Old Men and Dogs

[franco45]

If you examine how bodies work, you have to give credit to who (or what) made us. However, as in the development of any new machine, some weakness will always show up. On us (talking about old men and dogs) ,the Prostrate has been consistently problematic. I attended my 50 year class reunion last summer and every guy there had more or less the same problem. It's wasn't a question if they had to get up in the night, but how many times. I have tried a number of miracle cures and haven't really found any to work very well. I wonder if anyone on here has found at least a partial solution?

 

[AllDone]

The vet has a solution that works quite nicely for old dogs ....

 

[H2ODude]

Most effective for me is no liquids after dinner. At all.

 

[braumeister]

Another sufferer here.

BPH (enlarged prostate) is, as you say, such a common problem that one would think there would be a solution for it by now. But there isn't.

There are some drugs that can help, but they have undesirable side effects. I've tried several and I've been very disappointed with them.

I tried some of the common ideas such as saw palmetto capsules, and found practically no effect at all.

Holding down the liquid intake in the evening is very helpful. But beyond that I don't think there is any real solution.

 

[ronin]

Rubber sheets.

 

[travelover]

My doc, who is about my age, felt my prostate and said, "it feels about the same size and firmness as mine". I cracked up visualizing this guy with his finger up his own, ah, orifice.

No solutions here, other than knocking off liquids before bedtime.

 

[Meadbh]

the Prostrate has been consistently problematic.

It would indeed be very problematic if you had to prostrate yourself all the time. You just couldn't take that lying down. ��

Although this will never be a problem for yours truly, I do agree that the prostate gland and the male urethra that runs through it are linked in an unfortunate relationship born of bad design.

In other words, guys, you had better take it up with the Man Above.....or Charles Darwin.

 

[brewer12345]

Surely you have heard the old saw?

How do you know God is a civil engineer?

Only a civil engineer would plan a waste pipeline through a recreational area.

 

[Meadbh]

Surely you have heard the old saw?

How do you know God is a civil engineer?

Only a civil engineer would plan a waste pipeline through a recreational area.

 

[Mulligan]

I figured I would just get the Flomax script when it got too bad. Nobody has mentioned it, so maybe it isn't so effective?

 

[Lsbcal]

When I asked my doc about my getting up once or twice at night to use the toilet, he seemed to think it was very normal.

One doesn't want to get dehydrated just to avoid using the bathroom at night -- that's my take anyway. Just keep the light down to avoid waking yourself up too much.

 

[franco45]

Special thanks to brewer12345, Romin, & travlover for the good laugh!! Alldone, I don't have a dog...but it88 reminded me of John Steinbeck's "Travels With Charley"
I have heard about "self testing" but never have really tried.

 

[travelover]

.....
I have heard about "self testing" but never have really tried.

My old boss had his whole head up there.

 

[razztazz]

There's more than just Flowmax. There are at least 2 other drugs like it. ie targeted alpha blockers. They might help more and have fewer or no side effects

I am surprised nobody has mentioned the alternative. There are a few surgical or semi-surgical procedures they use. besides the cutting/gouging out of excess tissue they can now heat or freeze the excess tissue or run an antenna of sorts up there and tune it to some an appropriate frequency to shrink things. None of this crap is appealing but it might be the last time you will have have a chance to "be the man you used to be" in any capacity.

Full-disclosure": I have tried the drugs but for a on-BPH problem. I have not had any of the other procedures but have spoken to my urologist so much on the subject he told me I seem to know more about prostates that he does

Not to inject politics but Ronald Reagan had the surgical gouging procedure twice. Once in his late 50's and once as President.

 

[Mulligan]

There's more than just Flowmax. There are at least 2 other drugs like it. ie targeted alpha blockers. They might help more and have fewer or no side effects

I am surprised nobody has mentioned the alternative. There are a few surgical or semi-surgical procedures they use. besides the cutting/gouging out of excess tissue they can now heat or freeze the excess tissue or run an antenna of sorts up there and tune it to some an appropriate frequency to shrink things. None of this crap is appealing but it might be the last time you will have have a chance to "be the man you used to be" in any capacity.

Full-disclosure": I have tried the drugs but for a on-BPH problem. I have not had any of the other procedures but have spoken to my urologist so much on the subject he told me I seem to know more about prostates that he does

Not to inject politics but Ronald Reagan had the surgical gouging procedure twice. Once in his late 50's and once as President.

Well I get 1-2 times a night. If it got worse I would try a pill before before any "gouging". And if the pill gave me negative side effects, I guess I would just take more breaks from sleeping.

 

[Animorph]

I use Flomax and adjust the dose as necessary. Currently I'm on four per week. If I start getting up at night, skip one of the no pill days (increase the dose), either once or per week as necessary. If I start hitting the bathroom every hour, I skip a pill day (decrease the dose). Frequency of sex does affect things, with more being better. I no longer get up at night, and I can sit through a football game and travel without having to go.

I also take Avodart, which does shrink the prostate. That allowed me to halve my Flomax dose, but wasn't a fix by itself.

 

[HFWR]

My old boss had his whole head up there.

Yep...

 

[packrat44]

My old boss had his whole head up there.

This is a medical affliction known as Anal Cranial Inversion,

 

[HFWR]

..cutting/gouging out of excess tissue they can now heat or freeze the excess tissue or run an antenna of sorts up there and tune it to some an appropriate frequency to shrink things...

Where do I sign up?

That makes colonoscopy prep sound good by comparison...

 

[Major Tom]

When I asked my doc about my getting up once or twice at night to use the toilet, he seemed to think it was very normal.

One doesn't want to get dehydrated just to avoid using the bathroom at night -- that's my take anyway. Just keep the light down to avoid waking yourself up too much.

I don't mind getting up in the middle of the night to visit the bathroom but what is a PITA is that when I do so, without fail, the cats wake up, trot over to the kitchen, and suddenly want to be fed

 

[MichaelB]

Also known as CRI (cranial rectal inversion). Applies to former co-workers, bosses and some family members. No know cure, treatments involve one way airline tickets for the afflicted. For the affected (us0 regular consumption of fermented or distilled beverages softens the symptoms. An example:
.
.

 

[calmloki]

I thought this thread was gonna be about how bad they(we) both smell...

 

[Lsbcal]

I don't mind getting up in the middle of the night to visit the bathroom but what is a PITA is that when I do so, without fail, the cats wake up, trot over to the kitchen, and suddenly want to be fed

That's when you get to practice tough love.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Cats who want to be fed will countenance no tough love, they will happily and loudly declare their imminent starvation until you relent.

I know much younger guys (early 40s) with the same problems as y'all, and they'd probably benefit from not drinking after dinner as well, but alas, that's when you usually are drinking beer and chatting up the ladies, so they consider it the lesser of all evils.

And that "gouging" thing, yeah, they need a PR team working on that description. Even I winced, and I've not got those parts.

 

[donheff]

I just get up in the night, not that big a deal.

I tried Flomax and it seemed to make a big difference but it exacerbated a dizziness problem I have had for decades and interfered with my biking so my doc switched me to Avodart (which theoretically reduces the growth from BPH). After years of that (and continued, if milder dizziness) I read that Avodart can also have dizziness issues although less prevalent than with Flomax. So I stopped that a few months ago. I have noticed zero impact on my nightly routine. In looking back over the last ten or more years I think I experienced an acute problem -- maybe from a urinary track infection -- since my original symptoms were way more distressing than getting up a few times in the night. My initial reaction to Flomax may have simply coincided with getting over the infection. Worrying that the initial symptoms would recur led me to try Avodart rather than just stop the Flomax. Net result -- 10 years wasted on unneeded and expensive drugs.