Sudden onset incontinence...any ideas?

[Grumpyswife]

My husband has been mostly continent in the 17 years since Rp. We are traveling on an extended medical holiday and he is suddenly needing diapers due to daytime dribbles. He has started a new medication Aricept for dementia but that side effect is not listed. We told the MO and his office ran a urinalysis and bladder scan. There is no blood in urine but he did have an orchiectomy in March. We have a urologist appt but not until July.

[Shooter1]

If not too bad, pads work well. Also 5 or 6 kegels before standing and feet directly under him. Good luck and hope this is only temporary,

Doug-AZ Only 68.

[BillNIttles]

I have a couple of thoughts.

Side effects are not predictable and are different for all. My incontinence increased dramatically when I started chemo and lupron, but my mo had never heard of that as a side effect. I figured out later it was the prednisone. Terrible stuff, but I improved immediately when I stopped.

I don't know your husband's medical history, but incontinence can be a sympton related to dementia. It definitely was for my father. It also might be the new medicine. Either way, kegels help, and pads work.

Take care, and good luck.

Bill

[Grumpyswife]

Update on incontinence. After waiting for over a month to see the expert at the teaching university where we are having our medical holiday, I have learned a lot about male incontinence.

Hubby has a combo. Urge type has him up all night and causes frequent stops on road trips, etc., which has been happening for years—even pre-prostate cancer.

The new to him lately-type is stress incontinence which comes with lifting, coughing, standing up, etc.

The doc said there are three surgical options that could help some people but not my husband since he has had RP, SBRT to prostate bed, seeds in prostate bed and orchiectomy. The doc ain’t goin’ in there.

The three surgical options are artificial sphincter, sling and filler (my interpretation).

He did give hubby a sample penis clamp and there was great success with that for his one day stress trial. That device is called a Bard Cunningham Incontinence Clamp and gets 4 of 5 stars on Amazon. The clamp is adjustable one size fits all. One benefit hubby discovered is on the lowest setting he can squirt thru then stop stream. That helps him learn the proper Kegel technique. Why waste time not doing them correctly?

The doc also said to try Acticuf which is like a penis diaper/coin purse clamp (not adjustable) for drips and dribbles. We have yet to order that and the reviews aren’t so great.

The doc said to feel lucky that hubby has been mostly continent thru ~18 years of treatment and get used to it.