After Hours Resources
If you feel you are having a true medical emergency, call 911 or go to the closest emergency room.
Passing Kidney Stones
Passing a kidney stone can be very painful – think giving birth!
You may feel pain that comes and goes in your side or flank, or radiating to your groin. Your symptoms may include nausea and/or vomiting, dark urine or even blood in your urine.
If you find yourself dealing with painful kidney stones, here’s what to do:
- Drink lots of water
- Try sitting in a warm tub
- Take Tylenol or Ibuprofen (Advil, etc.)
When should you call a doctor?
- Uncontrolled pain in your side, groin, abdomen, or genitals
- Uncontrolled nausea or vomiting
- Fever of 101.3 or greater
If the pain is intolerable and you are unable to wait until our office opens (8:30 am, Mon. – Fri.), the nearest emergency room can evaluate you and perform an x-ray to see if there is a stone, as well as give you medication to help control your pain.
Please note that our practice policy prohibits us from calling in pain medication after hours.
If you have a fever (101.3 degrees Fahrenheit or greater) or can’t keep liquids down, it is important to go immediately to the nearest emergency room
All of our offices are open Monday – Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm. Simply visit our locations page and call the one nearest you. After hours and in the event of an emergency, please call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room.
Difficulty Urinating
Many people experience difficulty urinating. In the most severe case, urinary flow stops completely, and this is known as urinary retention. Both men and women suffer from this condition. Some patients experience a decreasing force of their urinary stream – others are suddenly unable to urinate.
Common causes of urinary retention:
- Enlarged prostate
- Recent surgery/anesthesia
- Poor bladder contraction due to a neurologic condition
- Certain decongestants/antihistamines
- Bladder spasm medications
If you’re suddenly experiencing urinary retention, here’s what to do:
- Try sitting in a tub of warm water to relax the muscles that aid in urination
- For men, make sure you are taking any prostate medications prescribed by your physician
- If you’re using decongestants/antihistamines, discontinue their use
With the acute form of urinary retention, you will all of a sudden not be able to go. This is often accompanied with severe discomfort in the bladder area. If this happens, it is important to proceed immediately to the emergency room for catheter placement.
If you are able to urinate, but feel you are unable to completely empty your bladder, please call our office during business hours for evaluation.
All of our offices are open Monday – Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Simply visit our locations page and call the one nearest you. After hours and in the event of an emergency, please call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room.
Frequent and/or Painful Urination
Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go!
Frequent urination means needing to urinate substantially more often than usual. Urinary urgency and frequency can occur suddenly, creating a strong urge to urinate, and usually associated with painful urination and discomfort in your bladder.
Common causes are:
- Bladder irritation, also called cystitis
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Swelling and infection of the urethra
- Vaginitis (swelling or discharge of the vulva and vagina)
- Enlarged prostate
- Estrogen deficiency caused by menopause
- Leakage of urine from the urethra
- Excess body weight that places extra pressure on the bladder
- Conditions affecting muscles, nerves, and tissues
If you’re experiencing frequent urination, here’s what to do:
- Stay hydrated by drinking large amounts of water, which may help flush out bacteria and help your symptoms
- Take an over-the-counter drug called AZO Urinary Pain relief that will help alleviate your painful urination (i.e. dysuria).
When to call a doctor:
- If pain while urinating doesn’t subside from over-the-counter medication
- Leaking urine
- Waking up multiple times a night to urinate
- Nausea, fever, or chills
If your symptoms start on the weekend, come to us for a urine culture on Monday. If your symptoms start after office hours during the week, come in the next day. However, if you have any fevers/chills or uncontrolled discomfort you may need to visit your nearest urgent care or emergency room for evaluation.
All of our offices are open Monday – Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Simply visit our locations page and call the one nearest you. After hours and in the event of an emergency, please call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room.
Recovering From A Vasectomy
A vasectomy is a simple procedure most often associated with a fast recovery.
Here are some tips for a fast and full recovery:
- Take it really easy for about 72 hours after your procedure. Think lots of TV and couch time. Ice packs will help to keep swelling down and relieve discomfort. Stay off your feet when you can. No strenuous activity.
- For the first 2 days, apply ice when needed to relieve discomfort.
- Medication such as Ibuprofen and Aspirin can delay recovery – Tylenol is usually recommended over other medications.
- Showers only for the first 7 days – taking baths will increase your risk of infection
- For comfort, wear supportive underwear for the first week.
- Avoid sexual activity until pain is gone. This can range anywhere from 5-14 days.
- Use soap and water to keep incision clean.
Over the counter antibiotic ointment isn’t necessary, but is safe to use on your incision. Swelling and bruising is expected, however contact your doctor if:
- Your scrotum develops severe swelling, turns purple, and blows up like a balloon: this could be a hematoma
- Fever higher than 101 degrees
- Draining increases or redness spreads
Most importnatly, you MUST continue to use contraception until sterility is confirmed. There is no firm timetable, but a semen specimen is generally inspected approximately 2 months after your procedure. Until examination of a semen specimen confirms no sperm, you are still considered fertile!
Checking Sterility.
Some vasectomies can fail. Again, sterility must be confirmed.
- Contact your Urologist’s office ahead of time to make sure your specimen can promptly be checked.
- Your specimen needs to be checked within two to four hours of ejaculation
- Your specimen should be kept at room temperature
- Place the semen in the provided cup, or use any clean container with a lid.
- Do not bring specimen in a condom.
All of our offices are open Monday – Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Simply visit our locations page and call the one nearest you. After hours and in the event of an emergency, please call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room.
Blood In The Urine (Hematuria)
Seeing blood in your urine, called hematuria, can be an alarming sight.
Common causes of hematuria:
- Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
- Kidney Stones
- Enlarged prostate
- Recent urological procedures, such as kidney stone or prostate surgery
- Bladder, kidney, or prostate cancer
- Your urologist will do tests to determine the cause, usually x-raying your kidneys and using cystoscopy, which involves looking into the bladder with a small, flexible scope.
Here’s what to do when you see blood in your urine:
- Drink a lot of fluids to increase urine production and keep the bladder flushed out.
- Stop taking Aspirin, Ibuprofen etc., which can make the blood thin.
- Call your primary care doctor’s office if you are on prescription drugs that thin the blood (Coumadin, Plavix) to see if it is safe to stop those while you are bleeding.
When to call a doctor:
- Along with blood in your urine, you have discomfort with urination
- Urgent and frequent urination
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fever, nausea, vomiting, shakes, and chills
- Pain in your abdomen, side, or back
- Unable to urinate
- Fever above 101 degrees
Blood isn’t always visible in your urine, so if you have some of these symptoms, but you don’t see any blood, still contact your doctor.
Frequently asked questions.
Can I still urinate if I have blood in my urine? Yes, but a clot may form, blocking the bladder. If you need to go, but cannot, see a doctor immediately.
Will I require a blood transfusion? Not likely. Just a little blood in your urine can look like a lot.
All of our offices are open Monday – Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Simply visit our locations page and call the one nearest you. After hours and in the event of an emergency, please call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room.
Foley Catheters
If your doctor sent you home with a Foley catheter and you are having problems, here are some things that may help:
- If there is no urine in the bag, check your tubing for kinks and straighten them out if needed.
- Make sure you are not sitting or lying on the tubing.
- Make sure the urine bag is hanging below your waist.
- Your catheter tube will be attached to your skin, so make sure the tape or strap being used isn’t blocking the tube.
When you are using a Foley catheter, be sure to drink plenty of water to keep your bladder and kidneys flushed. Always wash your hands before and after handling your catheter and bag. Also, blood and urine leakage is common around the catheter, and so is a little blood in the tube. Don’t worry about this, unless the catheter stops draining completely.
Sediment in the tubing and bag is also common and not a concern.
Here are some tips for caring for your Foley catheter:
- Use warm water and soap to clean your genital area every day.
- Clean your catheter and the area where it is inserted.
- Always keep your Foley catheter attached to the drainage system to form a closed system. Do not disconnect any part of the system unless you need to change the bag.
When to call a doctor:
- Increased lower abdominal pain or fever.
- If your catheter falls out and you cannot urinate, or if your catheter stops draining.
- Redness, swelling or pain in the genital area.
All of our offices are open Monday – Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Simply visit our locations page and call the one nearest you. After hours and in the event of an emergency, please call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room.
Stent Discomfort
If you had a recent procedure that required the placement of a ureteral stent (a thin tube that reaches from your kidney to the bladder), you may experience the following normal and expected side effects:
- Burning and irritation when urinating
- Frequent urge to urinate
- Urinating in small amounts
- Blood in urine or dark urine
- Discomfort or pain in the kidney/flank area when urinating (this is due to some of the urine going back up the stent when the bladder contracts)
What to do to minimize side effects and symptoms:
- Take AZO Urinary Pain Relief to help with frequency and burning.
- If your urologists prescribed pain medications, you may take them as well with AZO products.
Most stents are typically left in for 5-7 days and are removed in the office. In some cases, they may be in for longer periods.
Make sure your urologist tells you or your family member how long your stent will be needed. ALL ureteral stents are temporary and must be removed in a timely fashion to prevent serious complications. When your stent is removed, you may have flank pain later that day due to spasms of the ureter.
Sitting in a hot tub will help, and the discomfort will usually resolve by the following day.
Tips for home care:
- Rest when you feel tired and avoid strenuous activity.
- Adjust your job functions when you return to work to accommodate your recovery process, if needed.
- Be sure to tell your doctor what medications you take, especially blood thinners and Aspirin.
- If prescribed antibiotics, don’t stop taking them if you feel better. Finish the full prescription, unless your doctor says otherwise.
When to call a doctor:
- If you have uncontrolled pain, nausea, or vomiting
- If you have a fever
All of our offices are open Monday – Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Simply visit our locations page and call the one nearest you. After hours and in the event of an emergency, please call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room.
