Yucky Topic For Older Men

[GrizzlyBear]

Hiya,

If you don't like to read about older men's urinary habits, please feel free not to proceed.

I suffer from prostatitis, an enlarged prostate. This is a common disease among 'older' men (I've had it since my mid-forties, and am now 53). This disease, among other things, requires sufferers to gallop off to what we Aussies call the dunny at every drop of a hat - usually to pass no more than a drop. I take medication (I am a secondary teacher, and am not allowed to leave my classroom for any reason - even with the medication this often requires a mad dash after class, and woe betide any poor fool who tries to get to the necessary facilities before I do!!!!). However, the medication is variable in its effect, and is not a total cure.

Anyway, the point of this is that with OSA as well I was waking up quite often at night, and having disturbed sleep for all sorts of reasons. Then I spent a lot of time in hospital over the last couple of years, and discovered what they provide if you can't get out of bed when you need to go.

Well, really, my partner discovered it, and pointed out that instead of unplugging myself from the CPAP, thoroughly waking myself up with yet another trip to the dunny, and trying to get back to sleep, I should use what my hospital coyly calls a 'bottle'.

I bought mine from a pharmacy. I'm not sure what the official name is for this device, I just know it as a 'urinary bottle' (apparently they have similar but necessarily differently designed devices for women), it is plastic, and it has a lock device so that you can't accidentally spill the contents (!). However, one still needs to be awake enough not to misfire in bed (!!!!). I just drain it in the obvious place, and wash it out every day. It doesn't smell at all.

I still feel a little odd about using it, but my partner is quite comfortable with the idea (bless her gorgeously enormous heart).

Hope this helps someone.

Regards,

GrizzlyBear

[kteague]

Ok, GrizzlyBear, I'm no Davy Crockett (though rumor has it my mother once dated one of his descendants) but that ain't no Grizzly in your avatar! What's the story on the panda?

Yes, there are female urinals also, but to avoid leaks it is best that females "assume the position" and by the time I've done all that, I could have been in the bathroom. I use the Headrest and it takes me all of a few seconds to get it back on.

If I were a guy though, and made frequent potty trips, the urinal would be my friend.

But I must take issue with one thing - If you're an older man, that makes me an even older woman at 56. Well, maybe not too much of an issue, we are getting up there, aren't we!

Kathy

[Snoredog]

Discount it all you want, but the best thing for that is 100% Cranberry juice, drink an 8oz. glass every night.

If you cannot tolerate the non-sweetened taste, put in an Equal or Splenda to sweeten it and it is just like Kool-Aid when added to ice.

You'll notice the difference in only a few days.

[GrizzlyBear]

I looooove cranberry juice. That's a great excuse to give it a try.

By the way, folks, that's not a panda, that's a koala. But while it's true that although they're often called koala 'bears' it's not really a bear, but koalas have a reputation for being grumpy, sleepy, and piddly (!!!!), and everyone here calls me bear (and you will have noticed that I'm VERY grizzly) - so there we go.

Regards,

GrizzlyBear

[kteague]

Grizzly - Of course it's a koala - DUH! Brain cramp.
Kathy

[KAZ]

Grizz, I don't know how long you have been on cpap,but prior to getting my machine I would wake up several times a night needing to go to the bathroom. My DME said that with the machine working as it should I would get into a deep sleep and not be up so often. For me this has been true, unless I drink excessive liquids right before bed. I'm 62 and take Terazosin daily fo my prostate. Regards

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): CPAP, DME

[oceanpearl]

My doctor suggested Saw Palmetto and it cut my night time loo visits in half.

[Guest]

Prostate Massage. Free, you can do it yourself, or your partner can do it.

I learned about it on the internet, and cured a partner of mine who had suffered for 10 years with no relief.

I'm not making this up. Google Prostate Massage.

If you hate the idea of fingers, there are tools you can buy. babeland.com sells them.

Nuff said. Good luck!
Babs

[Guest]

Prostate Massage. Free, you can do it yourself, or your partner can do it.

I learned about it on the internet, and cured a partner of mine who had suffered for 10 years with no relief.

I'm not making this up. Google Prostate Massage.

If you hate the idea of fingers, there are tools you can buy. babeland.com sells them.

Nuff said. Good luck!
Babs

Will you be doing any volunteer work soon?

[jmps]

I, too, have found that after using CPAP my night time waking to go to the bathroom has really dropped off. I used to wakeup every few hours to go. Now I, at most, wake up once. Both my sleep doc and regular doc say this is very common. Have you seen any of this effect?

[jasper]

Absolutely, I also used to get up anywhere from 3 to 5 or 6 times a night. Now I sleep through most nights. Dr. Krakow mentioned in one of his posts that when you are aroused by an apneic event, a hormone called Atrial Natrurietic Factor (ANF) is produced. This causes a feeling of need to urinate. All makes sense.

[shardebhow]

Speaking from the female point of view. . .I have always had "gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now" all my life. . .my mom was the same way. At night I had been getting up many times until I started using my CPAP. I get up maybe once at night only some of the time. Now, if only I can get the same affect during the day. I am also in that tender age bracket where other issues can contribute.