Concern About My Dad's Bladder Problem.

[Jenarry]

My dad who is 65 years old has had a problem for a while now with needing to urinate more often than is normal. It is so bad that whenever he and my mum go anywhere my dad susses out where the loos are for when he needs them.
My mum has asked him over and over to go and see his doctor about this but he refuses and won't talk about it.
He retired from a very active job last May and subsequently has put on a bit of weight ,enough to raise his blood pressure and cause concern at a recent health check at the doctor's.
I think he got a bit of a roasting from the nurse about his diet and alcohol consumption which he has taken steps to improve and has lost a little weight.
After rechecking his blood pressure which is still a little high my dad has been put on to bendroflumethiazide water tablets .
I'm hoping someone can give me some advice.
I don't think the doctor/nurse is aware of his frequent urination problem so are these water tablets the right treatment for him.
(He doesn't take any another medications.)
It may make his blood pressure come down but I think it is going to make life even more difficult/uncomfortable for him.
I've suggested to my mum to intervene and have a quiet word with the nurse at their surgery about my dad's bladder problem but she hasn't taken my advice.
I know this could possibly be something serious causing this and I know there are medications he could be taking to help him but I'm at a loss to what to do if he doesn't want to seek help himself. Any advice would be gratefully received .

[puternut]

I would get it checked out as frequent urination is a POSSIBLE sign of diabetes. I know from 20 years or so of type 2.

The bendroflumethiazide is , as far as I am aware, a very mild diuretic and so would (or maybe that's should) not be the only solution to hypertension.

The problem of him not getting checked out is one that is a little trickier as (again) as far as I know a doctor will not offer treatment unless asked by the patient themself.

[Sqad]

I agree totally with puternut.........i am not sure what diuretics alone will do for his BP........but there you go.

Two things about his bladder symptoms, yes they may be due to Type2 diabetes, but they may also be due to prostate problems.

You can't force him to tell of his medical symptoms, but i would tell him that it could be prostate CANCER and if treated now may well be curable.

You can't say more than that...can you?

[Maydup]

If he is urinating as often as you describe, he probably does have problems with his prostate (which is very, very common) Its not necessarily cancer of course but he needs to rule that out.

A high proportion of me over 60 have the same problems and control it perfectly well with medication. if a stern talking to is unlikely to work, then try a sympathetic word. tell him that a friend of yours has a Dad with the same thing and he just has to take a tablet every day. This friends Dad used to be able to list every toilet in the UK but needs them less these days!

[Maydup]

Men over 60' not " me"

[Jenarry]

good news. i had a word with my dad about this a couple of weeks ago (it wasn't for long as he soon changed the subject!) but it has done the trick .
He has since been to the surgery with another check up on his blood pressure and he actually asked the doctor about his frequent urination.
He has been back to have blood taken to check into this and we are now waiting to hear back with the results. :O) Just hoping it's nothing too sinister especially as he has ignored it for so long.