So men, how is your urinary tract health?

odusgolp
odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
edited October 2024 in Chit-Chat
A moment of... serious. I promise not to do it often...

Apparently it is very rare for a male to get a Urinary Tract Infection, particularly as a child that is not sexually active. My son has been diagnosed w/ a very severe UTI at 5 years old and they want to do a Vesicoureteral Reflux test - cath the bladder, shove dye up there and watch the flow of the dye through xray is the basic gist of it.

I'm not crazy about him having to go through this. I have another medical opinion suggesting a Renal Ultrasound instead.

On the off-chance anyone has experience about one or the other, I'd appreciate hearing your personal opinions.

Replies

  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    And yes, Please private message me stories about your junk if you don't want to publicize that, naturally *LOL*
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    I'm not a man, but when my nephew was circ'd the urologist said that if it had been done, as is customary by, the ob they would have missed a pretty nasty calcium deposit that would have caused him much pain and hardship along the way (including low stream and terrible uti's as his urithra would never flush properly).

    I'd never want your son, or almost any man for that matter, to go through something like this. But we're talking about his penis here, and you have to do whatever it takes to make sure it's working properly. If you feel more comfortable with it, start with the less invasive approach but don't discount the other one all together.
  • Brannock8
    Brannock8 Posts: 170 Member
    So, I have not had any UT trouble, but I have been catheterized during a couple of unrelated surgeries (head, chest). I've been under Fluoroscopy dozens of times, and I actually work for a living making catheter based medical devices (mostly venous access, but the devices are similiar).

    Without being knowledgeable specifically with this procedure, it doesn't sound like one that should be overly concerning. The occasional Fluoroscope isn't anything to worry about, and while a catheter is not my idea of a good time, it is not too bad other than discomfort.

    My one warning is just for post operation, peeing for him may be frustrating and difficult, but ya figure it out again and it's not too bad. It's not due to any damage, but just the muscles get a little confused for a while (1hr- a day or 3)
  • solpwr
    solpwr Posts: 1,039 Member
    Thinking about this, my ex's uncle got circumcised in his 20's because of recurring uti's. I think foreskin hygiene is a real big deal, for those who possess them.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    From what I've read, an Uncircumcised male is more likely to get a UTI, particularly under 6 months of age. It's after a year old and before sexual activity that it is rare without an underlying physical abnormality.

    What one of those doctors told us is that UTIs in this case are typically caused from:
    1. holding the bladder too long
    2. reflux (urine flows back to the kidneys from the bladder, which can cause very serious kidney damage)
    3. Neurogenic Bladder (this is a central nervous system problem moreso than a plumbing problem)
    4. Blockage (I forgot what this is usually attributed to)
  • PegasusDeb
    PegasusDeb Posts: 665 Member
    Ok, this is weird. My X just told me that he was having all kinds of weird issues. And he FINALLY went in & was told he had a UTI. He's 50! His doc asked him the customary questions wondering where he'd "been"... He's clean in that regards & says he's had no sex for awhile, which I believe him. (Even though we are no longer together, we remain good friends & we've both been thru so much together that discussing an issue like this is no big deal) Anyways... there were several reasons that a male could get this & one was from drinking bad water! Weird. I know the discomfort he's been in, so I can't imagine your little guy. I have had several & I know how serious they can be if not treated. Good luck.
  • Begood03
    Begood03 Posts: 1,259 Member
    I have no experience with this, sorry I couldn't help.
  • cabaray
    cabaray Posts: 971 Member
    My daughter had a VCUG when she was 4 to test for Reflux. They medicated her beforehand, so she was out of it while the test was being done. She had no idea they did anything to her.
  • cabaray
    cabaray Posts: 971 Member
    As far as the Renal Ultrasound goes, it won't be able to diagnose reflux if that is the problem.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    hrmmmm.... thanks y'all. still a hard decision.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    My daughter had a VCUG when she was 4 to test for Reflux. They medicated her beforehand, so she was out of it while the test was being done. She had no idea they did anything to her.

    Did she have reflux?
  • Elisirmon
    Elisirmon Posts: 273 Member
    My brother was circumcised wrong as a baby and it effected him so he got a really bad UTI at around 6 and the doctors came in and had to fix it. Also they found out that a blood vessel was bulging and causing urine flow restriction also.
  • cabaray
    cabaray Posts: 971 Member
    My daughter had a VCUG when she was 4 to test for Reflux. They medicated her beforehand, so she was out of it while the test was being done. She had no idea they did anything to her.

    Did she have reflux?
    No, she didn't. The test won't be difficult for him (providing they medicate him) and you really don't want him to damage his kidney's if he does have reflux. To me, it was an easy decision to make to have the testing done, but I can see how you might be hesitant.
  • solpwr
    solpwr Posts: 1,039 Member
    By the way, I've been cathed a few times. What doesn't kill you makes you tougher.

    I worry about the radiation exposure to 3 footers reproductive organs. That's not good. Can only do that so many times.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    The pediatrician essentially said, doing the VCUG after diagnosis was always the "norm" b/c of potential kidney damage. However, the resulting diagnoses of actual cases of reflux are rare. The pediatrician said, the most current accepted practice is to do the ultrasound and urinalysis to look for potential problems before the VCUG.

    But yes, I'm here b/c I'm torn b/w those two conflicting schools of thought.
  • cabaray
    cabaray Posts: 971 Member
    The pediatrician essentially said, doing the VCUG after diagnosis was always the "norm" b/c of potential kidney damage. However, the resulting diagnoses of actual cases of reflux are rare. The pediatrician said, the most current accepted practice is to do the ultrasound and urinalysis to look for potential problems before the VCUG.

    But yes, I'm here b/c I'm torn b/w those two conflicting schools of thought.
    So they haven't ruled other problems out? Now the renal ultrasound makes sense. I would definitely do that first. No radiation, no discomfort. They did the VCUG on my daughter after urinalysis and ultrasound. She had a lot of protein in her urine. Ultimately, we found that she had a kidney problem from a strep infection that resolved on it's own. She is prone to strep throat, so any sign of it and it's off to the doctor. We have to get it treated quickly as she has had post-strep GN before.
    Best of luck in whatever you decide to do. Hope the little guy gets better soon!
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    The pediatrician essentially said, doing the VCUG after diagnosis was always the "norm" b/c of potential kidney damage. However, the resulting diagnoses of actual cases of reflux are rare. The pediatrician said, the most current accepted practice is to do the ultrasound and urinalysis to look for potential problems before the VCUG.

    But yes, I'm here b/c I'm torn b/w those two conflicting schools of thought.
    So they haven't ruled other problems out? Now the renal ultrasound makes sense. I would definitely do that first. No radiation, no discomfort. They did the VCUG on my daughter after urinalysis and ultrasound. She had a lot of protein in her urine. Ultimately, we found that she had a kidney problem from a strep infection that resolved on it's own. She is prone to strep throat, so any sign of it and it's off to the doctor. We have to get it treated quickly as she has had post-strep GN before.
    Best of luck in whatever you decide to do. Hope the little guy gets better soon!


    AH! That makes me a bit relieved knowing that they did the other two first for you as well! My son gets strep way too often as well.. I wonder if that could also have something to do with it? Takes after me, I finally had my tonsils out at 27. I want them to remove his. How completely bizarre!
  • cabaray
    cabaray Posts: 971 Member
    The pediatrician essentially said, doing the VCUG after diagnosis was always the "norm" b/c of potential kidney damage. However, the resulting diagnoses of actual cases of reflux are rare. The pediatrician said, the most current accepted practice is to do the ultrasound and urinalysis to look for potential problems before the VCUG.

    But yes, I'm here b/c I'm torn b/w those two conflicting schools of thought.
    So they haven't ruled other problems out? Now the renal ultrasound makes sense. I would definitely do that first. No radiation, no discomfort. They did the VCUG on my daughter after urinalysis and ultrasound. She had a lot of protein in her urine. Ultimately, we found that she had a kidney problem from a strep infection that resolved on it's own. She is prone to strep throat, so any sign of it and it's off to the doctor. We have to get it treated quickly as she has had post-strep GN before.
    Best of luck in whatever you decide to do. Hope the little guy gets better soon!


    AH! That makes me a bit relieved knowing that they did the other two first for you as well! My son gets strep way too often as well.. I wonder if that could also have something to do with it? Takes after me, I finally had my tonsils out at 27. I want them to remove his. How completely bizarre!
    If he continues to get strep a lot, take him to an ENT. They removed my daughter's tonsils when she was 5. Before that, she would have strep throat 3-4 times per year. She gets it about once a year now.
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