. My intent was the difference in type of radiation. Proton goes into body at a lower dose, releases full dose at very precise point, and does not continue throughout body like photon does.

I think it will take a lot more research and time to determine if the secondary cancers caused by radiation is higher with photon as it is with proton. The sucess rate of both is identical and that comes from my Mayo R/O, UFHPTI R/O, Mayo urolgoist, Mayo PCP not me.

Funny how this stuff changes your life and then you sort of get used to it. I'm now in my 8th month of doublet therapy with quarterly injections of Lupron and daily doses of Erleada, and most nights I'm up 3-4 times to pee. It's a minor annoyance, and I'm usually able to go right back to sleep after I go. Since I'm 83 it's hard to tell how much of this is due to the meds and how much is due to being a codger with weak bladder control. Started on daddy diapers about two years ago. Before then I couldn't imagine myself wearing them, but again, you learn to go with the flow. Pun intended.

My Peeing is a mess, a literal mess. I can hold it, sometimes, other than that I carry a portable hand held urinal in the car, next to the bed, near the bathroom sink, and hidden next to my Lazy-Boy. When I pee in public mens rooms it's hit or miss. Don't stand next to me at sporting events in the mens room, it's' not safe, my stream splatters everywhere including the guy standing next to me. Once I accidentally peed on a priest at BC (Boston College) football game.

3 Pee's a night is a good night, 4-5 pees is a night is my norm.