After dribble (post micturition dribble)
After-dribble means the loss of a few drops of urine. This is usually after leaving the toilet. The medical term for this condition is post micturition dribbling (PMD). This page gives you information about PMD and how to manage the condition. Few men admit to having this problem but a great many suffer and are embarrassed by it. PMD affects men of all ages. It usually happens just as the penis is being replaced and garments rearranged - then the trousers get wet and stained.
Some men find that, despite waiting and shaking the penis, it remains a problem. This happens because the urethra (the tube leading from the bladder to the tip of the penis) is not being emptied completely by the muscles of the pelvic floor, which surround it. A ‘collection’ of urine pools in the urethra. This will then leak out of the urethra on movement and gravity, causing the PMD.
The pelvic floor muscles can be weakened by:
- Operation for an enlarged prostate
- Pelvic surgery
- Straining to open your bowels
- Being overweight
- Having a chronic cough
- Persistent heavy lifting
- Neurological damage
How to reduce PMD
The best way to deal with this problem is to push the last few drops of urine from the urethra with your fingers, before the final shake.
The method is as follows:
- Pass urine in the usual manner then wait for a few seconds to allow the bladder to empty.
- Place the fingertips of your hand about three finger-widths behind your scrotum and press gently (see point ‘A’ in Figure 1).
- Still applying pressure, bring your fingers forward towards the base of your penis, under the scrotum (see the ‘direction arrow’ on the diagram).
- This pushes the urine forward into the penile urethra from where it can be emptied by shaking or squeezing in the usual way.
- Repeat this process twice to make sure that the urethra is completely empty. This method can be practised at home.
- When in a public toilet it would be better to use a cubicle, it only takes a few seconds and will avoid the problem of stained trousers.
Pelvic floor exercises
There is another way of dealing with PMD. This is by performing pelvic floor exercises. Please contact your GP or a Specialist Continence Nurse, who can give you more information.
If after-dribble is connected with other urinary problems, for example delay, frequency or urgency, please ask your GP for advice.
Contact information
For further advice please contact:
Gloucestershire Adult Bladder and Bowel Health Team
Cheltenham General Hospital, Sandford Road, Cheltenham GL53 7AN
Tel: 0300 422 5305
Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm
Further information
Please ask your GP or healthcare professional for a copy of leaflet Pelvic floor exercises for men GHPI0322.
Alternatively, you can visit the Gloucestershire Continence Service webpage at:
www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/our-services/services-we-offer/continence-service
There is more information available at the following website:
Bladder and Bowel UK
Website: www.bladderandbowel.org
Scroll down the page and click on the Post Micturition Dribble link in the ‘Popular Bladder Topics’ section.