LETS TALK PROSTATE!!

I'm down about 100 pounds from my heaviest.  I have noticed I don't have to urinate as much during the day or night.  I know the prostate grows and shrinks at different times too.  Could it be that the fat around my prostate (and bladder) has been reduced and so there is less pressure on both for the need to urinate?  Thoughts?  Brian in California

i just don't know for sure Brian. maybe the fact that you're eating healthy by consuming less salt may be a factor. for me, i just sleep more soundly which means i really have to take a leak but it doesn't wake me up most nights. who knows, i bet you're right about the organs getting rearranged though......

I hope so because I get up at least two times EVERY NIGHT to go the bathroom.

Brian,   Peeing in the middle of the night… one of the joys of middle age.  I have to agree with Paul in Dallas that losing abdominal fat is likely the reason for the improvement you’ve noticed.  I used to be up two or three times a night to take a leak.  Now I pee only once a night.  I used to sometimes leak or dribble, but not anymore.  I also have had some minor episodes with blood in my urine.  My doc checked out my prostate and gave it a clean bill of health but he wasn’t sure why I was bleeding.  It cleared up on its own and hasn’t happened for several months now.  Get your prostate checked if you haven’t already done so. BTW, dropping a hundred pounds since October is great.  Congratulations! 

Paul, About the blood in your urine, my doc has warned me several times about some of the problems of being on a high protein diet. It can be very hard on your kidneys. I am not a chemist, but my brother is. He says it has to do with the size of the molecules and how your kidney work. Proteins are bigger and can cause tiny holes in the filtering membranes of your kidneys. Just a reminder to everyone, to Drink, drink drink drink, and then drink some more water. Keep those pipes clean and well irrigated. JP

JP, You are right about protein and kidney function.  One of the biproducts of the metabolism of protein is uric acid which our kidneys have been assigned the job of removing.  Under the right (or wrong) pH conditions, it can crystallize causing gout in joints or uric acid kidney stones.  I understand that neither one are any fun to experience.  As far as I know one of the best defenses is lots of water along with acidic foods such as fruit and fruit juices, pickles, and sauerkraut.

Paul, I had my second bloody pee incident a couple of months before you posted about your experience.  When it happened I knew it wasn’t something to be taken lightly so I went to the doctor immediately.  He told me that the three most likely causes in order of severity were prostate cancer, kidney stones, or a bladder infection.  He checked my prostate and found it to be healthy, just slightly enlarged.  It was pretty much normal for guys our age.  But then he was stumped because I had no clinical signs of a kidney stone or bladder infection.  We both agreed to play the odds and treat me for a bladder infection as it was the most common cause of bloody urine.  I also increased my water intake.  Whatever the cause, it worked as the blood cleared up in a few days.  I was told that if it came back he would refer me to a urologist.  Fortunately it hasn’t and I’ve been peeing just fine ever since. I think you are correct in that it might be benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).  I definitely passed a small kidney stone about a year ago and peed tomato juice for a week.  After losing some weight, a “little sand in the bottom of the shower” makes sense.  If I have to (and hopefully won’t) visit a urologist, I will make the BPH suggestion.  Thank you for the advice. Did your problem clear up OK?