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I have to pee every two hours at night

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Posted 1/25/2012 2:06 PM (GMT 0)

I am not getting enough restful sleep i have to get up and pee every hour and a half to two hours

i dont think i drink too much liquid, i just drink the normal amout for dinner

does this problem get better, i want to get a good night sleep.

shocked  

Posted 1/25/2012 2:16 PM (GMT 0)
I have had similar problem, not quite that bad.
If it is irritable bladder than there are meds like Vesicare and Ditropan for that. It might get better over time.

There is also a kidney function condition where more urine is produced at night. Diuretics sometimes help that.
Good luck.
Posted 1/25/2012 2:41 PM (GMT 0)
Yes it gets better, but you may still have the occasional bad night.
It's a bit hard for me to remember the post surgery phase as I have had SRT too.
No fluid intake after 8pm helps. (but makes me no fun at parties!)
I think spicy food makes a difference too. As have eaten quite a bit of spicy food the last week or so and have been a bit worse, and I think the proof of this angle is that my wife has had to get up at night to pee several times too!

Yes sometimes you feel like you are never going to get back to sleep and thus never get enough rest. I think the only option is to learn how to do it, relaxation technique, medication etc. you almost literally need to count sheep or think about something incredibly dull and monotonous to send your head into a sort of trance.
(On the other hand I also hate it when I wake up feeling tired and needing a pee and like I've only just nodded off only to discover it's breakfast time.)

I think you are doing really well though compared to other guys. Being pad free is a big mark to have passed on the feel-good road, QOL journey.

Alf
Posted 1/25/2012 3:24 PM (GMT 0)
Jaxum:
I wake up 1-4 times a night - 6 oz - 32 oz a night... the change in frequency can relate to: stress (emotiional and physical): amount of fluids consumed: type of fluid consumed ( avoid/reduce carbonated beverages, beer, coffee, caffeine products); time going to bed/sleep.

Sometimes a response is triggered by dreams/nightmares as well as my CPAP machine ( I have central and obstructive sleep apnea) - if I am off my machine I can "choke/difficulty breathing that can bring on a need to pee.

I keep a male urinary flask in the bedroom, so if the need hits I can fill that instead of going downstairs to the bathroom - so I get back to sleep sooner.

Wishing you all the best,
sleepy hugs,
Bronson
Posted 1/25/2012 9:20 PM (GMT 0)
about 7 weeks out from surgery I was still wearing pads but only leaking occassionaly. My better half and I went on holiday to Ireland and during the holiday period I started getting up at least every 2 hours in the night for a pee. This lasted for 2-3 weeks before settling back down to once a night, and now I usually go right through the night without the urge to pee.
Mind you it was probably triggered by the intake of Guiness in Ireland smilewinkgrin

All the best from England.
Posted 1/25/2012 9:40 PM (GMT 0)
I Found I had to retrain myself. When I awakened to get up, I would lay there as long as possible, trying each night to wait a little longer.

I finally got back to my old routine of no getting up at all.

I think asking your doctor about some meducatio is a good idea as well.

Goodlife
Posted 1/26/2012 12:23 AM (GMT 0)
you know what also irritates me is the darn hot flashes from the lupron, between getting hit with hot flashes and having to pee every two hours, i aint getting enough sleep.
PS how does the spell checker work on this site?
Posted 1/26/2012 12:58 AM (GMT 0)
I have had this problem since before RP and also after RP, a sling operation and finally an AUS operatioon. Now, two years after the Aus operation I still can't make it any longer than 2-3 hours at night without peeing. If I get a slight urge it wakes me up and I might as well go or I won't go back to sleep. Still, I can get up and go and go right back to sleep and I am not bothered by sleep loss.

If I have too much to drink or too much alcohol other things the others mentioned I may have to get up every 1 1/2 hours.

I find it helps to take either an Advil PM or one of the sleep aids with the same non habit forming ingredient. My Uro said this was no problem to do every night if it helps.

If would give up may one cocktail at night before dinner it might let me go a little longer but one does have tohave a life so I am not going to give that up.

Posted 1/26/2012 3:52 AM (GMT 0)
Jaxum,
It seems pretty far out in time if you had your RP in 2010, but is it possible you have a partial bladder neck contracture? I know when I had that after RP, I was urinating 12 times a day or more. Is you urine output low each time (100 cc or less)?
Bill
Posted 1/26/2012 5:41 AM (GMT 0)
Jaxum,

I have a stricture and struggle some nights with 2 hour intervals. Some nights I go 6 hours (early waking before a short sleep) but this as good as I get. I suspect alcohol is one factor - I would only have 2 glasses of wine over an evening. Another factor, mainly during daytime, is coffee which I don't drink after 5pm but which gets me if I have around breakfast (4 or 5 pees before lunch!).

I think my stricture has exaggerated the diuretic nature of alcohol and caffeine. Don't know if they are a factor for you but worth considering.

Muz
Posted 1/26/2012 7:43 AM (GMT 0)
Just an extra comment about the relation between pee and alcohol intake after noting that yesterday I had terrible trouble leaking during the evening and at bed time having had an extra glass of wine with my meal (it was my wife's birthday).

Settling back down at night is easier if you don't have to go too far to pee. (A bottle like Bronson is handy if bathroom not close by). Also don't turn on the lights if you can avoid it, light is one of the major factors that makes the brain wake up. We have enough light outside bathroom thanks to streetlighting and the glow from the lights on the modem/router.
Posted 1/26/2012 4:01 PM (GMT 0)
I had this same problem. Are you a light sleeper anyway? I am and I think that contributed. The problem did however go away after a couple of weeks. I read somewhere that Magnesium supplements help with this, I tried them but dont know if they helped or just coinicidence. I know how annoying this is, hang in there and I have a feeling it will subside.
Posted 1/26/2012 6:35 PM (GMT 0)
Jack,

I'm a serial pee'er also. I rarely slept through a night even before my diagnosis, so it doesn't bother me that much. I admit that much of it is my fault as I enjoy coffee and beer on a daily basis. I am of the belief that sleep is optional.

Even when I have to make long runs the next day (I am a transport driver) I don't worry much about lost sleep. There is always 5 hour energy drink...God's gift to insomniacs.

Posted 1/27/2012 12:10 AM (GMT 0)
I'm post op at 6 weeks.  I am now at 3 - 4 times a night but was up to 7 early on after the catheter was removed.  As stated earlier a technique is to hold it as long as possible after waking.  Condition your bladder to hold a bit more.  I love to have a couple of beers at the 5 PM hour but pay for it dearly.  I stay away from any fluids late in the day and it helps considerably.  When I do have a beer I know what the consequences are and It's not pleasant. 
Posted 4/8/2013 1:28 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Guy's, a year and a half after surgery to remove my prostate i still get up to pee every 1.5 hours to 2 hours to pee

now i admit i have not changed my eating or drinking habits, i am trying to live normal

also when i get up to pee it seems to bring on a hot flash so it takes me 0.5 hour to get back to sleep

funny thing is i dont have a problem durring the day, durring the day i can hold my pee 4 to 5 hours

without a problem, i only have a problem at night when i try to sleep.

i am still waiting for improvement....

thanks guys.

Posted 4/8/2013 2:26 PM (GMT 0)
Tattman mentioned sleep apnea in his comment (above) as a possible connection. Before my sleep apnea was diagnosed, and before I started sleeping with a CPAP machine, the apnea events would cause me to awaken often during the night. Once I was awake, I would head to the bathroom, and I can see where someone with undiagnosed apnea would surmise they're being awakened by the need to pee rather than by an apnea event. Currently, I get up once a night, and sometimes not at all, thanks to the deeper sleep made possible by CPAP therapy. Just another possibility you might consider. Most men who have apnea either are in denial, or don't realize it.
Posted 4/8/2013 2:55 PM (GMT 0)
Mine is likely related to SRT. I have not found a medication that helps and I dont drink anything after 5:30 pm. Some days are better than others but it is a major QOL issue for me.

Michael

Posted 4/8/2013 5:40 PM (GMT 0)
Me too, but i drink whatever i want whenever i want, and have a strong and clear stream.
Posted 4/8/2013 6:06 PM (GMT 0)
Ask your Dr about tamsulosin (flowmax) it may help--I can't live without it..Another option might be doxidrosin(?) but it was too rough for me--had a bad reaction..Good luck!
Bill
Posted 4/8/2013 9:07 PM (GMT 0)
Sounds a lot like me, up every 2-3 hours at night, but thankfully no leaking when I'm laying down! Unfortunately I love water, so drink a lot. It does seem like I can hold it better on a full bladder than a partially full. Not sure if there's a reason for this or not. 6 weeks out almost and getting somewhat better, but there's good and bad days. Thankful for a desk job!
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