Enlarged prostate treatment (Rezum)

[Adelphi]

Hi I know that in the UK they have a treatment for enlarged prostates called Resume.  It is a steam vapour treatment.  Does anyone know if this treatment is available in Thailand.  Any links or details about hospitals that provide this procedure and the cost would be very useful.  I have tried looking on the net but so far I have not found anything in respect of Thailand.  Thanks in advance for all useful information.  

[spidermike007]

Stinging nettle root. Been used for thousands of years. I go one day without it, and have difficulty urinating. Take it twice daily, and there is a miraculous effect. I know my prostate is enlarged, but my PSA is fine.

 

I will do anything to avoid the grasp of the Big Pharma mafia. 

[EricTh]

8 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Stinging nettle root. Been used for thousands of years. I go one day without it, and have difficulty urinating. Take it twice daily, and there is a miraculous effect. I know my prostate is enlarged, but my PSA is fine.

 

I will do anything to avoid the grasp of the Big Pharma mafia. 

Unfortunately, there are still many people who believe in the Big Pharma companies instead of natural remedies. 

 

[DrPhibes]

Here ya go:

 

https://www.bumrungrad.com/en/blog-news/virtual-press-conference-water-vapor-therapy

[blackprince]

I used concentrated Lycopene extract capsules (from tomatoes etc) for a month. It was very effective and its effect is sustained over a long period of time. I'd post a photo of the packet but I no longer have it.

I've also found that daily drinking of strong alcohol exacerbates the condition. Yes I know the urinary system and the sperm system are independent, so don't ask me to explain how that happens, maybe it's simply that having a permanent trace of alcohol in the blood inflames the condition.

cheers

Edited November 5, 2021 by blackprince

[tonray]

7 minutes ago, blackprince said:

I've also found that daily drinking of strong alcohol exacerbates the condition. Yes I know the urinary system and the sperm system are independent, so don't ask me to explain how that happens, maybe it's simply that having a permanent trace of alcohol in the blood inflames the condition.

It's quite simple...the prostate surrounds the urethra (tube that flows the urine) and when enlarged it squeezes the tube restricting the flow, if alcohol aggravates the enlargement......ipso facto

[blackprince]

6 minutes ago, tonray said:

It's quite simple...the prostate surrounds the urethra (tube that flows the urine) and when enlarged it squeezes the tube restricting the flow, if alcohol aggravates the enlargement......ipso facto

Thanks for the "O" level biology lesson (or 101 if you're American). I assume we all know the basic cabling. The question I raised was why would alcohol affect the flow more than any other liquid, and I think I've answered that.

cheers

[KhunBENQ]

On 11/4/2021 at 9:16 PM, DrPhibes said:

Here ya go:

 

https://www.bumrungrad.com/en/blog-news/virtual-press-conference-water-vapor-therapy

And don't forget to have 250'000 Baht at hand.

(~6700 EUR, 7500 USD, 5700 GBP)

 

https://www.bumrungrad.com/en/packages/water-vapor-therapy

 

It's not quite easy to find prices for self paying patients in other countries.

Edited December 14, 2021 by KhunBENQ

[xylophone]

On 11/4/2021 at 8:53 PM, spidermike007 said:

Stinging nettle root. Been used for thousands of years. I go one day without it, and have difficulty urinating.

Unfortunately it does absolutely nothing for me, and at one time I was convinced that Beta Sitosterol was the go to natural remedy, however that doesn't seem to work these days, so I'm down to trying to force my urine out, and helping with self catheterisation once before I go to bed, in order to get some sleep.
 

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

And don't forget to have 250'000 Baht at hand.

(~6700 EUR, 7500 USD, 5700 GBP)

 

https://www.bumrungrad.com/en/packages/water-vapor-therapy

There is a poster on the forum who has recently had the Rezum treatment at Bumrungrad, at a total cost of around 260,000 baht, and I know this because we are in touch by private mail (PM) on this forum.

 

Unfortunately for him, at more than five weeks after the operation, nothing has changed for him and he is now on alpha blockers to try and help the situation.

 

I will PM him with the thread info and suggest he might want to visit it and give some comments to all of those considering this operation, as I was at one time, along with the Urolift, which unfortunately doesn't seem to be available here, and there are limitations as to who is suitable for it (size of prostate etc).
 

[xylophone]

Latest news: –

I have just heard back from my friend, the poster I was mentioning before, and although his situation has improved slightly from the last time we spoke, it is not the improvement he had hoped for, however I/he will know more after he visits the specialist again on December 18, then hopefully he will post about his experiences.

 

I will try and keep folks up to date with his progress anyway.

[olfu]

In plain English we still in stone age era.

[The Hammer2021]

If they have it in the UK they will have it here only better.

[spidermike007]

30 minutes ago, olfu said:

In plain English we still in stone age era.

True that. And yet we think we are SO advanced and so civilized. That would be amusing if it were not so sad. 

[GarryP]

The Rezum treatment was approved by the Thai FDA earlier this year. Around September I believe and Bamrungrad is the only hospital providing this treatment in Thailand at the moment. As pointed out by another poster, the price for the treatment is Baht 250,000, but you need to be prepared for additional costs for testing and consultation to determine whether the treatment is appropriate for you (I was lucky that I managed to get a promotional package and my office insurance also covered some of the costs - but that package is no longer available). The cost also does not include follow up visits and medication you may need. While the hospital is trying to get most of their urologists provide this treatment, the doctor who first qualified and who has provided the Rezum procedure the most is Dr. Teerapol Amornvesukit. At the time I had the treatment, 21 October 2021, I was about his 23rd case. 

 

First a bit of history. My BPH started to get noticeable when I was around 50 but was tolerable. After a few years I needed to do something but did not want to go on meds, so with a bit of research and exchanges with Xylophone, I started taking Beta Sitosterol, which after a few months started to improve my condition. I continued to take it for a year or more but after a while my condition seemed to return to where it was before. I then started taking pygeum which was suggested by Xylophone as another alternative which had research backing it up. I took this for a year or more, but eventually that seemed to stop working. During this time I had also been researching alternative treatments as I did not want to be on BPH medications for the rest of my life ( I tend to suffer side effects to many medicines and my father suffered terribly from BPH meds - like father like son), my wife is much younger than me so retaining sexual function was also a factor, and avoidance of retrograde ejaculation. 

 

I had decided on the Rezum treatment (it is approved and provided by the UK NHS) as I thought it met most of my needs so then started looking for where I should get the treatment. As I was going to be a self-payer, cost was also important. The cheapest I could find in Singapore was about Baht 300,00, but there were a few places in Australia providing the treatment for around Baht 130,000. However, I opted for the UK as I could also use the opportunity to visit my father. The treatment would have been about Baht 250,000 (I would not qualify for NHS unless I stayed there for 6 months). But then the $hit hit the fan when covid struck and international travel was off the cards. So it was off to the doctor to get a prescription for Cialis, which only helped for the first 6 months or so I took it. 

 

Then out of the blue I got a call from a friend at Bamrungrad, who knew I was interested in this treatment, who asked if I would like to be booked into the promotion package. I jumped at the chance even though I knew I would be one of the doctor's first cases. And after going through certain tests, the doctor confirmed that the treatment was appropriate for me. My prostate was only 37 gms and the treatment is normally targeted at men with prostate size of between 30 and 80 gms (although increasingly it is being used for larger prostates which requires more steam injections and takes much longer to heal). 

 

I will provide more details on my experience another time as I must sign off here today. 

Edited December 14, 2021 by GarryP

[QEDDEQ]

I am manging my enlarged prostate by a mix of pharma and natural remedies. On the advice of my urologist, I take Tamsulosin and Prostene, which contains saw palmetto, lycopene, Pumpkin Seed Oil and Uva Ursi.

I also take Pygeum powder.

I also take Cialis, 5mg daily. I believe recent research suggests Viagra also helps.

BTW, I have an excess of Pygeum powder (I ordered far too much from eBay USA). I'm happy to share for free. 

[xylophone]

On 11/4/2021 at 8:53 PM, spidermike007 said:

Stinging nettle root. Been used for thousands of years. I go one day without it, and have difficulty urinating. Take it twice daily, and there is a miraculous effect

As a matter of interest @spidermike007, how much of the stinging nettle root do you take a day, because I have ordered some and am currently using it, but maybe it's not enough, although on the bottle it states one 500 mg tablet per day – – do you take more than this?

 

Trying to improve my situation without more surgery, and my urologist here is about as useless as tits on a bull, so I'm reluctant to go back to him yet again for more nonsense, so will keep trying the alternatives, but those I have tried so far, have not worked for any period of time.

[spidermike007]

18 hours ago, xylophone said:

As a matter of interest @spidermike007, how much of the stinging nettle root do you take a day, because I have ordered some and am currently using it, but maybe it's not enough, although on the bottle it states one 500 mg tablet per day – – do you take more than this?

 

Trying to improve my situation without more surgery, and my urologist here is about as useless as tits on a bull, so I'm reluctant to go back to him yet again for more nonsense, so will keep trying the alternatives, but those I have tried so far, have not worked for any period of time.

Yes. Twice per day morning and evening. 1000 MG a day. 

[Bvor]

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Yes. Twice per day morning and evening. 1000 MG a day. 

good to know. i'll do same when my order arrives. will test as a replacement for bet sitosterol and then make a comparison.  

[BritManToo]

22 hours ago, xylophone said:

As a matter of interest @spidermike007, how much of the stinging nettle root do you take a day, because I have ordered some and am currently using it, but maybe it's not enough, although on the bottle it states one 500 mg tablet per day – – do you take more than this?

I suspect surgery has messed you up, and you are beyond any help from medication.

I would never let a Thai doctor cut into me.

[xylophone]

6 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I would never let a Thai doctor cut into me.

Suggest you tell that to the thousands of people who travel to Thailand for cosmetic surgery and other procedures.

 

There are undoubtedly some good doctors/surgeons here, however my urologist isn't one in which I have a lot of faith, and come to that neither was his predecessor.

 

On the upside, my ex-girlfriend's brother had a very large tumour removed from inside of his neck, next to the oesophagus, and that was more than 10 years ago, and he is still alive and kicking.

 

In addition, I think you might change your mind if a surgical procedure was needed here in order to save your life.

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, xylophone said:

In addition, I think you might change your mind if a surgical procedure was needed here in order to save your life.

Probably not, I've had enough of life already.

Medication to avoid pain/discomfort is about my medical limit.

Edited December 16, 2021 by BritManToo

[86Tiger]

32 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Suggest you tell that to the thousands of people who travel to Thailand for cosmetic surgery and other procedures.

 

There are undoubtedly some good doctors/surgeons here, however my urologist isn't one in which I have a lot of faith, and come to that neither was his predecessor.

 

On the upside, my ex-girlfriend's brother had a very large tumour removed from inside of his neck, next to the oesophagus, and that was more than 10 years ago, and he is still alive and kicking.

 

In addition, I think you might change your mind if a surgical procedure was needed here in order to save your life.

 

 

Maybe you should seek a new urologist.  Kinda crazy to keep seeing a guy you have no faith in.

 

Just saying..........

[sapson]

56 minutes ago, Bvor said:

good to know. i'll do same when my order arrives. will test as a replacement for bet sitosterol and then make a comparison.  

What are the pills called are they simply stinging nettle root extract 500mg and where can you buy them ? online only?

 

Thanks

[xylophone]

18 minutes ago, 86Tiger said:

 

 

Maybe you should seek a new urologist.  Kinda crazy to keep seeing a guy you have no faith in.

 

Just saying..........

Easier said than done, but thank you for your suggestion.

 

I was seeing another urologist a couple of years back who kept on prescribing different antibiotics for a UTI, on a two weekly basis almost, and when it didn't clear up he would prescribe yet more.

 

One day I presented to him and I was very ill with the infection still causing me a great deal of distress, and my urine was about the same colour as custard, so I implored him to have a culture done on my urine (which I had asked to have done on a number of occasions) to see exactly what the infection was, so the right antibiotic could be prescribed.

 

He didn't take kindly to that at all, and ordered me out of his office there and then. 

 

I got an appointment that day with another urologist at the hospital (there were only two) who did a culture and a few days later I was called back in to undergo a regimen of intravenous antibiotic injections with a rather rare, wonderful and very expensive antibiotic which I had never heard of before.

 

Fourteen daily visits, fourteen IV injections and 52,000 baht later, the infection was gone, and the expensive antibiotic was needed because all of the other unsuccessful antibiotics he had tried had made this particular bug just about antibiotic resistant (to normal antibiotics anyway).

 

I did see another urologist here and he did a cystoscopy on me, which resulted in a hospital borne infection which I had to contend with.

 

The other urologist, who was also a surgeon, promised me that if he did a bladder neck operation, there would be no side effects, however there were and now four years later I can't pass any water.

 

I have exhausted the urologists available here and nearby, so my next option may well be to travel to Bangkok, or hang on until travel becomes a little freer, and I can see my trusted doctor in NZ and his urologist sidekick.

 

PS. I have been susceptible to quite a few UTIs in my later years, mainly because of prostatitis and urine retention, so I'm no novice to it, and using a catheter on myself has become almost second nature now, but I don't want it to continue.
 

[BritManToo]

33 minutes ago, xylophone said:

I was seeing another urologist a couple of years back who kept on prescribing different antibiotics for a UTI, on a two weekly basis almost, and when it didn't clear up he would prescribe yet more.

I had the same problem 2-3 months back.

Prescribed myself Cipro 500, 1/2 dose (250mg) 2x a day for 10 days.

Almost worked, so then the next month, same again and it seems to have fixed it.

Was careful not to exercise much and sit around a lot when my Achilles tendons started hurting.

 

This was after reading some online docs about reduced levels of antibiotics for longer periods helping fight infections of the prostate/kidney/bladder.

 

With the help of 1 stinging nettle tablet a day, I'm now down from 6mg/day of doxazosin to 3mg/day.

And back to normal.

Edited December 16, 2021 by BritManToo

[xylophone]

4 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I had the same problem 2-3 months back.

Prescribed myself Cipro 500, 1/2 dose (250mg) 2x a day for 10 days.

Almost worked, so then the next month, same again and it seems to have fixed it.

Was careful not to exercise much and sit around a lot when my Achilles tendons started hurting.

 

This was after reading some online docs about reduced levels of antibiotics for longer periods helping fight infections of the prostate/kidney/bladder.

 

With the help of 1 stinging nettle tablet a day, I'm now down from 6mg/day of doxazosin to 3mg/day.

And back to normal.

On the particular occasion I was talking about, ciprofloxacin (which I don't like because it causes me all sorts of tendon problems) was one of the antibiotics tried for two weeks, amoxicillin another, Augmentin another and a couple of others which escape me for the moment – – all with no luck.

 

Eventually a drug from the Carbapenem family was used intravenously and this did the trick, however I never forgot the lack of care and professionalism from this previous urologist, and later on I was told that he had the nickname of, "Dr death" and none of the staff, with whom I became friendly due to my frequent visits, liked him one iota.

 

Carbapenems are a class of highly effective antibiotic agents commonly used for the treatment of severe or high-risk bacterial infections. This class of antibiotics is usually reserved for known or suspected multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, xylophone said:

On the particular occasion I was talking about, ciprofloxacin (which I don't like because it causes me all sorts of tendon problems) was one of the antibiotics tried for two weeks, amoxicillin another, Augmentin another and a couple of others which escape me for the moment – – all with no luck.

I'm always careful with Cipro as it hurts my tendons as well.

[Bvor]

1 hour ago, sapson said:

What are the pills called are they simply stinging nettle root extract 500mg and where can you buy them ? online only?

 

Thanks

i'm stuck in oz, attached is my swanson stinging nettle root online order with Iherb. 

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, sapson said:

What are the pills called are they simply stinging nettle root extract 500mg and where can you buy them ? online only?

 

Thanks

iHerb, mine came via Germany, takes around 2 weeks for delivery to Thailand (but they always say 4 weeks).

Edited December 16, 2021 by BritManToo

[HauptmannUK]

Another recommendation for stinging nettle. I have mild BPH problems and a daily 750mg capsule (10:1) makes them almost go away.