How Bad Are Urology Tests?

[tauschung]

My doctor wants me to see an urologist. He thinks that I am having 'intermittent bladder spasms.' I guess because of my sonogram, xrays, and lab work. I've been wetting the bed for 5-6 years now..but only recently have I started to need to pee frequently..and I'm having pressure over my bladder.

The urologist has not contacted me yet to schedule the appointment, but I'm kind of worried about what they are going to do.

[hidden]

Guess it depends on what all they got to do. For me, it was just a feeling around in the front but I wasn't having urinary issues. The jerk didn't even buy me dinner first!

Sounds like something is going in somewhere for you since they will probably have to check your prostate so it all depends on what all you consider to be bad.

[beallucanb]

I had one about 10 years ago, first the doctor puts on some gloves then he will handle you equipment for a bit and give everything a good look, then he will do a digital rectal exam and make you cum by pushing on the prostrate, that surprised the F out of me.

Wasn't much to it in my case, for me it was the meds I take causing my frequent going to the bathroom over night.

If your PSA tests were normal your prostrate is probably OK....

[tauschung]

@beallucanb - I don't have any prostate issues.

My prostate was said to be 'prominent' but not enlarged or anything.

I am also not voiding completely according to the sonogram...

[beallucanb]

Not to make you sound old, but my mom had that problem after a stroke, she could not void completely and leaked, the doctor gave her a drug, now it was some 20 years ago but I could be wrong on the name, she took so many of them.

But I think it was called busbar or something like that, it helped but she was not mobile at the time with a broken hip and it was hard to say if it worked that well.

Good Luck watch out for that digital exam...B

[Baby Tom]

My son takes buspar and it is for anxiety. I can not imagine buspar being the right meds for the problem.

[tauschung]

@beallucanb - I always knew I was older than I am....I shave with a straight razor, I don't have many friends my age (most are 10+ years older), I hate people on my lawn...etc.

@abrera - Awesome. I hope they don't scope me...my PCP said that the urologist would likely fill my bladder via catheter, and watch it drain..etc.

They still have not called...I'm going to see if I can make an appointment today.

[babytommy1981]

have you ever had a cath put in ya, so they can put a tinny camra inside and look around. I was not happy about that and it did bother me some.

[ldatsea]

A flexible cyctoscopy hurts like a B***H.

well for me cyctoscopy exams had to be done under anetheasa as they couldnt get the camera in with out forcing it.... so that wasnt fun.... which meant that i had to have a cath for 14 days after to recover from the exams (this happened twice for me). but also you might have fluroscopic exam where they inject dye into your bladder and view the functions under xray.... that wasnt that bad. good luck!! and remember when you have issues others have gone and are going thru it and all you habe to do is ask for help and people will..

[dl247]

It my experience it can range from the simple ultra-sound to see how much urine your bladder is retaining to having a camera put inside you via your urethra (and YES it hurts!).

My advice is to do all the test one time, and after that don't do them again.

I have issues that don't fall into the typical catagory so they label my incontinence as a "neurogenic bladder".

Good Luck!

[babykeiff]

The 'digital' rectal exam as been mentioned where a medical staff place their finger / hand in your anus will tell a Dr nothing. All this informs is the strength of your anal sphincter - which at best is subjective. What is required is a camera or some ocular device is placed up your anus and the area is visually inspected. Normally, a urinealysis perfomed - you pee into a cup, and the urine is examined for contaminants. A secondary urineanalysis is usually performed within seven to fourteen days after you have been on a specific medication - normally some mild antibiotic - for two days. This is to see How efficient the kidneys are performing, and the growth rate - if any - of the contaminant. From this, a cathethra may be introduced into the bladder with a fibre optic camera to visually examin for any defects.

[babytommy1981]

on april 16 i have an appt, to have some minor test done. i think but not sure if it to check my kidneys to see if they are over or under working. i dont know. im not a doctor. lol. but i do know it might hurt alittle. but i have learned that a little pain now will save me from alot of pain later.

[beallucanb]

My son takes buspar and it is for anxiety. I can not imagine buspar being the right meds for the problem.

She took a lot of stuff but for some reason or another, I remember the buspar and prozac, loads of insulin afterall it was over 20 years ago.

[beallucanb]

@beallucanb - I always knew I was older than I am....I shave with a straight razor, I don't have many friends my age (most are 10+ years older), I hate people on my lawn...etc.

I am way older than you and I do opposite of what you do....... I shave with a safety razor, most of my freinds are way younger than me by at least 10 to 20 years, I drive on my lawn if needed....LOL

[Steveorstephanie]

I am having tests at the moment as I keep getting Urinary Tract/Kidney infections. I had a procedure to X Ray the Kidney. This involved a "Dye" being injected into my arm, and several X Ray's taken to see how it moves through the Kidney. It doesn't hurt at all, you just get a very strange warm feeling moving around the body. This only lasts a couple of minutes.

Last week, I had the Scope inserted to look into my bladder. I would be lying if I said it didn't hurt, but it isn't that bad. The worst bit is the waiting and thinking about what's about to happen. They lay you on the table and quickly put some anesthetic gel on and in your "bits." Then, they insert the scope and do the examination. It was all over in about 3-4 mins. It's not a pleasant experience, but it is quick and you walk out of hospital very soon after it's done. I will say that when you pass urine, it hurts for a day, but then that goes away and you're fine.

I also had a prostate examination, which again is quick. It's more embarrassing than painful. So don't worry too much.

I was very worried about these procedures, but a good friend of mine (she's AB) told me to think of it as a visit to the baby doctor, who was checking out your baby bits. She said to get into baby mode and it would be more bearable. That might work for you.

[Guest LOSTinDiapers]

A flexible cyctoscopy hurts like a B***H.

I had one done two weeks ago and it sucked. They also made me wait 30 minutes after they injected the numbing medication before they inserted the cystoscope. Thank goodness I was able to convince them not to give me the shot of antibiotics in the butt after because I was already on heavy antibiotics.

I have pretty much had every procedure, I think, and most of them aren't bad. There are a few, like the cystoscopy and urine flow study, that suck b*lls.

Also, I thought the purpose of the digital rectal exam was to check for enlargement/hardness of the prostate. I'm pretty sure that your urologist shouldn't be actively trying to make you cum. That just sounds inappropriate to me.

[ldatsea]

Also, I thought the purpose of the digital rectal exam was to check for enlargement/hardness of the prostate. I'm pretty sure that your urologist shouldn't be actively trying to make you cum. That just sounds inappropriate to me.

the good news is that THAT terrible exam is going away as a viable tool... since its not..

The Cancer Society's new guidance released Wednesday urges doctors to:

Discuss the pros and cons of testing with patients, offering written information or videos that discuss the likelihood of false test results and the side effects of treatment.

Stop routinely giving the rectal exam because it has not clearly shown a benefit, though it can remain an option.

Use past PSA readings to determine how often follow-up tests are needed and to guide conversations about treatment.

[Dougie]

Ask for a valium to take about 45 minutes before the scope procedure. Between that and the litocaine gel it wasn't too bad when I had one.

[dmavn]

I actually didn't feel a thing, but then, thats pretty much the root of my problem.

Ask for a valium to take about 45 minutes before the scope procedure. Between that and the litocaine gel it wasn't too bad when I had one.

[Guest bedwetter4life]

I doubt this will help much but women also see urologists when they have incontinence issues. For me it was about the only Dr. I hadn't seen and so last year I was referred to the teaching hospital in the city I live in and after waiting for an extra 45 minutes just to make sure I wasn't already scared enough (and questioning what in the world I had agreed to do this for ...oh I know just in case all I need was to have some pill or minor surgery to not wet the bed everynight) and in walks the hottest Dr. I have ever seen. The actors on the soaps had nothing on this man who looked to be in his late 20's max. After some awkward moments (for me) and a little of this and a little of that I was asked to return for further a more thorough exam which I did ... all to no avail I am still a hopeless head case. What did happen was I set my sites on Dr. Dr. and happened to run into him and said hi and he acted like he barely remembered me until I reminded him (it did not go well at first) I then dug down deep and asked if he would like to have coffee or something sometime and he said that as much as he would like too he had a rule that he didn't date patients. The next day I called and had my file transferred and asked that he be informed that I was no longer his patient. He called to ask if everything was ok etc. and I told him I didn't want him to have to compromise any of his rules by dating a patient (which really threw him) and we said good bye ...3 days later he called and asked me out. That was almost a year ago. don't forget that urology is a surgical speciality and the reason you are seeing on is to have an invasive (usually) surgical type of procedure performed. Cysto's are the most common and from all of the conversations I have overheard it's best to tell the DR. you are a wuss and need additional help getting thru one and he will give you 5-25 mg of valium to help you get thru it and then make sure they suirt alot of litocaine goo into the end of your penis before trying to slide that garden hose down it

[tauschung]

I saw my urologist yesterday. He thinks the pain I've been having is due to an infected prostate (who knows how that happened?). He put me on Vesicare, Flomax, and some antibiotic. He said that if I don't improve I'm going to get scoped.

[babykeiff]

Ask for a valium to take about 45 minutes before the scope procedure. Between that and the litocaine gel it wasn't too bad when I had one.

That reminds me of 'The Pub Landlord' and one of his famous quotes.... 'I'm not gay, I was never that confused...'

Valium or something similar and you might enjoy this procedure. This could start a cascade of confusing thoughts in the mind, depending on your sexual preference.

[Angela Bauer]

Ever since I reverted to bedwetting at puberty in 1976 I have received exams by urologists many times each year. Of course in those early years all the urologists were men and most had no extra training in the incontinence problems of teenage women. Starting in the early 1990s women have been accepted into urology training programs. My current principal urologist is a woman who trained at Stanford Medical School, received her board certification in urology in 2001. She joined the urology office which treats me in 2002.

Over the years I find the various urology tests to be less invasive, but perhaps this is a function of me have had those same tests so often. Personally I avoid pain killers and tranquilizers such as Valium because almost always after my urology exams I need to be effective in my law practice.

My suggestion to anyone seeing a urologist for the first few times is to take whatever medication is offered to easy the pain and anxiety. Just do not try driving or using machinery for several hours afterward!

[Jedward]

Let's see your a male so if they do a cystoscope, I warn you that after you try to go, it will hurt like hell. It they other test are not that bad.

[tauschung]

Welp, I just left my urologist. He scoped me and did a fluodynamics test (I peed in a commode with a computer).

He still believes that I have had chronic prostatitis and this is causing my problems. I'm still wetting the bed (not really a problem), but I'm not have any frequency or urge issues.

So, I'm back on cipro. He wants me to 1) take hot baths every night to relax my prostate and 2) set an alarm for 1-130 to train my body to feel when I have to go.

I'm not doing the alarm thing. He says that if I still have issues in a month I'm going to get another test where they use a foley to fill me up and take xrays of my bladder. Fun times.