Maintenance Doses Number 1

Hi Leo1 . No experience of BCG but I hope it goes well for you. Best wishes.

Hi Leo,

My first set of BCG maintenance side effects was pretty similar to the induction. I think I was fortunate, just the constant need to wee and slight pain when weeing for 24 hours.

I've always seemed to have struggled with keeping in the BCG for two hours, probably 50/50.

Good luck with your next instillations, keep us posted.

Trevor 

Can be similar but depends. My urethra was perforated on the first of the three and the experience was much worse than the first six induction doses as a result.

OUCH! Hope you complained?!!!

I had 15 doses and then a gap of 9 months - currently on number 4 of new induction course and for me this time round it seems to be slightly less painful but I think that might just be that I am more used to it. I struggle with the two hours and have ranged from an hour and 53 minutes to an hour and 22 minutes so far.

Hi,

I do wonder why I can't hold for two hours, the bladder is empty and I don't drink for 5 hour's before hand at least.

When I have a morning appointment I don't drink that day until afterwards. I guess it's the bladder reacting and trying to expel the BCG. 

Best of luck.

Trevor 

BCG causes inflammation in the bladder. I think my bladder capacity drops from a pint to a shot glass or smaller at the start, thus the visits to the loo every 10 mins in the first 24 hours..

Yeah those 24 hours after are extremely tiring. Drink, wee, bleach, wash... Repeat...

Only manage a small wee, if any sometimes, but the constant feeling of desperately needing to go... But I must not grumble.. it's three time's every six month's for me ATM and it's working (touch wood)...

Hi BFG, imho you'd do better to drink normally until say an hour before, have a good wee just before going in. The result of going thirsty for so long  as five hours plus will be that the kidneys still produce a little urine, but this is so concentrated that it will irritate the bladder without any hep from the BCG. 

If you are particularly concerned to minimise urine concentration you could help this short term eg just for treatment days, by avoiding protein for those few hours till after the treatment.

Hope this helps

Hi Denby,,

Many thanks, I was advised to stop drinking ideally for 5 hours before to help with the retention and so the BCG was more concentrated when inside, to have a better chance of working etc.

I'll have a small glass maybe a couple of hours before see if that helps.

Thanks again.

Trevor