Incontinence

I had a radical prostatectomy and had incontinence after surgery. I found the best pads are called Male Guards Serenity Tena Brand. They seem at times hard to find in stores but they are the most comfortable and most effective. I am 6'4" guy.

Thanks for the helpful tip. Your recommendation will come in handy for others who are also dealing with incontinence. Good to know there's a product you've found to work well.

Feel free to share more with us anytime. We look forward to hearing from you again.

Best,
Maria

Maria Gifford
Community Moderator
IncontinenceNetwork.com

I had my prostatectomy 2 months ago, and still have total incontinence. I am still hoping this will improve, but until then, UCDs are in order.

I am posting this in hope of helping others in my predicament.

I found out real quick that I do not like diapers of any kind ( too much liquid flowing, too much squishiness when sitting, and too much stinkiness).

My solutions to date:

Summer daytime wear when not sure about bathroom availability (golf course?): texas catheter, snugged up a little with stretch wrap and tape (just in hope of preventing backflow for a few hours), draining almost sideways into a disposable urine bag, supported (hung) by a shoestring from waistband of underwear (a jockstrap works well), with same shostring tied around thigh to hold it in place, then urine bag is folded upward in half, secured by a small strap.

This can be worn with knee length shorts, needs to be emptied every couple of hours, and has lasted for 24 hours, although I usually remove and clean it before bedtime.

Daytime when bathrooms are available: a CVS pharmacy male guard (pad), folded in half over the penis head, wrapped securely with a couple bands of tape (1 near the head, the other at the shaft base). I use painters tape from LOWE'S... a lot cheaper than Johnson and Johnson products.
The tape helps prevent leakage and pullout. Wear this with BRIEFS. The adhesive on the pad, and the tight fitting briefs, and the taped sheath all work to prevent pullout. I drink about 60 oz daily, and these pads last 2 to 3 hours (a stretch). I watch the clock and change every 2 hours ... very little odor, no squishiness when sitting, not noticeable through outer wear.

Nighttime : Same pads taped into a sheath, but instead of regular briefs, I wear Serenity Tena brief style underwear, in case overflow happens.
Overflow rarely happens for me ... I tend to retain some urine when laying down, and I will awake with an urge to go every 2 to 4 hours ... the sheath will be pretty full, and will be changed at this time.

While all these solutions probably won't work for everyone, maybe they will be helpful to some.

I have recently been experimenting with the ALPHADRY condom system ... great results so far ... I wear it morning till bedtime, then switch to the Guards taped into a sheath w backup pull-up diaper briefs for sleeptime.

It's a condom with expandable bag attached directly; it all folds easily inside normal brief underwear.

See alphadry.com

At first glance, it seems pricey, but with 1 lasting 15 days, and me going through 10 pads in the daytime, it's actually cheaper. Also, more convenient than pads/sheaths etc., and although it's basically an external cath with urine bag , the compact configuration (no straps, no tubing) is a real PLUS!

LArry

I had radical prostate surgery one month ago. I'm still very rundown. When does urine control return?

They told me that everyones healing/recovery rate is different, depending on things such as age, physical condition, activity level and how well you do your Kegel exercises.
My radical prostectomy was in early September '08.
I had a catheter for about 2 weeks and leaked like a sieve, with a bladder smaller than a thimble, right after.
I worked on my Kegels for about 4 months before the surgery, so I guess that helped me to recover faster than some, getting noticeable improvement daily. Fortunately, I had little problem with night-time leakage after the first week. A cross-country drive for Christmas required a few extra pit-stops but went relatively smoothly.
I can now play golf and do other physical endeavors with minimal leakage. Movements that cause some constriction of the bladder may result in a few drops of urine being released, as can a sudden cough or sneeze.
In general, I have good control now, but that is also due to constant awareness of what circumstances could cause a leak and preparing myself to prevent it.
Good luck on your continued recovery, and keep up with the Kegel exercises.

My uncle has a problem with incontinence. But there are some meds for treatment (for example, Oxytrol, Detrol). He use these tabs (he orders from pills-meds.com ). Pills make his lifer better. Hope it'll be useful.