Flomax???

[SandraCT]

I went to my Urologist and he said I am not emptying my bladder and that is not normal. He wants me to go on Flomax which is for men's prostates because he said that the bladder neck on men is in the same position as women. I'm leary to try this. Has anyone ever heard of this??? Also, I am in a bad flare and I probably peed 30+ times today. I am having a hard time urinating with a very weak stream and I find I always have to push in order for all the urine to come out. I assumed these were all symptoms of my IC but the doctor said they are not. If women pee this many times a day (which I read is a symptom for IC and it's how I was first diagnosed), how could they be completely emptying their bladders? When I asked him about Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (PFD) he said he knew nothing about it. I live in CT and can NOT find any doctors/uros who specialize in my condition...ARGH......Any info would be appreciated...:bonk:

[Bea]

I have been on flomax for about 2 years now, and notice a huge difference.. I have pelvic floor dysfunction.. which major retention.. and the neck of my bladder is swollen from what was explained to me by dr. moldwin .. I still retain, but the flomax definitely helps strengthen my stream.. without it, I hardly have a stream at all.. good luck with it

[SandraCT]

Thank you Bea for responding to my post about Flomax. It makes me feel better to know someone else is on this medication. I think I will start taking it because I have severe retention. Do you have any side effects from it?
I think I have PFD too but my doctor said he knows nothing about it so I am going to bring it up to him and print out an article on it.

Thanks again and best wishes to you.

Sandy

[Bea]

not a problem Sandy.. glad I could help :) honestly I haven been on it for so long I don't notice any effects at all.. I do know it took a little bit to start working though.. I just remember sitting on the toilet and just sitting and sitting and if I didin't push really really hard nothing would come out.. I do push to finish my flow..but I don't know if that is habit now.. retention, my pfd or what.. but when moldwin tested my urine stream it was just aweful.. it was just week as ever. the flomax definitely makes a difference.. I forgot to take it a few days, and omg.. it was aweful.. oh just to note... you should take it at dinner time every night.. my fil is a pharmacist, and he said that is best.. hope that helps.. please let me know if you have any other questions :grouphug:

[SandraCT]

Bea
If you read this post, could you tell me if you have any leg pain with your PFD? I have been gettting groin/hip pain radiating down my right leg. Just wondering if there is any connection to this with PFD. Thank you!

[Bea]

yes .. I do have a ton of this.. in my inner thighs as well..can your uro check for pfd..maybe send you to a pt who specializes in it?

[Bea]

oh, and please feel free to ask away.. if I don't answer all tonight.. I will be here to answer tomorrow..

[SandraCT]

Hi Bea

Again thank you for all your input. It is so helpful since I really believe I have PFD but I live in CT and can't seem to find a doctor/uro that knows much about this. My symptoms sound very much like yours. I also have leakage now from the retention. I too, like you, have to push out the urine in order to start the flow or get the last of it out. Do you have leakage because of your PFD? Are you on any other medications? Right now I'm on Neurontin for pain and Amitriptylene at night. I will start the Flomax tomorrow and thanks for telling me to take it at mealtime. That is good to know. When I go to my Urologist in June, I am going to print out information on PFD. If he can't help me, I'll have to go elsewhere. I found a number for a PT who specializes in this but it's quite far from where I live. The last time I saw my Uro he did some test to see how much my bladder can hold and then took XRays of my bladder while I had a catheter in me. Apparently, he's checking to see if I need bladder surgery where they put a slant in because I also leak a ton or urine when I have a bad cold and cough a lot. Funny I can't pee at times yet I can pee like a flood when I cough. UGH.....This really can get you down at times!! Thanks again so much for all your help. I truly appreciate it.

[dg2901]

Leaking when coughing/sneezing/lifting/etc is referred to as stress incontinence. It can be helped by physical therapy, however a majority of women find they end up needing a urethral sling to correct the issue completely.

RE: Flomax..I too have been on this med. I couldnt keep taking it though due to a BP issue. It can cause a drop in blood pressure so be careful when rising from laying down or sitting; Get up slowly allowing your body adjust.

Hope you start feeling better soon...
Diana

[SandraCT]

Thank you Diana for responding to my post. I had to laugh because I wrote Slant instead of Sling. :) That is the surgery my doctor mentioned that I may need. When I have a bad cough, I have to sit on the toilet to pee because it's a huge amount not just a dribble.

Regarding the Flomax - Thank you SO MUCH for letting me know that it could lower your BP. That's very good to know. I'm glad it doesn't raise your BP since I have borderline High Blood pressure and take medication for this. I'll be careful as you mentioned.

Having this website is a blessing. Still so many doctors do not know about IC and the many other conditions that are also common for us to have like the PFD that my doctor said he never heard of. :confused:

It really gets you down in the dumps. I've been going to all these doctors and no one seems to know what's wrong...

Thank you again and I wish you well!!!

[Bea]

I actually don't leak at all, but my mother did until she had a bladder repair,,

af for the blood preasure.. mine acutally runs very very very low.. 90/50 sometimes 90/60 occasionally I will get 100 as a top number .. and my blood pressure is fine.. but I do get up slowly.. but I think that is why my fil said to take it at night with dinner every night... if I am eating late with my hubby I just eat somthing small with my kids at that time at take it.. but I never get up quick.. cause I know some of my other meds can cause dizziness.. but after 2 years on this.. it has been a godsend.. omg.. not being able to start a flow.. I was losing my mind..good luck with it.. and so sorry it is so hard to find someone.. I still feel that way here.. everyone is so very far away.. and it is so hard for me to drive long distances on my own.. everything starts to hurt so bad.. even driving with others I have to take pain meds and then I am puting my feet up and down.. etc.. etc.. and I hate putting others out....

[SandraCT]

Bea

I have another question (or two) :smile tee

If I am presently on blood pressure medication and the Flomax lowers it as well, should I be taking the BP meds??? I guess I'll have to monitor it. I don't know...

I'm sorry that you too have to deal with much pain. It's so hard. I'm sorry you cannot even drive because of all these medical issues.

My feet/legs bother me so much that I was sent to a neurologist because I'm having feelings of neuropathy (red, burning feet that goes to my legs and such). It sounds like you have the same. But still the doctor tells me nothing is wrong. How could this be???? I have woken up in pain and had to pop 4 Advils and he says I'm fine.

Between this and my bladder issues, I'm getting disgusted becasue I can't find a doctor who understands.

A friend of mine had very similiar symptoms as mine and was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. My sister who is a nurse and works in the ER said many doctors don't believe this is truly a disease so they just tell you you have Fibromyalgia after all other tests come back normal. Maybe it's time for me to look for a female doctor who may understand our pain. :cussing:

Thank you Bea and others for responding.

I wish you all well..

[amartaingirl]

i was on flomax to for a little while.

i helped....i quit it because...
i when i stood up to fast....i blacked out...and had to hold on to the wall

(i am also on HBP pills)

[SandraCT]

Thank you for responding to my post.

I just started the Flomax last night and I see no difference but I'm sure it may take some time.

I'm sorry you could not take it. I will have to watch for these symptoms myself...

Best wishes,
Sandy

[Bea]

just make sure you dont stand up to fast from a sitting position... and drink water... it did take a while to work for me.. at one point I stopped it, and then was like omg.. it did work.. and went right back on and realized what a difference it really made..have been on ever since now.. and has been a really long time now

[MGM]

I've been on Flomax for about 5 years. It's a good thing. I didn't feel that it 'kicked in' for about a week and for the first 4-5 days I had bad side effects (horrible, almost migraine headache, dizziness, almost fainting, etc) but after about 5 days the side effects started to diminish and finally were gone. I am interested about the 'take Flomax at dinnertime' - I wonder if anyone can answer why? My prescription is to take it right before bed. Is taking it at dinnertime better?
I had problems with urine remaining in the bladder and my bladder did not empty completely even though it felt that it did and straining did not help. Anyway, the Flomax helped greatly. Hope this helps.

[Bea]

all I know is I was taking it before bedtime, and it just didn't seem right, my father in law who is a pharmacist said it was best to take it with dinner at the same time everyday, so If I am eating dinner late with my hubby I have a small meal with my kids and take it then.. it works much better for me know.. I spoke to another pharm, and they said the same thing.. so I am just sticking with it, and have for about 18 mos now.. good luck :)

[MGM]

Thanks for answering my question. I think I will try taking it at suppertime. I've noticed that when I take it at night (I take it every night @ 10 pm), about 15 minutes after I have to pee, even if I just went even 1/2 hr earlier. Then I usually don't have to get up until morning. Did your FIL say dinnertime because it should be taken with food? I usually take it just with a swallow of water. Anything that improves is a good thing.

[Bea]

he did mention it is good to be taken with a meal at the same time everyday and for some reason all the pharmacists I spoke to say dinnertime is the best time to work properly in your system.. I will ask him why the next time I see him.. .. I do notice it works better.. and I dont feel as dizzy and weird from it either

[Kellyicurn]

If you're worried about low BP, make sure you drink enough water. Many times, it's the meds but also dehydration that will create a situation where somebody faints. The first thing I do with a low BP is to give fluids asap. So just drink enough water. Hope the flomax works.

[Bea]

thanks... i drink tons of water and have low bp to begin with and have been doing great with this in that area.. this really has been a lifesavor for me as far as even just getting a flow started at times

[ICNDonna]

I haven't taken flomax, but I did note that some of you are straining to urinate, which can make a retention problem worse.

Donna

[Bea]

I know straining can make it worse, but before the flomax, there was no way I was able to even start a flow.. now thanks to the flomax, I can start a flow without the straining.. somtimes I catch myself pushing every last drop out.. and not feeling like I am completely emptying, but that is due to my pelvic floor dysfunction, and something I am trying to work through..a habit hard to break

[Bea]

oh.. but thank you donna

[Claredale]

I was prescribed Flomax a number of years ago. It didn't benefit me with my retention. My aunt has been using it for years with great success. She doesn't have IC, but a problem with her uretha that makes it hard for her to empty.

Sandra, I am trying to understand what you mean when your doctor said that not emptying is not a sign of IC. Am I reading your post wrong? My doctor always told me to not strain to empty my bladder no matter how frustrated I was because I always felt like I could go at any time. It was completely normal for me to go every 15 minutes and still feel like I wasn't empty.

It took several different med combos as well as a successful interstim to eliminate my feeling of retention completely.

T83

[SandraCT]

Thanks to Tracey and all the others who responded to my post. It helps a lot to have this website.

My doctor (Uro) told me it was almost unheard of for a female to have retention and not empty their bladder. I'm getting mixed signals from him and I think it's time to find another doctor. I will see him again on Monday and I have a list of questions for him. He and both my Gynocologist saw on ultrasounds that my bladder was full and they both said it was abnormal.

I like you can urinate a lot (with a flare at least 20 times a day for me) and only little amounts come out at times so I know it's taking me longer to empty.

I personally don't find that this is unheard of for people with IC since there are many who seem to have retention issues. I probably made matters a lot worse by straining and pushing but there were times that Nothing would come out if I didn't do that.

I have been off medications for a long time which may have also made matters worse and I don't follow the diet. I was on Ditropan 15 mg and Elavil but I stopped that over a year ago so the retention isn't from meds.

The last office visit I had, they took xrays of my bladder with a catheter in me and also they did that test where you sit in this chair and they fill up your bladder and make you cough and stuff. I also have problems with urinating large amounts if I cough or sneeze. Apparently he was checking to see if I would benefit from surgery with a sling.

I hope to have more answers on Monday but this is so frustrating. When I asked him about PFD, he never heard of it.

The Flomax finally seems to be helping a bit. It's only been 5 days so I have to give it more time. The Uro did not see any obstruction causing the retention but I feel it is not so uncommon with IC.

Thanks again and hope you are feeling well.
Sandy