BCG Treatment - How Long Does Work

Hello Leo, I think the after effects of BCG installations vary.  My first round went perfectly well albeit more frequent trips to the loo in the night. My last dose nearly wiped me out. Really painful to pee but no blood or debris. However after a couple of weeks the discomfort disappeared. Good luck Leo. Good tip I got was to drink Robinson Barley Water (Original) really seems to help the bladder. Garviv

Hi Leo. I completed my first round of maintenance treatments in March/April of this year and I am currently in the middle of my second round of maintenance treatments. I found the side effects of the first round to be harsh with some bleeding for a day or two, terrible urgency for two to four days afterward, with persistence throughout the week until the next treatment, fatigue and other flu like symptoms. I had an extra week between the second and third treatment because of a statutory holiday, and I sure needed it before that third treatment. The urgency continued afterward (burning in bladder and urethra) for many weeks with gradual improvement. I was almost back to normal after two months. I am experiencing similar burning and urgency this round but a little milder. The worst side effect this time has been a pounding headache on day two for 24 hours which neither ibuprofen or acetaminophen seemed to alleviate. My third treatment is in about a week from now and I intend to try a Tylenol (acetaminophen) 4 which is substantially stronger (I checked with the pharmacist). My experience has been that the burning and urgency do subside over time but they are quite severe in the first few days after treatment. 

Cheers CDN sounds similar to mine, I had an inflamed prostate too. thank you Leo

Hi Leo,

Sorry to hear what you are going through. Unfortunately I don't know the answer to your question, but it is an interesting question and something I've not really thought about.

We're asked to drink loads after each instillation to flush out the vaccine, but I'm really not sure if it carries on working in the bladder and for how long.

I had my last instillation last Wednesday and I still have a little urgency, but I'm still drinking loads and I'm up a couple of times during the night.  

It's still painful when weeing, more of a burning in the penis than the bladder. I did notice the catheter was more painful ( just a little) when they inserted this time and I've only had a little discomfort before.

Hopefully things will improve for you soon.

Take care.

Trevor 

I agree that the burning in the penis (and urgency) is more of a problem than burning in the bladder.

It's not the best feeling. I'm still drinking 2-3 litres a day so weeing quite a bit still... Some wees are better than others..

Hope your symptoms ease up soonest.

I'm meeting my consultant on 14/08 so will ask if there's anything I can do if not better by then.

Take care.

Trevor