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What Causes Urine Retention?
Question: Responding to your e-mail, I think this urine retention was caused by imipramine. My urologist disagrees but he doesn't have a specific candidate for what might be causing it. He thinks is might be BPH, some hitherto unknown neurological problem etc,
(The urine retention persists even though the imipramine was dc'd
more than 2 months ago & I am still taking tamulosin
The imipramine was discontinued almost 2 months ago but the urine retention persists. I am on Flowmax (tamulosin) .8mg qd hs. It does NOT relieve the urine retention problem. (Before this whole business started with the imipramine I was taking it for BPH & everything was fine)
I'm wondering if this urine retention problem is permanent & if it is, what to do about it. Looking around the internet I found that there are some drugs for urine retention. (I can get them from pharmacies in India; I don't have to go through my HMO. I just don't like doing stuff like that without advice from a physician.)
(The urine retention persists even though the imipramine was dc'd
more than 2 months ago & I am still taking tamulosin
The imipramine was discontinued almost 2 months ago but the urine retention persists. I am on Flowmax (tamulosin) .8mg qd hs. It does NOT relieve the urine retention problem. (Before this whole business started with the imipramine I was taking it for BPH & everything was fine)
I'm wondering if this urine retention problem is permanent & if it is, what to do about it. Looking around the internet I found that there are some drugs for urine retention. (I can get them from pharmacies in India; I don't have to go through my HMO. I just don't like doing stuff like that without advice from a physician.)
Brief Answer:
5-Alpha reductase inhibitors are effective in relieving your symptoms.
Detailed Answer:
Dear Sir, Hi
Good Morning!
Thanks for sending your query.
I appreciate your concern, discomfort and inconvenience for the urine retention even after discontinuing Imipramine.
Your urinary problem is not permanent, it could be due to an enlarged prostate.
Since even the maximum dose of Tamsulosin is not effective in relieving the urine retention, in such case you have to take 5-alpha reductase inhibitors drugs like Finasterude or Dutaseride.
Given along with Tamsulosin these drugs are found to be useful in relieving the urine retention in patients with BPH. However a treatment for 6-12 months is needed before prostate size is sufficiently reduced to improve urine retention.
Before starting 5-alpha reductase inhibitors for treatment of BPH, you have to undergo clinical examination including the digital rectal examination and estimation of Prostate Specific Antigen in order to rule out prostate cancer and should be repeated every year.
The major side effects of these drugs are decreased libido and ejaculatory or erectile dysfunction.
If this combination therapy does not show an adequate response over 12 to 24 months you may require to undergo surgical treatment in the form of Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP).
Hope the suggestions given above could be of great help to you in getting the relieve from the obstructive symptoms due to BPH.
Wishing you a very good health.
5-Alpha reductase inhibitors are effective in relieving your symptoms.
Detailed Answer:
Dear Sir, Hi
Good Morning!
Thanks for sending your query.
I appreciate your concern, discomfort and inconvenience for the urine retention even after discontinuing Imipramine.
Your urinary problem is not permanent, it could be due to an enlarged prostate.
Since even the maximum dose of Tamsulosin is not effective in relieving the urine retention, in such case you have to take 5-alpha reductase inhibitors drugs like Finasterude or Dutaseride.
Given along with Tamsulosin these drugs are found to be useful in relieving the urine retention in patients with BPH. However a treatment for 6-12 months is needed before prostate size is sufficiently reduced to improve urine retention.
Before starting 5-alpha reductase inhibitors for treatment of BPH, you have to undergo clinical examination including the digital rectal examination and estimation of Prostate Specific Antigen in order to rule out prostate cancer and should be repeated every year.
The major side effects of these drugs are decreased libido and ejaculatory or erectile dysfunction.
If this combination therapy does not show an adequate response over 12 to 24 months you may require to undergo surgical treatment in the form of Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP).
Hope the suggestions given above could be of great help to you in getting the relieve from the obstructive symptoms due to BPH.
Wishing you a very good health.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Neel Kudchadkar
Answered by
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