More about prostate

[Lumbini]

Thanks Sheryl Dr. Viroj Chaudry it is and I will go next week . Put this off long time . For decades I have had what I thought was weak bladder always having to pee much during the day . Even stopping multiple times when I go running . Now get up many times through the night also ( especially towards the early morning hours . Had this issue so long just learned to live with it and thought it might be because I drink much coffee but will go see this Dr.

My PSA in yearly physical two years ago was .9 so I thought prostate was ok but now see this test does not mean much . This was Dr. I saw mentioned many times on this forum but since this thread was current thought I would ask point blank who the top guy was and sure enough Dr. Viroj Chaudry so thank you so much [emoji120]

Edited February 6, 2016 by Lumbini

[loppylugs1]

The finger up the arse is bad enough,its when the camera goes up the arse,brings tears to the eyes,God that hurt.

[bkk6060]

The finger up the arse is bad enough,its when the camera goes up the arse,brings tears to the eyes,God that hurt.

Where did you go for that?

Edited February 7, 2016 by bkk6060

[bkk6060]

The finger up the arse is bad enough,its when the camera goes up the arse,brings tears to the eyes,God that hurt.

Where did you go for that? I have never felt anything.

I have had 2 and am always given a "local" which should make you sleep during the entire procedure.

[chubby]

.........there is plenty of misinformation, from all directions, including your urologists, in my case, in the usa, so i went to a new urologist. here is the most likely by far scenario.......

OP you don't mention your age, after age 50, many many men will have some degree of BPH, so my 1st MD said to me, as I was yet naive, if you don't want to take shrinkers, the rest of your life, here, take Cipro for 1 month, and if it gets better maybe you have prostate infection, not to mention how toxic Cipro can be esp if taken for 1 month.

OK, didn't improve, so you take the bladder valve drugs, Flomax, etc, which just take care of the problem of your bladder not fully emptying, by keeping the valve open, the --zosin family of drugs, which often also lower your blood pressure, which may or may not be a good thing, so you take them at night before sleeping.

.....to actually shrink the walnut, you take a quicker acting drug for 6 months, the a slower acting one for the rest of your life, which both have the side effect of possible erectile function disorder HENCE, all the popularity of the Erectile drugs.......didn't you ever wonder why so many guys needed to take these drugs? welcome to middle age and typical male problems, or BPH of some degree. bigger question is when to do what if anything. if it is not that bad, you learn to live with it.......don't drink lots of fluid after 7pm etc .

......in the end this is by far probably the likely scenario

My prostate has gotten to the point where its a real nuisance. During the day its not too bad, but at night, Im up every hour, sometimes more often than that.

It takes a while to get the stream started, then its stop and go, stop and go, and then just drip, drip, drip.

My question is.. for those who have taken medication or had surgical procedures, what was it that made you decide that its was time to do something about it?

I dont know if an enlarged prostate is something that gets progressivley worse, or if this is as bad as it gets?

[zlodnick]

Chubby,

Im the op and thanks for the post.

My reason for starting the thread, was to see if my situation was, mild, normal, or ready to do something about it. As I said, during the day, its not bad. At night its just a neusance to get up every hour. As it is, I can live with it.

I will be seeing a Dr.so I will be informed and ready, should the time come that I can not live with it.

One question I have for the Dr. is about some medications. As you mentioned, some lower the blood pressure. I have low blood pressure so those meds could be a problem.

Im 66 and was first diagnosed with an enlarged prostate 15 years ago. That scared the daylights out of me because all the men in my family have had prostate cancer. The good part is, they all lived well into thier 90's and I dont believe anyone ever had any surgery.

It is up to each of us to decide what is best for ourselves. For me, the quality of my life, is much more important than the length.

[chubby]

since you have some prostate CA in your family, PSA might be more relevant, but keep in mind, that if you don't, they don't advise even doing a PSA, as the nature of such tests, is that most people, aren't sophisticated enough, to see the logic in NOT doing something, if there MIGHT be a problem.

and hence, the PSA leads to false positives, and leads to things that are worse that the disease itself, which apparently by age 90 most men have anyway, just a matter of 'quality of life' and whether it is a threat to life. but, maybe your aware of all this.

not all the -zosin lower BP equally, and once your on the shrinkers for a year, and presumably the walnut has shrunk, you may not need the bladder valve (zosins) as much , as the CAUSE has been alleviated

the fast shrinker is :

the slow shrinker is often: finesteride

i'm not sure the 1 month of Cipro is really worth it re: prostatitis ; cipro and antibiotics in general are not benign medications IMHO

Chubby,

Im the op and thanks for the post.

My reason for starting the thread, was to see if my situation was, mild, normal, or ready to do something about it. As I said, during the day, its not bad. At night its just a neusance to get up every hour. As it is, I can live with it.

I will be seeing a Dr.so I will be informed and ready, should the time come that I can not live with it.

One question I have for the Dr. is about some medications. As you mentioned, some lower the blood pressure. I have low blood pressure so those meds could be a problem.

Im 66 and was first diagnosed with an enlarged prostate 15 years ago. That scared the daylights out of me because all the men in my family have had prostate cancer. The good part is, they all lived well into thier 90's and I dont believe anyone ever had any surgery.

It is up to each of us to decide what is best for ourselves. For me, the quality of my life, is much more important than the length.

[loppylugs1]

The finger up the arse is bad enough,its when the camera goes up the arse,brings tears to the eyes,God that hurt.

Where did you go for that? I have never felt anything.

I have had 2 and am always given a "local" which should make you sleep during the entire procedure.

Went here,going there next month ,see about getting it done

Best Urologist in Goa, Best Urology Hospital in Goa, RG Stone Goa1111111111.htm

[chubby]

fast: Avodart non generic but works faster ; not sure what thailand has

[evadgib]

Related link seen today:

Prostate cancer awareness programme campaign

[snowgard]

A friend of me from iceland had prostata cancer but can't get a short termin for a op in iceland because the doctors on strike there.

So him come to thailand (for 6 month) and another friend told him to eat/drink GRAVIOLA fruits. Him thought try it because it can't be more bad about it and after a month him let check his PSA and it gone down. After 6 month in thailand him made a checkup in iceland and the doctors told him everything well now.

Him bought the fruits on the flower market (friday, saturday) Sukhumvit Pattaya next to Mc Donalds.

Give it a try maybe it help.

Edited February 7, 2016 by snowgard

[loppylugs1]

The finger up the arse is bad enough,its when the camera goes up the arse,brings tears to the eyes,God that hurt.

Where did you go for that? I have never felt anything.

I have had 2 and am always given a "local" which should make you sleep during the entire procedure.

Went here,going there next month ,see about getting it done

I fancy laser over cutting,probably bleed like a stuffed pig with cutting,laser not so bad,bleeding sealed off and only one night stay in hospital over 3/4 nights with cutting. New procedure too,something called eurolift or something,seeing about the possibility of that,first option cutting came to £500,want to see what laser is,ward stay will do,not 5star suite. couple from my home town in UK flew over to here,good enough for them,me too

[silverhawk_usa]

A few weeks ago I had my self prescribed annual physical at Lanna Hospital, Chiang Mai. The doctor last year suggested next time a lower abdominal ultrasound, which I don't see mentioned here. I have been having more runs to the bathroom than I was comfortable with, and was a little concerned. I asked if they could do it ultrasound with the physical and they said no problem. I had to drink a couple litres of water first (had some good laughs with the nurses about that). The Ultrasound was non-intrusive and took about 10 minutes.

The results were given to the doctor a couple hours later along with my other physical exam results. My PSA actually was lower than the past few years @ 0.8. The diagnosis was a slightly enlarged prostate, Normal for my age of 66. Same result as a finger test a few years ago in the U.S. but much less uncomfortable. This also showed, along with the blood tests, that all my other organs, such as liver and kidneys, appeared problem free. Cost for Ultrasound was 2,600 baht, and worth it to put my mind at ease and avoid the fingers.

As for treatment, the doctor said if it was really bothersome I could make an appointment with the Urologist but he didn't feel it was necessary, Instead I went to my local English speaking pharmacy and was given Tamsulosin hydrochloride, which is Flomax in the U.S. (previously prescribed to me by my U.S. doctor) and sold here as Harnal OCAS which is a European brand. Seems to be working, but Google it as it may not be for everyone.

[Sheryl]

An ultrasound does not remove the need for digital exam. The manual exam enables the doctor to determine if the gland is smooth or nodular etc.

[loppylugs1]

An ultrasound does not remove the need for digital exam. The manual exam enables the doctor to determine if the gland is smooth or nodular etc.

Was going to post something like this a day or so ago,the finger test is no hard or irregular shapes appearing,funny enough there is a massage place that does prostate massage here,do not know if its medical or not

Ultra sound can determine the size and weight of prostate,does not particularly show the need to pee,mines supposed to be huge,but can get by,without too much difficulty,,Flomax for me just a waste of time

[bkk6060]

It is possible to do P Massage yourself.

If you get it someplace it is important they know what they are doing as injury is possible.

A slow smooth action hitting the right spots is important.

So, sorry if this offends anyone, but the Prostate is a gland related to sexual function. I believe Prostate massage with release is the best therapy.

Gets your Prostate active again and cleans things out.

[Deserted]

What does need to pee often mean? I usually go 2-3 times a night, is that so much? But if I make the mistake of drinking a lot of fluids at night, which sometimes I have to after exercise, I can go 5-6 times. Never thought it was a problem.

[Canuck50]

Just want to share my experiences here in case it might be helpful for some. I am now 65 and about 4-5 years ago started to realize that the gradually diminished flow was getting worse, getting me up several times at night, and a feeling that my bladder wasn't fully emptying. All the while my Canadian general doctor was monitoring PSA and doing DRE annually. She put me on Flowmax (tansulosin) which relaxes the bladder neck muscles. It helped for a while but I didn't like the side effects, mostly RE (retrograde ejaculation or dry orgasm). Eventually I started to notice sediment in my urine so she added Proscar (Finasteride, which shrinks the prostate) and sent me to a Urologist. He did a cystoscopy (camera up the penis, with only local anesthetic gel I might add ) and he found the prostate was impinging on the urethra and seemed quite large. Sediment was visible in the bladder and he said it was from incomplete emptying. He said based on the combination of my progressive PSA scores and DRE (smooth, no nodules), that I did not have cancer. He suggested PVP surgery (photoselective vaporization of the prostate) so that I could get off the meds. He said it was the newest procedure with the fewest side effects so I booked it for 7 months down the road as I was heading back to Thailand for the winter.

During that time I found things getting better, probably due to the fact that Proscar takes time to shrink the prostate, sometimes months. But I still didn't like the RE side effects of Flomax and the Proscar had it's own side effects (reduced libido, tiredness, etc.). So when surgery time was near, I went back to the urologist with concerns about side effects and was told that even with PVP surgery, the likelihood of long-term or permanent RE was almost certain. I have read that if the surgeon is very careful and uses "nerve-sparing" techniques it would rarely be an issue. But this guy didn't agree, even though he is young, cutting edge, and is a specialist in da Vinci robotic surgery (prostate cancer), he still maintained I would probably end up with RE. So I thought why have surgery to get off the meds because I didn't like the RE (primarily) side effect when I will likely have it also after the surgery. So I cancelled the surgery.

Then after research I found talk of alternative drugs and combinations that bring less side effects. I talked to my general doctor and switched from Flomax to Alfuzosin. Same family of drugs but my RE went away . Then I asked him for a trial of 5 mg/day of Cialis which is approved for BPH. Note that the normal as-needed dose for ED is 20 mg. So I found this worked extremely well for the BPH and also had some added positive side effects . At the same time I dropped the Proscar and have been on only the combo of Alfuzosin/Cialis for about 6 months which works very well. If I started to have problems returning he said I could also go back on the Proscar too. Note though that Cialis, even in the 5 mg dose, is very expensive. It isn't covered by my insurance but for me, well worth the cost!

So my recommendations would be:

1. Make sure and be evaluated by a good urologist first to rule out cancer.

2. Do not jump too quickly into a surgical solution until you exhaust different drug options first. Once you have surgery there is no going back. However, if you are not sexually active or the RE does not bother you, then the surgery is a way to get totally off the drugs. For me, the RE was a big issue and I hated it.

Good luck to all with this annoying problem most of us face as we age.

[bkk6060]

What does need to pee often mean? I usually go 2-3 times a night, is that so much? But if I make the mistake of drinking a lot of fluids at night, which sometimes I have to after exercise, I can go 5-6 times. Never thought it was a problem.

How old are you?

It makes a difference.

I am 61 and go 3 to 4 times a night.

I think 5 to 6 is too much.

[Canuck50]

What does need to pee often mean? I usually go 2-3 times a night, is that so much? But if I make the mistake of drinking a lot of fluids at night, which sometimes I have to after exercise, I can go 5-6 times. Never thought it was a problem.

How old are you?

It makes a difference.

I am 61 and go 3 to 4 times a night.

I think 5 to 6 is too much.

I am 65. Was going 3-5 per night but now that I got the meds right I usually go once early morning and sometimes not at all until I get up.

[Deserted]

What does need to pee often mean? I usually go 2-3 times a night, is that so much? But if I make the mistake of drinking a lot of fluids at night, which sometimes I have to after exercise, I can go 5-6 times. Never thought it was a problem.

How old are you?

It makes a difference.

I am 61 and go 3 to 4 times a night.

I think 5 to 6 is too much.

Am 44, 5-6 times a night seems like a lot to me.

[loppylugs1]

What does need to pee often mean? I usually go 2-3 times a night, is that so much? But if I make the mistake of drinking a lot of fluids at night, which sometimes I have to after exercise, I can go 5-6 times. Never thought it was a problem.

How old are you?

It makes a difference.

I am 61 and go 3 to 4 times a night.

I think 5 to 6 is too much.

Am 44, 5-6 times a night seems like a lot to me.

5 xs is a lot Id be truly bushed in the morn, but only 44,drugs no good lose sex drive,maybe after op too.

[Lumbini]

Don't the drugs just address symptoms leaving side effects worse than original problem over time ? Is there anything that gets to the root of the problem ?

[Canuck50]

Don't the drugs just address symptoms leaving side effects worse than original problem over time ? Is there anything that gets to the root of the problem ?

Surgery! PVP seems to be the newest with the fewest complications as a laser is used to vaporize the tissue instead of cutting it out in chunks with a hot wire loop, like the older TURP method. A very small chance of ED after, but higher probability of RE (dry orgasm), same as on Flomax (tamsulosin) drug.

[bkk6060]

Don't the drugs just address symptoms leaving side effects worse than original problem over time ? Is there anything that gets to the root of the problem ?

Surgery! PVP seems to be the newest with the fewest complications as a laser is used to vaporize the tissue instead of cutting it out in chunks with a hot wire loop, like the older TURP method. A very small chance of ED after, but higher probability of RE (dry orgasm), same as on Flomax (tamsulosin) drug.

Glad to hear they are making advance ments in treatment.

My father, who is now dead, was treated for the cancer. But also, they chopped his nuts off because they said it would stop the production of hormones which can feed the cancer.

Needless to say, he was not a happy camper the last few years of his life.

[louse1953]

Best to get PSA test done now,then have exam{finger jab}

Several PSA tests over 6 months will determine whether your PSA is going up.Depending on that,then the fickle finger.