My personal experience after radiotherapy for cancer and medication for BPH is retrograde ejaculation. I find it less enjoyable and intense although that may also be age related. I would not consider it to be a great negative in any option, specifically the HOLEP treatment. Supplements and diet is confusing, whenever I read up on it the options, they appear to contradict each other and I end up with the basics...pomegranate and tomato juice.

2 hours ago, JerryM said:

expect people to accept that those experiences are genuine and meaningful just because they say so

What are you going on about ? nobody expects anything from those who care to read their posts.

You have been asked to stay on topic . Did you watch the whole video ? If not interested than why not just ignore the topic ?

If you did watch... what are your specific comments regarding the subject matter ?

Instead, you choose to look up something negative about the presenter . And something negative about ...well, almost everything . For what ? Tell us if the content was interesting, informative, or just a waste of time . Tell us how you deal with, or would handle a specific prostate issue...

If go to the doctor is YOUR only answer, so be it.

That's what freedom of choice is . Please stay on topic .

3 hours ago, rumak said:

Everyone is free to do their own research and hopefully put their "beliefs" into actual practice , then post their personal experiences .

Have personally dealt with BPH using saw palmetto which did help, though the most powerful medicine that put it behind me was going on a 100% raw food diet for a few weeks which means nothing ingested that has been cooked and then maintaining a clean diet afterwards. Also have used cat’s claw and red reishi.

3 minutes ago, DaLa said:

My personal experience after radiotherapy for cancer and medication for BPH is retrograde ejaculation. I find it less enjoyable and intense although that may also be age related. I would not consider it to be a great negative in any option, specifically the HOLEP treatment. Supplements and diet is confusing, whenever I read up on it the options, they appear to contradict each other and I end up with the basics...pomegranate and tomato juice.

How long ago did you have the op ? (HOLEP ? )

I started my search around 2 years ago , when suddenly it dawned on me that slow flow and urgency were a real problem . Not just, well, getting older. I never gave much thought to the ole prostate, as my PSA was around 1 to 2 ! And the one time a doc put his finger up my butt was enough! I made it through my 60's just fine.

If i had been informed .... it would really have helped . Nobody i knew told me the facts of prostate life. And so i post here to possibly help one or two guys get a head start , before major symptoms send you (almost too late) to a urologist.

I repeat myself .......the video would have made a difference for me years ago , especially if someone i knew explained what happens. Three friends of mine NEVER told me that they had to have an operation . And of the continuing problems since.

So.... i understand that supplements are "confusing". Every youtuber has the "just this one thing will cure you in thirty days" catch line.

BS . I mentioned a few of the things i did when i realized i needed to do something . YES, i went to a urologist . 2, in fact . After their 15 minute assessments..... looking at a basic ultrasound in their office.... i was told my prostate was enlarged, it was not gonna get better, and i should take drugs or get an op .

I did not do that . i read and i read and i worried and i checked out anecdotal stories here and on other sources. And, then i tried some things !

I will go into some depth as to my experience at a later date ..... IF i don't get too fed up with the thread disrupters .

33 minutes ago, novacova said:

Again, a much larger picture to this story.

I am not interested in the larger picture. I am interested in issues related to prostate, kidney, bladder.

11 minutes ago, rumak said:

I will go into some depth as to my experience at a later date ..... IF i don't get too fed up with the thread disrupters .

There were topics on this forum about reversing chronic kidney disease. Cannot be done. It is a hoax.

To come on here and claim to improve BPH by taking saw palmetto and making an effort just by doing it yourself comes close.

15 minutes ago, novacova said:

Have personally dealt with BPH using saw palmetto which did help, though the most powerful medicine that put it behind me was going on a 100% raw food diet for a few weeks which means nothing ingested that has been cooked and then maintaining a clean diet afterwards.

i remember you posting that .... and i believe you .

i know you kept the comment short..... but i'm sure that other factors, and actions, and lifestyle, all play into how you control the BPH .

If i have to.... i will try the raw food route !

(did you ever get an ultrasound to know the prostate size ? i did one at McCorimick, was 1400 baht plus around 600 for Dr (nice guy, don't have his name offhand) . That was a little over a year ago, and maybe in 6 months or so i will do another just to see if a miracle has happenned, 55

7 minutes ago, JerryM said:

I am not interested in the larger picture. I am interested in issues related to prostate, kidney, bladder.

Go see a doctor !

10 minutes ago, rumak said:

Go see a doctor !

I already have. I asked about taking any BPH medications pharmaceutical or natural.

He said both can have side effects. I said what if I don't take anything? He said as long as you don't mind the inconvenience, no big deal.

18 minutes ago, rumak said:

but i'm sure that other factors, and actions, and lifestyle, all play into how you control the BPH .

Sure other factors may have, though the only anomaly was the raw food diet and maintaining a clean diet afterwards.

22 minutes ago, rumak said:

did you ever get an ultrasound to know the prostate size ?

No, and have no plans to either. It’s a complete non issue anymore.

24 minutes ago, rumak said:

If i have to.... i will try the raw food route !

15 minutes ago, JerryM said:

I already have. I asked about taking any BPH medications pharmaceutical or natural.

He said both can have side effects. I said what if I don't take anything? He said as long as you don't mind the inconvenience, no big deal.

Raw diet just takes a little discipline and getting the wife on board. Grow sprouts (broccoli sprouts are the best) and raw nori sheets with veggies such as avocado, tomato cucumber etc and make nori veggie rolls. Juice dark leafy greens and other vegetables. Stay off of anything that has been cooked, coffee soy sauce and all. After a couple weeks you’ll be able to put out a house fire with that new hose and sleep undisturbed like a stack of bricks.

1 hour ago, rumak said:

If i have to.... i will try the raw food route !

Me again Rumak. In yer head, go back a few thousand years.

You would generally eat as you find. Fruit when in season. Same with vegetables. Eating raw onions, garlic and ginger was the norm. Roots like carrots and ginseng. Picking berries was a treat; as you tended the garden or animals. Cooking everything to death, would not be a common pastime; as it now is. Just a wild boar on the spit. The fish grilling over the charcoal, or drying in the hot sun. People sitting around laughing, joking and drinking green. Cinnamon tea.

Out in the wood, foraging for mushrooms. Taking in some sun every day. Listening to the birds singing. Chasing away the sabre-tooth. Plenty of exercise, Even after yer run past 100 years.

No insecticides, fungicides or herbicide chemicals to ruin yer heath back then.

Nature has the answers we seek.

3 hours ago, novacova said:

Sure other factors may have, though the only anomaly was the raw food diet and maintaining a clean diet afterwards.

Can you give us some insights as to what is "a clean diet" ? i don't know what you mean .

we only eat fresh foods ..... nothing in packages . Cooked in coconut oil . Lots of eggs (chicken and duck ) right from the farm . we eat meat and chicken and fish . an assortment of veggies .

No added sugar. And a little homemade sourdough bread .

Emphasis nowadays is protein ! After seventy i noticed in myself and others who had been fit that

muscles were getting smaller and skin was sagging. ooops . I seem to have stopped that for now. Of course, the fatties don't seem to have the skin sag problem....... just the belly and boobs

1 hour ago, Stiddle Mump said:

Nature has the answers we seek.

how did you end up with a bad hip ? what is nature telling you to do ?

Mine was broken when some brute bumped me in a basketball game and i did a half gainer onto the concrete. Nature didn't help , but a titanium rod and some morphine got it back together. Many "older" folks die within a year or two after that ....

Four years later and i have no pain.

That doctor is one fellow that i was fortunate to have met ( my first choice was out of town ..... so it just was luck of the draw) , VERY painful, a broken hip .

3 hours ago, novacova said:

Sure other factors may have, though the only anomaly was the raw food diet and maintaining a clean diet afterwards.

No, and have no plans to either. It’s a complete non issue anymore.

Raw diet just takes a little discipline and getting the wife on board. Grow sprouts (broccoli sprouts are the best) and raw nori sheets with veggies such as avocado, tomato cucumber etc and make nori veggie rolls. Juice dark leafy greens and other vegetables. Stay off of anything that has been cooked, coffee soy sauce and all. After a couple weeks you’ll be able to put out a house fire with that new hose and sleep undisturbed like a stack of bricks.

We have something called Vietnamese rice paper that the wife uses . are you familiar with that ? what is the "nori" rolls ?

and ..... if i don't at least eat eggs i will miss the protein big time (yes, avocado has some... but i really can't afford to lose much weight . bmi around 17 as it is.)

18 minutes ago, rumak said:

Can you give us some insights as to what is "a clean diet" ?

Personally, lay off the white grains, we occasionally cook black rice berry, and occasionally pick up a loaf of Joe’s dark whole grain and toss it in the freezer that lasts a couple three weeks though we’re not big on the starchy stuff being the worse of it is probably spuds in the morning maybe once a week, nothing processed, nothing fried, no processed sugars including pasteurized fruit juices or any sugary foods cooked at high temperatures, pretty much a zero sugar person, no laced food flavorings msg and such, no cooking in high temperature searing oils and meats, yes on the low temperature cooked meats and lots of green stuff, olive is the only oil, the local kad’s are full of great ready to eat veggies.

20 minutes ago, rumak said:

We have something called Vietnamese rice paper that the wife uses . are you familiar with that ? what is the "nori" rolls ?

Nori sheets are used for making sushi rolls. Raw nori sheets are nearly impossible to find in the shops around here, have order online.

43 minutes ago, rumak said:

how did you end up with a bad hip ?

Carrying a naked lady up a ladder to get to her bedroom window. She had locked herself out.

1 hour ago, Stiddle Mump said:

Carrying a naked lady up a ladder to get to her bedroom window. She had locked herself out.

"Hip Hip....... Hooray ! "

2 hours ago, rumak said:

Can you give us some insights as to what is "a clean diet" ? i don't know what you mean .

Possible link between high insulin and BPH.

Which means meals should be protein heavy and low carb to keep insulin down. Also, not too many frequent meals / snacking during the day.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1178638818773072

9 hours ago, save the frogs said:

Which means meals should be protein heavy and low carb to keep insulin down. Also, not too many frequent meals / snacking during the day.

I have chosen to eat that way .... for a few reasons.

( energy, muscle loss ( older folks) , digestion, )

Seems to work well for me .

On 1/16/2026 at 8:34 AM, rumak said:

After researching , reading topics galore..... this video sums up just about all of the ins and outs , and i agree with most of it .

My trip to the urologist(s) initially was met with "oh, its big, gotta take drugs, or i can do surgery " .

Well, a year and a half later my symptoms are much better. I went with saw palmetto and lycopene , and also some diet changes and sleep changes . It takes time ! I now wake up once or maybe twice a night, sleep much better, and mostly have very good stream. It can be done without biopsies , drugs, or surgery ( but takes an effort ) .

watch the whole video ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLlGIPfInec

You took medication or supplements only?

I had to google and see what I found

Lycopene and selenium, especially when combined with

saw palmetto(Serenoa repens), show promise in managing Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) byreducing prostate inflammation, inhibiting cell growth, promoting cell death (apoptosis), and decreasing oxidative stress, leading to potential symptom improvement and reduced prostate enlargement, primarily through antioxidant effects and influencing growth pathways. While lycopene from food seems beneficial, evidence for supplements alone is mixed, but combined therapies show enhanced effects in studies

Quite interesting and good to know if

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022534711040407

3 hours ago, Hummin said:

Lycopene and selenium, especially when combined with

saw palmetto(Serenoa repens), show promise in managing Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

I was very tempted to take a pharma drug , the video mentions two or three "popular" ones . If you think the comments dissing supplements are noteworthy ...... try googling AI : finasteride side effects . And the same for Flomax . AND...believe me, there are other "sources" that are much stronger about the dangers .

The temptation comes from knowing that something like Flomax or Silodosin will improve flow within a short time . Finasteride is supposed to "shrink" the prostate... over a much longer time.

And some experience very bad side effects , though many probably don't.

I solved my most annoying problem (urgency) by simply stopping coffee ! Anyone can google: foods that aggravate BPH / bladder problems. Very helpful .

My "journey" / trials/ experiences can not be explained in one post . But particular questions are easier to answer or direct someone to a source ( like the one regarding foods) .

Three supplements i DO take are ones you have just mentioned . I take some popular others to deal with ageing .... Vit D (along with K2 ) , Vit C , zinc ..... I recommend, as many "experts " do, not to just randomly pop supplements, change after a week or so, then pop others just because one video says its "life changing" .

Start with a few based on some research . The 3 you mention i have taken for over a year (and zinc) specifically for prostate . (and fresh tomatoes/ sauce as well)

I'm happy to hear you managed to deal with it without medication that also do have side effects.

👍

21 hours ago, rumak said:

How long ago did you have the op ? (HOLEP ? )

Apologies, I have not had that treatment. I am anticipating the next stage of my life requiring some form of medical intervention and trying to be knowledgeable of the options. Occasionally I research the subject and find answers, on occasions I'm confronted by 25 minute videos such as the one in this post leaving me confused. I'm also perplexed by the number of different remedies suggested by sufferers specifically with diet options. The problem is I enjoy coffee and can only think of two foods I wouldn't eat; should I deny myself that enjoyment in favour of a shortened life span?

3 minutes ago, DaLa said:

I'm confronted by 25 minute videos such as the one in this post leaving me confused.

Man, i was confused as hell when my symptoms began.

I think it's normal . Maybe that's why most just go to the urologist and do what they suggest . Which is based on what they were taught . Nowadays there is a growing number of people not very happy with the results of what the medical association prescribes .

I am not talking about a broken arm ... which IMO they do a pretty good job with .

Anyway, why don't you write specifically here regarding what prostate or bladder issues you are dealing with .

If you're flow is bad, or not controllable, or keeping you up at night 4 or 5 times, or needing to rush to the loo all of a sudden , or ....? well, look up that particular symptom and just get an idea what might be causing it .

I also went and paid for a urologist visit , because i think its important to know what they think . (they are definitely not interested in hearing about "alternative medicine" .) But good to know if they think its a bladder or urinary (UTF) problem.... or an enlarged prostate . ( hopefully they look at an ultrasound , in their office, to CONFIRM that the prostate is large. But of course they will not go further unless you pay for a seperate ultrasound that is more specific.

As the video opines...... i personally would not have any biopsies done unless i was reallllllly sick

34 minutes ago, rumak said:

As the video opines...... i personally would not have any biopsies done unless i was reallllllly sick

NOTE: It is NOT my intention to convince or advocate any medical course of action to anyone else . My personal experiences and opinions are only meant as such .

Due your own research .Make your own decisions .

the video IMO is giving some background and options ( allopathic drugs, supplements, surgical procedures ) . Members here can give their thoughts or experiences . Its not a debate .

1 minute ago, rumak said:

NOTE: It is NOT my intention to convince or advocate any medical course of action to anyone else . My personal experiences and opinions are only meant as such .

Due your own research .Make your own decisions .

the video IMO is giving some background and options ( allopathic drugs, supplements, surgical procedures ) . Members here can give their thoughts or experiences . Its not a debate .

TBH, Rumak, there is enough info on here (AN) to not have to go searching for it.

4 minutes ago, rumak said:

NOTE: It is NOT my intention to convince or advocate any medical course of action to anyone else . My personal experiences and opinions are only meant as such .

Due your own research .Make your own decisions .

the video IMO is giving some background and options ( allopathic drugs, supplements, surgical procedures ) . Members here can give their thoughts or experiences . Its not a debate .

I reacted to saw palmetto which I knew from before did not have any proven results before, but now learned something new with saw palmetto in combination with other supplements had some evidence.

Prostate is something that should concern us, and I keeping track on mine. So far at normal size and PSA 1,25

But the closer I get to 60 I want to focus on trying to stay as healthy as possible, and these kind of threads is interesting.

1 hour ago, DaLa said:

The problem is I enjoy coffee and can only think of two foods I wouldn't eat; should I deny myself that enjoyment in favour of a shortened life span?

We all have choices to do what we want, so it is up to you, but if one day come, and you know you could had changed something 10 years ago, what then?

Another important thing, bad or unhealthy habits you now see as enjoyment and make your life richer, is based on you do not tried another way, and got the new experience by those changes.

1 hour ago, rumak said:

I was very tempted to take a pharma drug , the video mentions two or three "popular" ones . If you think the comments dissing supplements are noteworthy ...... try googling AI : finasteride side effects . And the same for Flomax . AND...believe me, there are other "sources" that are much stronger about the dangers .

The temptation comes from knowing that something like Flomax or Silodosin will improve flow within a short time . Finasteride is supposed to "shrink" the prostate... over a much longer time.

And some experience very bad side effects , though many probably don't.

I solved my most annoying problem (urgency) by simply stopping coffee ! Anyone can google: foods that aggravate BPH / bladder problems. Very helpful .

My "journey" / trials/ experiences can not be explained in one post . But particular questions are easier to answer or direct someone to a source ( like the one regarding foods) .

Three supplements i DO take are ones you have just mentioned . I take some popular others to deal with ageing .... Vit D (along with K2 ) , Vit C , zinc ..... I recommend, as many "experts " do, not to just randomly pop supplements, change after a week or so, then pop others just because one video says its "life changing" .

Start with a few based on some research . The 3 you mention i have taken for over a year (and zinc) specifically for prostate . (and fresh tomatoes/ sauce as well)

I took both mentioned chemical medications for half a year. They did not really have any positive effect and the prostate did not shrink as the urologist said. I suffered however from ugly side effects so that I decided to stop the meds after that. I finally had to do Rezum surgery. The result was amazing and problems were solved. That was 3 years ago and since than the size of my prostate has increased again and urine flow is not so good anymore. All surgeries (not just Rezum) do not have a guaranteed lifetime effect. 5% of all patients do need another surgery within 5 years and a large percentage after 10 years or so.

That being said I think it is an option to explore other natural treatments to bring an improvement and to try to delay a surgery. As individual results vary everyone has to make his own decision. I am using some herbal medications and can see a modest improvement of symptoms after 2 months.

9 minutes ago, msbkk said:

I suffered however from ugly side effects so that I decided to stop the meds after that.

ALWAYS when one googles these meds those "ugly side effects" are listed as "very rare" . hmmm Good news about Rezum, but only 3 years helpful . wow .

My symptoms have lessened significantly with the supplements i take (over a year now ) .

If you care to list your supplements .... I'd be interested. (or PM )

2 months still early.... keep going . I take around 50 mg lycopene daily ....saw palmetto....zinc .... and pumpkin seeds ( a good snack , put in air fryer for a few minutes) .

30 minutes ago, Stiddle Mump said:

TBH, Rumak, there is enough info on here (AN) to not have to go searching for it.

The problem nowadays....... is TOO MUCH INFO .

that's why some amiable sharing of info within a small group can sometimes be helpful .