BCG treatment, can't hold in bladder for more than 1.5 hours
I have non invasive bladder cancer and am being treated with BCG.
It is recommended to hold the BCG in the bladder for 2 hour, however I have an overactive bladder and can only hold the BCG for 1.5 hours.
Any ideas on how to hold it longer?
And idea if it is still effective with the reduced holding time?
@hkpvmam - I am not a medical professional and did not have BCG treatments but read frequently of the same situation that you have. It does not appear from what I have read that the time you hold it in needs to be the full 2 hours. I have also read of those who for whatever reason, cause them to have a reduced amount instilled - say 1/2 dose. I personally believe that it is more about the continued instillations more than that amount of time you can hold it in. I see post of 1 hour to 1 1/2 hour. You may want to ask your doctor but I assume those who have had BCG and had this happen will comment. My best to you and hoping for success with the BCG. Keep us updated on how you are doing. Linda Urbanski ( moderator, bladdercancer.net team member)
When I went through my bcg I was told a hour is all you need. They also had me lay down and turn a quarter turn every 15 minutes. You could ask to be put on Oxybutynin it helps with bladder spasms. Good luck with your treatment and when you finish make sure you get checked every year. I was ten years clean and now its back
I'm in that nice zone where I'm not having treatments or procedures for a while; the next cystoscope is scheduled 4 weeks away. But I will have to check in with the surgeon's office to validate that date, as I chose it rather than the doctor setting the date. Saying it this way, as the instillations were interrupted a couple of times by their office mistakes, and the cysto originally was scheduled to a time that would've been too close to my last instillation of gemcitabine. 
glad things are going still and good luck with the upcoming scope. Wishing you well. Laura, Moderator, BladderCancer.net
My first course of BCG is 6 sessions. Then after 3 months another 3 sessions and so on for a year.
Did you have annual BCG sessions?
How old were you when they first detected the bladder cancer? I'm 84.
Thanks for your information.I was 40 at diagnosis. So sorry to hear it has returned after such a long time. How are you doing now? Laura, Moderator, BladderCancer.net @kzickovich - I was 63 when I was diagnosed but chose not to have BCG. I wish you success in treatment and hope that you are able to be NED again. This form of cancer seems to come back easily so continued testing seems to be the best way to keep ahead of it or at least keep it under control. My best to you. Please keep us updated on how you are doing. Linda Urbanski ( moderator, Bladdercancer.net team member)
Well I'm new to this and I'm not sure what high-grade means but I do appreciate your taking the time to give me this feedback I'm still not clear though did you have BCG each year when you had check ups or was it just a one time thing after the removal of the cancer
I want to wish you the best, and I hope that you beat this againhi, this might help to understand the grading. https://bladdercancer.net/diagnosis/stages Laura, Moderator, BladderCancer.net here is some more information on the different uses of BCG. https://bladdercancer.net/treatment/bcg Laura, Moderator, BladderCancer.net
