Urethral Stricture and Cycling

[Abductv]

Hello,

I am a 25 year old Cat 2 who has been racing since the mid-90s. This past season I came back to
racing after a few years off. During my hiatus I rode occasionally for fun.

In the past year I have had a few episodes that seemed like urinary tract infections (i.e. painful
urination, the constant need to go but voiding little). However cultures of my urine and semen have
always come up negative. My primary care doc diagnosed this as prostatitis and gave me some
antibiotics and things usually cleared up. But the "infections" recurred and eventually a urologist
found out I was retaining urine and, judging from the thickness of my bladder walls, had been for
some time. A uroflow report also found that I was my flow was weak. The urologist then performed a
cystoscopy and removed a stricture in the urinary tract near the base of the bladder. After the
cystoscopy (and a wonderful 7 days with the foley catheter) I was peeing like a firehose. With the
doctor's OK I got back on the bike a week after the catheter came out, this time with a Terry Fly
cut-out seat instead of the Bontrager I had been riding for years. I have ridden a bit since then
(on the trainer and outside when the roads are OK) but in the past three weeks my urine stream has
weakened a bit and a follow up test found I was still retaining urine. The urologist attributes this
to cycling and the pressure the saddle puts on the perenium. Yet in all of my years riding I've
never had any saddle discomfort.

Before operating again the urologist wants to wait another month to see if I'm still retaining
urine. In the meantime I want to do some research. Has anyone else out there had this experience of
cycling causing a stricture or urinary retention. If so can you recommend certain saddles to
alleviate it?

Thanks.

 

[Nick Burns]

Ride this saddle until your MD clears you. You can spend all day in it with no prostate concerns. It
is great for your back too.

http://www.relaxtheback.com/global/product/pg_subcategory.cfm?TID=2673491928
25590429011687&CFID=75491928&CFTOKEN=180429016&Site=main&treeID=1898

"ABDUCTV" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello,
>
> I am a 25 year old Cat 2 who has been racing since the mid-90s. This past season I came back to
> racing after a few years off. During my hiatus I rode occasionally for fun.
>
> In the past year I have had a few episodes that seemed like urinary tract infections (i.e. painful
> urination, the constant need to go but voiding little). However cultures of my urine and semen
> have always come up negative. My primary care doc diagnosed this as prostatitis and gave me some
> antibiotics and things usually cleared up. But the "infections" recurred and eventually a
> urologist found out I was retaining urine and, judging from the thickness of my bladder walls, had
> been for some time. A uroflow report also found that I was my flow was weak. The urologist then
> performed a cystoscopy and removed a stricture in the urinary tract near the base of the bladder.
> After the cystoscopy (and a wonderful 7 days with the foley catheter) I was peeing like a
> firehose. With the doctor's OK I got back on the bike a week after the catheter came out, this
> time with a Terry Fly cut-out seat instead of the Bontrager I had been riding for years. I have
> ridden a bit since then (on the trainer and outside when the roads are OK) but in the past three
> weeks my urine stream has weakened a bit and a follow up test found I was still retaining urine.
> The urologist attributes this to cycling and the pressure the saddle puts on the perenium. Yet in
> all of my years riding I've never had any saddle discomfort.
>
> Before operating again the urologist wants to wait another month to see if I'm still retaining
> urine. In the meantime I want to do some research. Has anyone else out there had this experience
> of cycling causing a stricture or urinary retention. If so can you recommend certain saddles to
> alleviate it?
>
> Thanks.

 

[pedalchick]

Originally posted by Abductv
Hello,

I am a 25 year old Cat 2 who has been racing since the mid-90s. This past season I came back to
racing after a few years off. During my hiatus I rode occasionally for fun.

In the past year I have had a few episodes that seemed like urinary tract infections (i.e. painful
urination, the constant need to go but voiding little). However cultures of my urine and semen have
always come up negative. My primary care doc diagnosed this as prostatitis and gave me some
antibiotics and things usually cleared up. But the "infections" recurred and eventually a urologist
found out I was retaining urine and, judging from the thickness of my bladder walls, had been for
some time. A uroflow report also found that I was my flow was weak. The urologist then performed a
cystoscopy and removed a stricture in the urinary tract near the base of the bladder. After the
cystoscopy (and a wonderful 7 days with the foley catheter) I was peeing like a firehose. With the
doctor's OK I got back on the bike a week after the catheter came out, this time with a Terry Fly
cut-out seat instead of the Bontrager I had been riding for years. I have ridden a bit since then
(on the trainer and outside when the roads are OK) but in the past three weeks my urine stream has
weakened a bit and a follow up test found I was still retaining urine. The urologist attributes this
to cycling and the pressure the saddle puts on the perenium. Yet in all of my years riding I've
never had any saddle discomfort.

Before operating again the urologist wants to wait another month to see if I'm still retaining
urine. In the meantime I want to do some research. Has anyone else out there had this experience of
cycling causing a stricture or urinary retention. If so can you recommend certain saddles to
alleviate it?

Thanks.

Dude. That is WAY too much information.

 

[B. Lafferty]

"pedalchick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Abductv wrote:
> > Hello, I am a 25 year old Cat 2 who has been racing since the mid-90s. This past season I came
> > back to racing after a few years off. During my hiatus I rode occasionally for fun. In the
> > past year I have had a few episodes that seemed like urinary tract infections (i.e. painful
> > urination, the constant need to go but voiding little). However cultures of my urine and semen
> > have always
come
> > up negative. My primary care doc diagnosed this as prostatitis and
gave
> > me some antibiotics and things usually cleared up. But the
"infections"
> > recurred and eventually a urologist found out I was retaining urine
and,
> > judging from the thickness of my bladder walls, had been for some
time.
> > A uroflow report also found that I was my flow was weak. The urologist then performed a
> > cystoscopy and removed a stricture in the urinary
tract
> > near the base of the bladder. After the cystoscopy (and a wonderful 7 days with the foley
> > catheter) I was peeing like a firehose. With the doctor's OK I got back on the bike a week
> > after the catheter came out, this time with a Terry Fly cut-out seat instead of the Bontrager
> > I had been riding for years. I have ridden a bit since then (on the trainer and outside when
> > the roads are OK) but in the past three weeks my
urine
> > stream has weakened a bit and a follow up test found I was still retaining urine. The
> > urologist attributes this to cycling and the pressure the saddle puts on the perenium. Yet in
> > all of my years
riding
> > I've never had any saddle discomfort. Before operating again the urologist wants to wait
> > another month to
see
> > if I'm still retaining urine. In the meantime I want to do some research. Has anyone else out
> > there had this experience of cycling causing a stricture or urinary retention. If so can you
> > recommend certain saddles to alleviate it? Thanks.
>
>
>
> Dude. That is WAY too much information.

Indeed. Perhaps a bent is the answer.

 

[John Lorenz Pen]

"B. Lafferty" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> "pedalchick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Abductv wrote:
> > > Hello, I am a 25 year old Cat 2 who has been racing since the mid-90s. This past season I
> > > came back to racing after a few years off. During my hiatus I rode occasionally for fun. In
> > > the past year I have had a few episodes that seemed like urinary tract infections (i.e.
> > > painful urination, the constant need to go but voiding little). However cultures of my urine
> > > and semen have always
> come
> > > up negative. My primary care doc diagnosed this as prostatitis and
> gave
> > > me some antibiotics and things usually cleared up. But the
> "infections"
> > > recurred and eventually a urologist found out I was retaining urine
> and,
> > > judging from the thickness of my bladder walls, had been for some
> time.
> > > A uroflow report also found that I was my flow was weak. The urologist then performed a
> > > cystoscopy and removed a stricture in the urinary
> tract
> > > near the base of the bladder. After the cystoscopy (and a wonderful 7 days with the foley
> > > catheter) I was peeing like a firehose. With the doctor's OK I got back on the bike a week
> > > after the catheter came out, this time with a Terry Fly cut-out seat instead of the
> > > Bontrager I had been riding for years. I have ridden a bit since then (on the trainer and
> > > outside when the roads are OK) but in the past three weeks my
> urine
> > > stream has weakened a bit and a follow up test found I was still retaining urine. The
> > > urologist attributes this to cycling and the pressure the saddle puts on the perenium. Yet
> > > in all of my years
> riding
> > > I've never had any saddle discomfort. Before operating again the urologist wants to wait
> > > another month to
> see
> > > if I'm still retaining urine. In the meantime I want to do some research. Has anyone else
> > > out there had this experience of cycling causing a stricture or urinary retention. If so can
> > > you recommend certain saddles to alleviate it? Thanks.
> >
> >
> >
> > Dude. That is WAY too much information.
>
> Indeed. Perhaps a bent is the answer.

First off, to the two previous posters with their typically ignorant responses, I will be praying
daily that you too can get a urethral stricture and wear a foley catheter for at least a month. It's
an experience you dont forget or laugh at til much later. If you cant handle gory details go back to
reading "Bicycling" mag or watching exterra races on OLN. Anyway, heres my story as brief as I can
be. One afternoon in May 2003 I could not pee, so of course I proceeded to the local crit style
group ride in GG Park. Came home and went to pee again, nothing and then the pain started. I
convinced my wife to drive me to the ER. Practically writhing on the floor by then I was given ever
increasing amounts of IV morphine and valium. Then Bumblefingers MD comes in and attempts to insert
3 countem 3 catheters none of which worked and I was covered in blood begging for mercy from every
God I could think of christian or otherwise. About 1 AM I had emergency surgery and the blockage
(built up scar tissue) was removed and I got to wear the lovely foley catheter and convenient leg
bag. I slept a few hours then gobbled a handful of vicodin and went to the Giants game because we
had great seats. Wearing the foley was almost worse than the stricture but if your into blood and
urine you'd probably love it. I even rode a bike to work and got to pee while riding, talking to my
boss, in line at the bank etc. When it came out it was like a fire hose, cut my urinal time to
nothing, eventually it seems closer to normal but still much better than before. Totally messed up
my already miserable racing and I never got back to decent enough fitness. I rode different saddles
for a while but now I'm back to the SLR on the number 1 bike super hard super light but I'm shopping
for something else. Good luck to you man, I know it sucked but you might not need a new surgery. How
this relates to cycling is that it is a known illness among cyclist but the numbers are pretty low.
My theory is that cycling can exacerbate an existing problem(scarring) that may have been caused by
a urinary tract infection. Ride on, heres to not getting sick in 2004.
PS I broke two ribs in December when I fell off my rollers in the dark in my backyard, for that I
deserve all the derision RBR can heap on me. Ciao, John Lorenz aka JLo

 

[T A]

Very well written!
"John Lorenz PenVelo" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "B. Lafferty" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > "pedalchick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > Abductv wrote:
> > > > Hello, I am a 25 year old Cat 2 who has been racing since the mid-90s.
This
> > > > past season I came back to racing after a few years off. During my hiatus I rode
> > > > occasionally for fun. In the past year I have had a few episodes that seemed like
urinary
> > > > tract infections (i.e. painful urination, the constant need to go
but
> > > > voiding little). However cultures of my urine and semen have
always
> > come
> > > > up negative. My primary care doc diagnosed this as prostatitis and
> > gave
> > > > me some antibiotics and things usually cleared up. But the
> > "infections"
> > > > recurred and eventually a urologist found out I was retaining
urine
> > and,
> > > > judging from the thickness of my bladder walls, had been for some
> > time.
> > > > A uroflow report also found that I was my flow was weak. The
urologist
> > > > then performed a cystoscopy and removed a stricture in the urinary
> > tract
> > > > near the base of the bladder. After the cystoscopy (and a
wonderful 7
> > > > days with the foley catheter) I was peeing like a firehose. With
the
> > > > doctor's OK I got back on the bike a week after the catheter came
out,
> > > > this time with a Terry Fly cut-out seat instead of the Bontrager I
had
> > > > been riding for years. I have ridden a bit since then (on the
trainer
> > > > and outside when the roads are OK) but in the past three weeks my
> > urine
> > > > stream has weakened a bit and a follow up test found I was still retaining urine. The
> > > > urologist attributes this to cycling and the pressure the saddle puts on the perenium. Yet
> > > > in all of my years
> > riding
> > > > I've never had any saddle discomfort. Before operating again the urologist wants to wait
> > > > another month
to
> > see
> > > > if I'm still retaining urine. In the meantime I want to do some research. Has anyone else
> > > > out there had this experience of cycling causing a stricture or urinary retention. If so
> > > > can you recommend certain saddles to alleviate it? Thanks.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Dude. That is WAY too much information.
> >
> > Indeed. Perhaps a bent is the answer.
>
> First off, to the two previous posters with their typically ignorant responses, I will be praying
> daily that you too can get a urethral stricture and wear a foley catheter for at least a month.
> It's an experience you dont forget or laugh at til much later. If you cant handle gory details go
> back to reading "Bicycling" mag or watching exterra races on OLN. Anyway, heres my story as brief
> as I can be. One afternoon in May 2003 I could not pee, so of course I proceeded to the local crit
> style group ride in GG Park. Came home and went to pee again, nothing and then the pain started. I
> convinced my wife to drive me to the ER. Practically writhing on the floor by then I was given
> ever increasing amounts of IV morphine and valium. Then Bumblefingers MD comes in and attempts to
> insert 3 countem 3 catheters none of which worked and I was covered in blood begging for mercy
> from every God I could think of christian or otherwise. About 1 AM I had emergency surgery and the
> blockage (built up scar tissue) was removed and I got to wear the lovely foley catheter and
> convenient leg bag. I slept a few hours then gobbled a handful of vicodin and went to the Giants
> game because we had great seats. Wearing the foley was almost worse than the stricture but if your
> into blood and urine you'd probably love it. I even rode a bike to work and got to pee while
> riding, talking to my boss, in line at the bank etc. When it came out it was like a fire hose, cut
> my urinal time to nothing, eventually it seems closer to normal but still much better than before.
> Totally messed up my already miserable racing and I never got back to decent enough fitness. I
> rode different saddles for a while but now I'm back to the SLR on the number 1 bike super hard
> super light but I'm shopping for something else. Good luck to you man, I know it sucked but you
> might not need a new surgery. How this relates to cycling is that it is a known illness among
> cyclist but the numbers are pretty low. My theory is that cycling can exacerbate an existing
> problem(scarring) that may have been caused by a urinary tract infection. Ride on, heres to not
> getting sick in 2004.
> PS I broke two ribs in December when I fell off my rollers in the dark in my backyard, for that I
> deserve all the derision RBR can heap on me. Ciao, John Lorenz aka JLo

 

[Curt]

test sorry
"Nick Burns" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Ride this saddle until your MD clears you. You can spend all day in it
with
> no prostate concerns. It is great for your back too.
>
>
http://www.relaxtheback.com/global/product/pg_subcategory.cfm?TID=2673491928
> 25590429011687&CFID=75491928&CFTOKEN=180429016&Site=main&treeID=1898
>
> "ABDUCTV" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Hello,
> >
> > I am a 25 year old Cat 2 who has been racing since the mid-90s. This past season I came back to
> > racing after a few years off. During my hiatus I rode occasionally for fun.
> >
> > In the past year I have had a few episodes that seemed like urinary tract infections (i.e.
> > painful urination, the constant need to go but voiding little). However cultures of my urine and
> > semen have always come up negative. My primary care doc diagnosed this as prostatitis and gave
> > me some antibiotics and things usually cleared up. But the "infections" recurred and eventually
> > a urologist found out I was retaining urine and, judging from the thickness of my bladder walls,
> > had been for some time. A uroflow report also found that I was my flow was weak. The urologist
> > then performed a cystoscopy and removed a stricture in the urinary tract near the base of the
> > bladder. After the cystoscopy (and a wonderful 7 days with the foley catheter) I was peeing like
> > a firehose. With the doctor's OK I got back on the bike a week after the catheter came out, this
> > time with a Terry Fly cut-out seat instead of the Bontrager I had been riding for years. I have
> > ridden a bit since then (on the trainer and outside when the roads are OK) but in the past three
> > weeks my urine stream has weakened a bit and a follow up test found I was still retaining urine.
> > The urologist attributes this to cycling and the pressure the saddle puts on the perenium. Yet
> > in all of my years riding I've never had any saddle discomfort.
> >
> > Before operating again the urologist wants to wait another month to see if I'm still retaining
> > urine. In the meantime I want to do some research. Has anyone else out there had this experience
> > of cycling causing a stricture or urinary retention. If so can you recommend certain saddles to
> > alleviate it?
> >
> > Thanks.