Pad free completely

Just wanted to share the good news. Michael has been 100% pad free for the last week!!!! WOO-HOO. I dont know what made the difference, but the Dr put him on imipramine 50 mg, which he said helps calm the bladder. It is an anti-depressant which I think then ended up helping with the emotional stuff, but if any of you are still having incontinence issues, you may want to ask your DR about this medication. Just as an FYI, I think it really helped him. He was never needing more than a few pads a day from the beginning, but to be 100% continent at 3 1/2 months post surgery....better than we could have expected!

Hope you all are doing well.
hugs and kisses
Susan

Wonderful news, Susan. Happy for him and for you.

WooHoo is right. What great news..

Cajun jeff

I'm happy for you and Mike to be dry but would like some wetness (rain) here in Texas.

Susan R,

Does your husband take one 50mg dose of Imipramine daily and did the doctor specify a specific time of day to take it? I started with a 5mg dose of Imipramine taken at bedtime, then 10mg...25mg...finally  50mg. I wasn't sure if the Impramine was helping or I was getting better, continence-wise, because of the healing process, time, and Kegels. I voluntary stopped taking the Imipramine for two weeks and found that I was leaking much more (not as much as the first month post surgery but significantly more than when on Imipramine). The drug helps me, but I still leak too much for this to be the complete solution.

Very very good. I know as the wife, you are just as happy.

Dry at last, great god almighty, dry at last! Congratulations and get some new underware.
Ron

Just for the record, imipramine (melipramine) is sold as Antideprin, Deprimin, Deprinol, Depsol,Depsonil, Dynaprin, Eupramin, Imipramil, Irmin, Janimine, Melipramin, Surplix, Tofranil

On the other hand, duloxetine is sold as (Cymbalta, Ariclaim, Xeristar, Yentreve) both are antidepressants but with somewhat different pharmaceutical actions.

It is a confusing world so be sure that you discuss your meds thoroughly with your doctor.

I was on Tofranil and it helped but also gave me some unwanted side affects.
I lost energy, craved sweets and had weight gain.
I was on T for about 3 years.

I finally got off and went back to incontience issue which were fixed with an artificial sphincter.

I do not mean to rain on anyone parade but each of us are different and some drugs may have unwanted side affects. I also cannot take oxycotin - it doesn't work, I took some prior for pain and it didn't work.

I have been taking imipramine 25mg daily for about 45 days and it seems to be helping. Now using only one pad/day, see my ur on Friday, and will ask to increase to 50mg. I have also, started a dieting program to lose weight, have lost about 15 pounds, getting the abdominal weight off my bladder hopefully will help also.

Your Hubby should stick his head out the door and yell, I'm PAD FREE!!

PSA:pre op 5.2
Biopsy: Dec 10: Gleason 3 + 4
Postop: Gleason 4+3, Apex postive margin, 40% involved tumor
PSA: postop undectable

Mike and Susan, you are justified in being happy about the first pad-free day. It is a real milestone in the recovery process. My first pad-free day was like HOORAY!!! Another important goal can be reached! We don't know what the road to recovery holds for us when we have the surgery but reaching this important milestone is a very good reason to feel that a big load was made into something manageable. Best wishes to both of you.