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Leaking worse when walking !?

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User
Posted 28 Sep 2023 at 13:29

I have noticed that I don’t leak when sitting.  Leak a little when stand up, but when walking like in a shop or just out and about…. It is not leaking but an almost constant running every so often as it did when I had the catheter.   So I just feel I am getting somewhere when I don’t go out but will ruin a 4x night nappy thing in 10 mins when walking.   Is this usual ?  I am 11 days without catheter.   I am worried that others don’t seem to leak like that when walking ?  Are you supposed to ‘tense’ when walking like doing the kegal but that’s almost impossible. 

User
Posted 18 Oct 2023 at 23:48

I’m the same Slimslim.


Thought I’d won a watch after my op as I had practically no leaking.
Then once I started doing more than just lying/sitting around twiddling my thumbs whilst recovering I started to leak a bit.
It’s at its worst whilst walking. I can generally get thro’ the first mile feeling dry but it starts to worsen thereafter and by the forth mile it feels like a running tap. I find it can also get worse as the day progresses.


Sneezing and unexpected humour are my worst enemies. My first belly laugh had me peeing like a horse :)


Fortunately the pads are great and whilst I may feel like I’ve been peeing constantly sometimes I’ve never felt anything other than bone dry. It’s just the warm sensation when things are coming down the line which makes you wary if out in public.


Fearing the whole incontinence malarkey I actually used pads one day PRIOR to my op. Its difficult at first to deliberately wet yourself but i eventually got over 52 years of social convention and pee’d myself 4 times over the course of 6 hours or so: twice in the kitchen, once in the office, and once when taking the bins out :)


My consultant looked at me like I was mental when I told him what I’d done but it was great because it completely removed the fear of incontinence.


Anyway, I hope things improve on the pelvic floor front.


 

Edited by member 18 Oct 2023 at 23:50  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 19 Oct 2023 at 16:35

Pink66, there is another thread on here from someone who is finding coming to terms with incontinence very difficult. Your idea of testing it out prior to the operation is probably the best advice I have seen on this site.


Lots of people won't have incontinence at all and some a little, but testing out how you are going to feel about the worst case scenario prior to the op by having a practice run is so sensible. In fact it's the consultants who are mental for not suggesting it to every prospective patient.

Dave

User
Posted 28 Sep 2023 at 14:10
It's early days, keep up with the pelvic floor exercises. If things are not improving in 2 weeks ask for a referral to the incontinence department.

The referral fixed mine as by the time I got the appointment it had sorted itself!
User
Posted 28 Sep 2023 at 20:13

Hi Slimslim,


People's experience of incontinence varies greatly after surgery. 


I leaked like a sieve after any exercise, including walking, for the first few months after prostatectomy.  As others have said, it is very early days for you, but keep up the Kegel exercises.  Try not to become disheartened by slow progress.


Best wishes,


JedSee.

User
Posted 28 Sep 2023 at 20:15

Pelvic Floor 6 times a day.


So I leaked a little on my walks early days. Not much, but everyone's surgery has slightly different outcomes. Early days for you yet, it will get better.

User
Posted 28 Sep 2023 at 20:20

Slimslim, when I was at your stage of the recovery process walking was my biggest incontinence problem by far. The further I walked the more I leaked. Some 18 months later it is still my main incontinence issue but it is now far more manageable and I can usually get away with around 8-10 miles on one pad. as Francij1 says it is still early days and what you are experiencing is pretty normal. You just have to keep working at the pelvic floor. Most people get there but some take longer than others.

User
Posted 28 Sep 2023 at 20:30
11 days? You are doing all right.

At that stage I recognised the problem, but still went out doing minor shopping errands for the sake of my sanity. I always carried a stack of spare pads in my rucksac and got to know exactly where every public toilet was, and which shops had them.

Life began to settle down noticeably around 6 weeks, but I needed to be prepared for a pad change until about 6 months.

Walking can still be an issue 7 years later (though salvage RT might have set me back a bit). Problems mostly come though if I go for a walk in the evening, or after some physical activity (e.g. gardening) which obviously tires my sphincter. Recently though I walked the Tour du Mont Blanc (for us 144 km and 8450 m vertical ascent over 10 days) and never needed to change pad more than once in a day.

You will learn what works. Cycling seems less problematic than walking for me. The thing that catches me out are activities where you need to brace yourself by using the core muscles which increase the pressure on the bladder (and thus work the sphincter hard): pruning in the garden, or some painting DIY in the house. I never think I have done that much excercise but find myself leaking more in the early evening. But overall at the worst I only need 2 pads a day, and I keep a spare in my back pocket always.

Good luck, and be patient.
User
Posted 28 Sep 2023 at 22:39

Like you at first I had a constant leak that filled my pad after about a mile.  I didn't have a spare on the first trip but luckily my wife had a plastic bag to put on the car seat.   It slowly got better over 6 months.


As they say 'at first you're dry at night, then dry until morning then dry until the afternoon, then dry all day'.


I was a bit lazy with Kegel exercises at the start but when I got to trying them just a short spell seemed to make a quick difference.

User
Posted 19 Oct 2023 at 10:15

HI Slimslim


It is very early days.  Unless one is lucky leakage is a very common problem after treatment. Most men regain control but others leak to a varying degree. Twelve years after surgery I still leak when sexually excited and we have learnt to live with it without any serious issues. Keep doing your Kegel exercises, start using a pump to re-establish your normal functions.


 

 'Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that’s not why we do it.'                    Richard Feynman (1918-1988) Nobel Prize laureate


 


 

User
Posted 24 Oct 2023 at 07:49

After my surgery at Easter I leaked like a sieve for several weeks - sitting standing walking it made no difference. Progress was measured in pads used per day! Initially it was 9/10 then every few weeks it reduced in stages. When I returned to work after 7 weeks I was 4/5 pads a day. Now 6 months later I am 1 pad every 24 hours occasionally 2 if I need to freshen up for going out in the evening. I’ve just started drinking alcohol again occasionally and can walk 8/10 miles easily. Be patient and make sure you keep squeezing. Remember as well everyone is different. Initially I was hacked off that I had issues when reading / hearing stories of guys lucky enough to be dry immediately after their ops. However I soon realised that there were equally guys who had real issues post op and I was probably one of the ‘average’ guys so just thought it is what it is be thankful I was progressing and it had been caught early. I will never forget a comment from one of the nurses at the hospital to me that I’d been diagnosed early and it could be treated unlike for some of the guys in the waiting room who had been diagnosed too late and could only be managed - big difference. I realise though I’m not yet clear and still a way to go so cannot be too complacent. Good luck. 

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User
Posted 28 Sep 2023 at 14:10
It's early days, keep up with the pelvic floor exercises. If things are not improving in 2 weeks ask for a referral to the incontinence department.

The referral fixed mine as by the time I got the appointment it had sorted itself!
User
Posted 28 Sep 2023 at 20:13

Hi Slimslim,


People's experience of incontinence varies greatly after surgery. 


I leaked like a sieve after any exercise, including walking, for the first few months after prostatectomy.  As others have said, it is very early days for you, but keep up the Kegel exercises.  Try not to become disheartened by slow progress.


Best wishes,


JedSee.

User
Posted 28 Sep 2023 at 20:15

Pelvic Floor 6 times a day.


So I leaked a little on my walks early days. Not much, but everyone's surgery has slightly different outcomes. Early days for you yet, it will get better.

User
Posted 28 Sep 2023 at 20:20

Slimslim, when I was at your stage of the recovery process walking was my biggest incontinence problem by far. The further I walked the more I leaked. Some 18 months later it is still my main incontinence issue but it is now far more manageable and I can usually get away with around 8-10 miles on one pad. as Francij1 says it is still early days and what you are experiencing is pretty normal. You just have to keep working at the pelvic floor. Most people get there but some take longer than others.

User
Posted 28 Sep 2023 at 20:30
11 days? You are doing all right.

At that stage I recognised the problem, but still went out doing minor shopping errands for the sake of my sanity. I always carried a stack of spare pads in my rucksac and got to know exactly where every public toilet was, and which shops had them.

Life began to settle down noticeably around 6 weeks, but I needed to be prepared for a pad change until about 6 months.

Walking can still be an issue 7 years later (though salvage RT might have set me back a bit). Problems mostly come though if I go for a walk in the evening, or after some physical activity (e.g. gardening) which obviously tires my sphincter. Recently though I walked the Tour du Mont Blanc (for us 144 km and 8450 m vertical ascent over 10 days) and never needed to change pad more than once in a day.

You will learn what works. Cycling seems less problematic than walking for me. The thing that catches me out are activities where you need to brace yourself by using the core muscles which increase the pressure on the bladder (and thus work the sphincter hard): pruning in the garden, or some painting DIY in the house. I never think I have done that much excercise but find myself leaking more in the early evening. But overall at the worst I only need 2 pads a day, and I keep a spare in my back pocket always.

Good luck, and be patient.
User
Posted 28 Sep 2023 at 22:39

Like you at first I had a constant leak that filled my pad after about a mile.  I didn't have a spare on the first trip but luckily my wife had a plastic bag to put on the car seat.   It slowly got better over 6 months.


As they say 'at first you're dry at night, then dry until morning then dry until the afternoon, then dry all day'.


I was a bit lazy with Kegel exercises at the start but when I got to trying them just a short spell seemed to make a quick difference.

User
Posted 18 Oct 2023 at 23:48

I’m the same Slimslim.


Thought I’d won a watch after my op as I had practically no leaking.
Then once I started doing more than just lying/sitting around twiddling my thumbs whilst recovering I started to leak a bit.
It’s at its worst whilst walking. I can generally get thro’ the first mile feeling dry but it starts to worsen thereafter and by the forth mile it feels like a running tap. I find it can also get worse as the day progresses.


Sneezing and unexpected humour are my worst enemies. My first belly laugh had me peeing like a horse :)


Fortunately the pads are great and whilst I may feel like I’ve been peeing constantly sometimes I’ve never felt anything other than bone dry. It’s just the warm sensation when things are coming down the line which makes you wary if out in public.


Fearing the whole incontinence malarkey I actually used pads one day PRIOR to my op. Its difficult at first to deliberately wet yourself but i eventually got over 52 years of social convention and pee’d myself 4 times over the course of 6 hours or so: twice in the kitchen, once in the office, and once when taking the bins out :)


My consultant looked at me like I was mental when I told him what I’d done but it was great because it completely removed the fear of incontinence.


Anyway, I hope things improve on the pelvic floor front.


 

Edited by member 18 Oct 2023 at 23:50  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 19 Oct 2023 at 10:15

HI Slimslim


It is very early days.  Unless one is lucky leakage is a very common problem after treatment. Most men regain control but others leak to a varying degree. Twelve years after surgery I still leak when sexually excited and we have learnt to live with it without any serious issues. Keep doing your Kegel exercises, start using a pump to re-establish your normal functions.


 

 'Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that’s not why we do it.'                    Richard Feynman (1918-1988) Nobel Prize laureate


 


 

User
Posted 19 Oct 2023 at 16:35

Pink66, there is another thread on here from someone who is finding coming to terms with incontinence very difficult. Your idea of testing it out prior to the operation is probably the best advice I have seen on this site.


Lots of people won't have incontinence at all and some a little, but testing out how you are going to feel about the worst case scenario prior to the op by having a practice run is so sensible. In fact it's the consultants who are mental for not suggesting it to every prospective patient.

Dave

User
Posted 23 Oct 2023 at 20:37

Thanks for this it’s good to know it’s not just me with this problem I am doing much better at night now with only two pees and little in pad and when sitting have some control (increasing) but walking is hopeless at present I am 12 days post catheter - other than pelvic floor exercises which I am doing religiously three times a day is there anything else I should do? 

User
Posted 23 Oct 2023 at 23:42

Alcohol, tea, coffee are all known bladder irritants and can cause more leaking, some say avoid for 3 months post surgery. For me alcohol, especially whisky affects me in the evening. The end of the day the pelvic floor muscles are tired too and can result in more leakage.


P.

User
Posted 24 Oct 2023 at 07:49

After my surgery at Easter I leaked like a sieve for several weeks - sitting standing walking it made no difference. Progress was measured in pads used per day! Initially it was 9/10 then every few weeks it reduced in stages. When I returned to work after 7 weeks I was 4/5 pads a day. Now 6 months later I am 1 pad every 24 hours occasionally 2 if I need to freshen up for going out in the evening. I’ve just started drinking alcohol again occasionally and can walk 8/10 miles easily. Be patient and make sure you keep squeezing. Remember as well everyone is different. Initially I was hacked off that I had issues when reading / hearing stories of guys lucky enough to be dry immediately after their ops. However I soon realised that there were equally guys who had real issues post op and I was probably one of the ‘average’ guys so just thought it is what it is be thankful I was progressing and it had been caught early. I will never forget a comment from one of the nurses at the hospital to me that I’d been diagnosed early and it could be treated unlike for some of the guys in the waiting room who had been diagnosed too late and could only be managed - big difference. I realise though I’m not yet clear and still a way to go so cannot be too complacent. Good luck. 

 
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