Clamps or Dribble Stops

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Archives1

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I am 4.5 months since my RP. I am slowly making some progress, dry at night and not much while sitting, but standing, walking or any upright activity, i am going thru 4-5 pads and/or diapers a day. 3 month PSA was .01, so i am happy about that. I saw my Urologist yesterday for the 1st time since my operation, and discussed this with him. He indicated i was in the 5-10% of the patients who have prolonged incontinence after 2-3 months. We discussed me using a penal clamp, (but still do my Kegels) and I think it is worth trying. He does not carry them, so he indicated i should talk to my Pharmacist, or possibly go online, such as Amazon. Are there any recommendations out there. Thanks in advance, Fonto.
 
For what it's worth -- and my comments are not intended to reflect on your urologist's opinion or experience -- I don't know of ANYONE whose incontinence was resolved after 3 months. My own experience (which I've written about before) was that it took 4 months to see significant improvement, and 8-9 to get to 90% dryness. (Now, at 18 months, I'm at about 98% dry). Make your decision based on your feelings and your doctor's opinion, but have patience with yourself. Good luck.
 
Hi Fonto,

I don't have any experience with clamps or dribble stops (even though I do suffer from a post void dribble). I have found that probably male gaurds would help from post void dribbles - but my problem lies with what are called bladder spasms that come and go. Sometimes they are very painful where even if I used a clamp; it would not stop the pain from my bladder - thus defeating the purpose of my condition.

The only thing that seems to relieve the pain is relaxing the bladder muscles which is the direct cause of the UI - I'd rather wear protection and live a pain free life than endure pain constantly for something I can just buck up and wear.

If you have other issues (from the sounds of it you mentioned PSA) please know give yourself time to heal - but there are many men that come on these forums that are now long since gone as the success rates for healing incontinence has gone up; so you may find over time your symptoms becoming less and less.

I'm no doctor; but it's just what I've seen on these boards. I will be thinking of you.

Blessings In Christ,
Honeeecombs
 
@Fontoban I’ve seen many men here recommend a penile clamp, though most don’t succeed with them, nor like them. There are a few here who love them. Hopefully they’ll see your post and help you out. You can also try using the search feature (look for the magnifying glass” to search previous posts).
 
Fontoban,

I agree with SLawrence. Your recovery is consistent with the standard rate of recovery for men after RP.

This is a support group not a sanctioned medical advisory board. Unless you have other medical factors you have not divulged to us my recommendation is to either seek an opinion from another urologist or do more research h on normal progress to regaining continence after RP.

Greensleeves.
 
Penile clamps can be very helpful. I am completely incontinent due to a transurethral resection procedure. I have tried a few different brands but the BARD Cunningham clamp seems to be the best so far. Yes, just get them on Amazon. They are only about 45 bucks and last 4-5 months. My advice is to change the position of the clamp every time you urinate...move it either outward or inward along the shaft maybe an half inch or so in order to give your penile skin a break. Also, use corn starch baby powder to keep the skin dry. Before bed in the evening I wash it with soap and water and it should be dry in the morning. I did buy a backup which I highly recommend.
The clamp brought me a degree of freedom from wetness which helped me tremendously in coping with my incontinence. Because of my complete incontinence I also use pads at certain times and I also use Mens Liberty external catheters. They are all tools in the toolbox in learning how to deal with this issue which is devastating when it initially happens.
 
I am surprised at some of the negativity toward my post. I was just seeking some input into which clamps may or may not have worked well for them. So thank you MKuzio. I live in a small rural area in British Columbia that has only one Urologist. But having said that, we also have the Regional Hospital, so many top notch specialists choose to live here for the outdoor recreational lifestyle. Also, because it is a smaller populated area, i know alot of people, of which, two of my friends have had RP in the last year from the same Urologist, and one was dry after 3 weeks and the other 95% after two months. Also, I am still involved in Competitive Curling (very popular sport in Canada) (66 yrs old), and the games take appx 3 hours, so the clamp will give me the opportunity to still play this year, as i cant stop the game, run to the washroom to change a pad, while my incontinence slowly improves. Cheers to all.
 
The clamp will work just fine, but will not change the big factor of leaking when its off and do nor wear it full time or you will wear it forever! Any dr that quotes the stats is lying. Almost all men suffer leaking and ed for many months. Isn't is odd that we/you are always less than the stats. That is why they have to lie. I went to see my gp the other day and he asked how I was. I told him I am still leaking at 6 months (5oz a day). He asked what did they tell you. I said the national average of 3%( but I am better than that by 3 different drs). He looked me in the eye and said, it Far far higher than that just from my patients. I believe him..............
 
Fontoban said:
I am surprised at some of the negativity toward my post. I was just seeking some input into which clamps may or may not have worked well for them. So thank you MKuzio. I live in a small rural area in British Columbia that has only one Urologist. But having said that, we also have the Regional Hospital, so many top notch specialists choose to live here for the outdoor recreational lifestyle. Also, because it is a smaller populated area, i know alot of people, of which, two of my friends have had RP in the last year from the same Urologist, and one was dry after 3 weeks and the other 95% after two months. Also, I am still involved in Competitive Curling (very popular sport in Canada) (66 yrs old), and the games take appx 3 hours, so the clamp will give me the opportunity to still play this year, as i cant stop the game, run to the washroom to change a pad, while my incontinence slowly improves. Cheers to all.
Click to expand...

I think you might be a great candidate for a clamp then if you are into sports. I'm not sure much about them like I said - but I support you either way with what works best for you.

Incontinence and bladder problems are individual based on activity, person, and like many people have said on these forums before "results may vary" hahaha. But from listening to your posts on this thread - it sounds like you would be a great fit for something like that if you lead an active lifestyle.

Blessings In Christ,
Honeeecombs
 
Fontoban, I also curl here in Maine and I also started playing Pickelball recently. The clamp will work fine with those activities. If your sweeping hard you can expect a little leaking with the clamp at times. I found the occasional leak to be well worth the ability to play a sport again! I still wear a pad with the clamp as a 'backup' or I sometimes wear the depends underware. Its all in what you allow yourself to get used to. Once you do you won't have to think about it any more and that is a relief and liberating.
Good Curling!
Mark
 
Update June 7, 2022. I used the clamp for months 4 and 5 (Jan - Feb 2021) after RALP in Sept 2020

I used the Lunderg Confidence Clamp for a few months - I just needed relief to get from home to doctor appointments without soaking a pad every time I got out of my car.

6/28/2022 Lunderg IN STOCK - updated link at bottom of post

The Lunderg is out of stock. I recommend trying the Wiesner Incontinence Clamp ($35 on Amazon 6/7/2022). It has different size bottom pads to control the pressure on the urethral and not the whole penis.

Both Lunderg Confidence Clamp and Wiesner Incontinence Clamp have 3 sizes bottom pads with a dimple that presses on the urethra to stop urine flow. The top pad does NOT have a dimple. Both use medical grade silicone rubber to cover the bottom and top pads.

It states to release and readjust every 1-2 hours and NOT for overnight use.

I started out wearing the clamp for a few hours a day and added time before using the clamp outside of the house. I wanted to determine correct bottom pad size; pressure (4 locking positions); and how it felt sitting, standing, and walking.

Watched the pressure - I use "for Small" bottom clamp and click it in the second hole. I am able to press the head of my privates and the skin discolors and recolors appropriately. Not to tight to cut off circulation, but has been doing the job.


6/7/2022 Lunderg Clamp out of stock - I suggest trying the Wiesner Incontinence Clamp which is very similar with the different size bottom pads.

Wiesner Incontinence Clamp



9/14/2022 Lunderg Clamp IN STOCK
Lunderg sends through Amazon Prime $39.95 on 9/14/2022)
https://lunderg.com/product/incontinence-clamp/ (Out stock on website, but available on Amazon)

Link updated 9/14/2022
 
Piissmore said:
The clamp will work just fine, but will not change the big factor of leaking when its off. Do nor wear it full time or you will wear it forever! Any dr. that quotes the stats is lying and lying is perverse in todays world. Almost all men suffer leaking and ed for many months. Isn't is odd that we/you are always on teh short side of the stats. That is why they have to lie or at least shade the truth. I went to see my gp the other day and he asked how I was. I told him I am still leaking at 6 months (5oz a day but better than 15 when it started)). He asked what did they tell you. They said the national average is 3%( but I am better than that by 3 different drs). He looked me in the eye and said, it Far far higher than that just from the patients I see in my regular gp practice). I believe him.............
Click to expand...
 
Let me relate my experience with incontinence after surgery....I was 90% dry after 3 months and 100% after 4 months. I did do my kegels as you need to do responsibly. I have 4 other friends who have had surgery...3 have regained continence after between 2 and 6 months. One still leaks 2 pads a day but is in his mid 70's.
We are all unique, don't expect to match the average.
Today my total incontinence is due to a combination of adjuvant radiation and a transurethral resection. I don't wish this on anybody.
I might add that if you leak one pad a day because of whatever reason, consider yourself lucky. It's not until you know what is possible and what possibly could go wrong with no apparent reason that you can begin to either blame or complain to anyone. That's just my opinion but also my lived experience.
 
MKuzio said:
Let me relate my experience with incontinence after surgery....I was 90% dry after 3 months and 100% after 4 months. I did do my kegels as you need to do responsibly. I have 4 other friends who have had surgery...3 have regained continence after between 2 and 6 months. One still leaks 2 pads a day but is in his mid 70's.
We are all unique, don't expect to match the average.
Today my total incontinence is due to a combination of adjuvant radiation and a transurethral resection. I don't wish this on anybody.
I might add that if you leak one pad a day because of whatever reason, consider yourself lucky. It's not until you know what is possible and what possibly could go wrong with no apparent reason that you can begin to either blame or complain to anyone. That's just my opinion but also my lived experience.
Click to expand...

I can agree with this statement; when suffering with bad bladder spasms which goes in and out of severe OAB and on rare occasions (but still can happen) Urge Incontinence episodes during the day - I consider myself lucky that I only have to wear pads/a diaper at night.

I wouldn't wish bladder spasms and leakage on my worst enemy. Especially since it in itself is a big hit to my self esteem, childhood, and overall day to day living.

Kind Regards,
Honeeecombs
 
I will start this topic again after being dormant for a while...the idea of a penile clamp while waiting for incontinence to resolve itself seems a no brainer. Just for a few minutes while toweling off after a shower it has become invaluable to me. Who wants to drip or dribble on the bathroom floor? I bought the Wiesner and I use it whenever I need to be free of Depends or pads for a short period of time. I wonder if any of you have found problems when your clamp is left on too long.
 
I am 7 weeks post RP. Dry at night from day one. Sitting is not bad. Standing there is no control. I use the Lundberg Freedom Clamp whenever I'm standing for something or going out. Helps a lot. Can still get a squirt through with a cough or wrong movement, but it stops 95% of dribbling. I wear it with Depends pull ups. After using a while I can now pull it through my zipper and use a urinal just fine. https://www.amazon.com/Lunderg-Free...ontinence+penile+clamps&qid=1680104105&sr=8-6
 
When using the Clamp you should try to urinate every 1 1/2 hours or so. Move the clamp 1/2 inch either forward or backwards from where you had it. This allows the sensitive penile skin to heal where it has turned slightly red.
Don't be alarmed by this. It will return to normal color in the next hour and a half.
Use only enough pressure on the urethra from the clamp to stop say 90 percent of your leakage. Do not over clamp!! Protect the soft tissue of your penis and feel much more comfortable because of it. Do not run the risk of damaging yourself. Wear a brief or a pad as a back up and expect to use it some. If your completely incontinent like me and wear a clamp with two pads a day consider yourself pretty well off. It's MUCH better than 6 or 7 pads a day!!
Take heart, some men have lived years with a clamp and have had no bad repercussions. Just use common sense and be careful.
And yes, use corn starch baby powder on you penile skin to keep it dry. Excessive sweat and urine can irritate the skin causing it to become red and raw. Please share your experiences or any tips in this forum....thanks.
 
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