Best solution for enlarged prostate that blocks urinating

[Steven55]

Hi all,

Old man (suffering dementia) of 80 can't pee by himself anymore, due to enlarged prostate.
Got a catheter at the moment.

Hospital suggests  suprapubic cystostomy (suprapubic catheter) = tube through opening in the belly into the bladder.

Anyone here with experience, or anyone who suggests other solutions? Removing prostate has risks of incontinence, I was told.

Thanks!

[Dante99]

You might try Saw Palmetto and or Nettle plus there are medications.  I would try pills first.  Saw Palmetto and Nettle work for me.

[Jai Dee]

Topic moved to Heath & Medicine Forum where you are more likely to get informed opinions.

 

/Moved.

[Sheryl]

Is he already on medication for this?

 

The reason hospital is recommending this approach is that he is likely not a good surgical candidate due to his age and co-morbidities.  and his dementia would make Rezum difficult, needs a high level of patient understanding and cooperation.

[Pouatchee]

maybe proscar (Finasteride) can work for him. If not it will help his hair growth.

[Steven55]

19 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Is he already on medication for this?

 

The reason hospital is recommending this approach is that he is likely not a good surgical candidate due to his age and co-morbidities.  and his dementia would make Rezum difficult, needs a high level of patient understanding and cooperation.

Some medication... I don't know exactly what. Have to check.
Rezum sounds like a good solution, will discuss it with his urologist.

[totsakan]

The usual medication on the case of enlarged prostate is often herbal, I ever read various points about saw palmetto and used to get prescribed tadenan (African plum tree extract, sadly not available anymore).

Thai herbal medicine has options for this usual men trouble.

I can not remember the name but the herbal shops near Tha Chang (Sanam Luang) have large bags of 200 pills for 200b if i remember well.

If you can not speak thai just get a translation of "prostate big" on your phone and they will give you some. (every provincial cities might have an herbal shop).

I am NOT a doctor but it worked very well on me and could at least make you feel a bit more comfortable. feel free to show those pills to your doctor.

 

 

 

[HuskerDo2]

Some of the herbs that have been mentioned are worth a try but the doctor gave me something called Tamsulosin and it works incredibly well. I take 0.4 mg and things "flow" like when I was 20. If I forget to take it for a day the "flow" is still strong but if I miss 2 days in a row the flow is rather weak again. Strongly recommend it.

[Paradise Pete]

0.4mg of Tamsulosin daily works very well for me. Sold in pharmacies as UroFlow. Every case is different, of course, but it's easy and relatively inexpensive to try. If it works he'll see results in a couple of days.

 

[Steven55]

Thanks for mentioning Tamsulosin !

 

[JimHuaHin]

0.4 gm Tamsulosin (often sold here under the name Harnal) worked well for me also.

 

Some doctors here say it "shrinks" the prostrate, but some medical sources state it is a muscle relaxant.

 

A couple of my doctors here also say that I should take it for the rest of my life ( I am 67) to prevent future problems.

[Sticky Rice Balls]

12 hours ago, HuskerDo2 said:

Some of the herbs that have been mentioned are worth a try but the doctor gave me something called Tamsulosin and it works incredibly well. I take 0.4 mg and things "flow" like when I was 20. If I forget to take it for a day the "flow" is still strong but if I miss 2 days in a row the flow is rather weak again. Strongly recommend it.

over the counter or need a script?

[giddyup]

15 hours ago, Dante99 said:

You might try Saw Palmetto and or Nettle plus there are medications.  I would try pills first.  Saw Palmetto and Nettle work for me.

That might possibly help in very mild cases, but not in chronic enlargement of the prostate.

[HuskerDo2]

Just now, Sticky Rice Balls said:

over the counter or need a script?

You need a prescription in the US. Not sure about Thailand.

[spidermike007]

Stinging nettle root and pygeum have worked wonders for me. Two days without it, and my flow drops dramatically. And they improve your health too, unlike the Big Pharma poison. 

[KhunBENQ]

16 hours ago, Steven55 said:

Old man (suffering dementia) of 80 can't pee by himself anymore, due to enlarged prostate.
Got a catheter at the moment.

80 years old, dementia, already has a catheter (through the penis?).

Sorry to say but in my opinion this is hopeless/too late for medication.

I myself have developing problems (mid 60s) and use misc stuff (that has been mentioned above) to win a few years before Rezum or whatever. Just a nightmare to end like my father:

 

My father was in a similar situation and got a catheter through the belly.

And worst case not just visit the bath and open a valve but having it connected to a urine bag attached to the leg. Not what you wish for but probably only solution.

 

Is he living alone? Does he have a medical caretaker/regular visit?

He might even have problems to empty the bag or change to a new.

The catheter has to be changed in some regular interval (is it a year? I forgot).

This procedure has to be done at a hospital, usually outpatient.

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by KhunBENQ

[JimTripper]

I hope I never get this.

[Moonlover]

36 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

I hope I never get this.

BPH is prevalent in up to 90% of us by the time we reach 85 years, so 'hoping' is not a very viable option. Accepting reality and taking action to mitigate its affect is the best option.

 

I was aware that a problem was likely back in my mid 60s, but did little about it until it really became a nuisance. With hindsight, I know now that I should have acted earlier.

 

There is a lot of really helpful information out there on the web and it really worth anyone's time to get to 'know your prostate' as early as possible in life. Don't wait until it's too late.

 

I'm pretty sure that most men don't even know what a prostate is, let alone what its function is. As far as BPH is concerned, ignorance is NOT bliss!

Edited April 15, 2023 by Moonlover

[scubascuba3]

26 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

BPH is prevalent in up to 90% of us by the time we reach 85 years, so 'hoping' is not a very viable option. Accepting reality and taking action to mitigate its affect is the best option.

 

I was aware that a problem was likely back in my mid 60s, but did little about it until it really became a nuisance. With hindsight, I know now that I should have acted earlier.

 

There is a lot of really helpful information out there on the web and it really worth anyone's time to get to 'know your prostate' as early as possible in life. Don't wait until it's too late.

 

I'm pretty sure that most men don't even know what a prostate is, let alone what its function is. As far as BPH is concerned, ignorance is NOT bliss!

What would you have done differently?

[Eloquent pilgrim]

29 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

BPH is prevalent in up to 90% of us by the time we reach 85 years, so 'hoping' is not a very viable option. Accepting reality and taking action to mitigate its affect is the best option.

 

I was aware that a problem was likely back in my mid 60s, but did little about it until it really became a nuisance. With hindsight, I know now that I should have acted earlier.

 

There is a lot of really helpful information out there on the web and it really worth anyone's time to get to 'know your prostate' as early as possible in life. Don't wait until it's too late.

 

I'm pretty sure that most men don't even know what a prostate is, let alone what its function is. As far as BPH is concerned, ignorance is NOT bliss!

Excellent post, good practical advice; BPH can be managed for many years with Tamsulosin, Finasteride etc. Most men try to ignore it, rather than taking the proactive interest that is needed.

I have a friend in the UK who has ignored the symptoms for years; last week he was in the A&E with acute retention, having a catheter inserted. He’s now walking around with a bag strapped to his leg, very distressed, and has just booked a private Green light laser treatment for £10k, rather than wait over 2 months for an NHS appointment … ouch

Get to know your prostate … great advice

[Adumbration]

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, Eloquent pilgrim said:

Excellent post, good practical advice; BPH can be managed for many years with Tamsulosin, Finasteride etc. Most men try to ignore it, rather than taking the proactive interest that is needed.

I have a friend in the UK who has ignored the symptoms for years; last week he was in the A&E with acute retention, having a catheter inserted. He’s now walking around with a bag strapped to his leg, very distressed, and has just booked a private Green light laser treatment for £10k, rather than wait over 2 months for an NHS appointment … ouch

Get to know your prostate … great advice

Get to know the side effects of the treatment!

Incontinence an impotence being the 2 usual side effects of all the treatments.

The only real cure for BPH is death.

[Tiber]

80 year old ideal candidate for a turp  Google it  drugs and rezum a waste of time and money

[Tiber]

1 hour ago, Eloquent pilgrim said:

Excellent post, good practical advice; BPH can be managed for many years with Tamsulosin, Finasteride etc. Most men try to ignore it, rather than taking the proactive interest that is needed.

I have a friend in the UK who has ignored the symptoms for years; last week he was in the A&E with acute retention, having a catheter inserted. He’s now walking around with a bag strapped to his leg, very distressed, and has just booked a private Green light laser treatment for £10k, rather than wait over 2 months for an NHS appointment … ouch

Get to know your prostate … great advice

Green light. U have no idea wot they use  ordinary hot wire OK. Had laser did the job but took far longer and expense. It grows again so prepare 8 or so years for repeat 

[xylophone]

2 hours ago, Moonlover said:

BPH is prevalent in up to 90% of us by the time we reach 85 years, so 'hoping' is not a very viable option. Accepting reality and taking action to mitigate its affect is the best option.

Good advice Moonlover, and I would encourage guys to do as much research as they possibly can on this because if my situation is anything to go by, then even the best urologists out there are not fully informed, or don't take due care and attention – – a big statement but let me explain: –

 

I suffered from prostatitis for decades and visited several urologists in New Zealand and was prescribed antibiotics on so many occasions that I must have taken many hundreds/thousands of different types of antibiotics, but the prostatitis kept coming back again.

 

The thing about prostatitis is that in most cases it causes the prostate to become inflamed/enlarged, thereby restricting urine flow and therefore putting stress on the bladder, and I remember one urologist who did a flow test on me and then checked the bladder with ultrasound, stating that, "oh, you've got the bladder of an old man", which didn't please me much because I was in my 40s and fit and healthy. BUT, was anything done about it; NO, just put on more antibiotics, which didn't work again.

 

Now the prostatitis/BPH was caused by bacteria in the prostate which antibiotics couldn't touch, for various reasons which I've outlined in previous posts, so for decades my prostate was enlarged and causing my urine flow problems, which I seemed to cope with okay, and didn't pay much attention to it, until I had a TURP and then the bladder problems started because I couldn't empty it. 

 

So frequent use of a self-cath is what I have to use these days, and a recent visit to Bumrungrad hospital to see the top urologist there (thank you Sheryl), confirmed that my bladder had stopped working – – WHY, well he didn't know why, but I suspect the many years of ineffective bladder emptying and a few bladder infections had caused this.

 

I had taken all of the "usual" drugs for BPH like, tamsulosin, doxazosin etc. etc but to no avail, because the damage had been done to the bladder by not addressing the prostatitis years ago, so it's important that you get to know about your prostate and associated urinary tract workings so you can ask questions.
 

In my desperation I tried just about every natural "remedy", such as stinging nettle root, pygeum, saw palmetto etc because I was desperate for a cure, but again to no avail.
 

So to repeat what Moonlover has said, deal with any problems like this, early, because you don't know what they will lead to.

 

For the record, I use the self-cath at night before I go to bed and can usually get by during the day by drinking less fluid and managing the occasional "dribble" by flexing my stomach muscles, and I'm still searching for a potential "magic pill" to make the bladder work again, but it seems unlikely, so I have got to live with this, and as unpleasant as it sounds, I have gotten used to it – – because as someone else has said, in so many words, "I've got no option".

 

Although this won't offer much hope to fellow sufferers of prostatitis/enlarged prostate/bladder problems, one of the top urologists in the US stated that, "this area of medicine is like a medical wasteland", because it wasn't fully understood and not a lot of research had been done on it, however this was about 10 years ago, so perhaps things have improved.

 

PS. Forgot to add this article: 

https://www.uptodate.com/contents/benign-prostatic-hyperplasia-bph-beyond-the-basics#:~:text=Alpha%2Dreductase%20inhibitors%20%E2%80%94%20Alpha%2D,men%20with%20a%20larger%20prostate

Edited April 15, 2023 by xylophone

[Eloquent pilgrim]

30 minutes ago, Tiber said:

Green light. U have no idea wot they use  ordinary hot wire OK. Had laser did the job but took far longer and expense. It grows again so prepare 8 or so years for repeat 

Your comment makes very little sense; my friend is having GreenLight Laser Prostatectomy at the urology department of a reputable London hospital. He will not be treated with a hot wire.

[Eloquent pilgrim]

50 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Get to know the side effects of the treatment!

Incontinence an impotence being the 2 usual side effects of all the treatments.

The only real cure for BPH is death.

Thanks for your extremely positive input. I’m sure it will be very helpful for anyone reading this thread and looking for advice on the management of BPH …. you’re a real star

[xylophone]

28 minutes ago, Eloquent pilgrim said:

Your comment makes very little sense; my friend is having GreenLight Laser Prostatectomy at the urology department of a reputable London hospital. He will not be treated with a hot wire.

This poster to whom you replied, often posts a load of garbage, so is another one that I've put on "ignore".

 

And as for his statement that, "incontinence and impotence being the two usual side-effects of all the treatments" is pure nonsense, because a TURP, in the main, doesn't result in this and the new laser treatments are an improvement upon the TURP because of less bleeding and quicker recovery time.

 

Even a radical prostatectomy these days can result in far fewer side-effects than in the old days, especially if it is done with the da Vinci robotic machine.

[Tiber]

20 minutes ago, Eloquent pilgrim said:

Your comment makes very little sense; my friend is having GreenLight Laser Prostatectomy at the urology department of a reputable London hospital. He will not be treated with a hot wire.

Green light surgery is laser wotever grand title it commands used supposidly to seal the cutting as it performs  Think a waste of money.       Yes had it    cold steel      or hot wire if there is a next time

[Mark Nothing]

The nuisance of bph can easily be eliminated once you know the cause, which is inorganic mineral buildup calcifying on the prostate due to improper diet and drinking impure water. 

 

A good example of this hard mineral sediment buildup occurred in my toilet plumbing system when removing a 15 year old 50 liter water tank.  The incredible amount of sediment buildup released blocked water flow to my sink faucet.  Completely.  No flow.  So to get tap flowing again I removed the sediment in tap nozzle filter and removed hard mineral deposits and faucet worked again.

 

I applied the same principles to fix my bph flow, dribble and urgency problem.  I stopped adding to the problem and removed the calcified buildup causing the bph nuisance.

 

I quit adding excessive amounts of inorganic minerals to my body by eating more fruits and vegetables, avoiding denatured foods, and only drinking pure distilled water.

 

To remove the mineral sediment buildup already blocking up my prostate system, I fasted, exercised more, lost weight, reduced stress and worry which allows your immune system to eliminate sediment quicker.  I also drink urine which is a magic bullet breaking down the sediment buildup and returning the body to full health.

 

It's been about 5 years now with no bph prostate problems.

 

Good luck resolving the prostate issue.