BPH - are we sure there are no other options?
Posted , 20 users are following.
Sorry if this has been posted before or offends anyone, just wanted to have a constructive discussion about it since I am curious and frustrated.
I have been dealing with BPH and LUTS for a while now and have recently been exploring all the pharma, homeopathic and surgical options available to make the situation better. One topic I read about recently dealt with the idea of prostate massage which seems to help, as described in a paper from Columbia University that I just read. I learned about such a procedure done by a professional and also a way to do it at home.
I'm frustrated with my prostate, not clear why it grows and causes me not to be able to empty my bladder, so I am researching all options. I am in my late 50s and don't want to take meds for the rest of my life, or have to carry a catheter with me or pay $$$ for surgery that seems to work mostly but not permanently.
Does anyone have any theraputic commentary on this approach to managing a growing prostate?
0 likes, 61 replies
owen35669 michael31017
Posted
Tried a "device" commonly available on line for this purpose. Perhaps didn't give it enough try...but didn't work for me. In hindsight, can't imagine prostate massage can shrink the prostate. So our task -- short of invasive stuff -- would appear to be managing the condition and symptoms with a combination of the "therapies" mentioned in these pages. Good luck.
michael31017 owen35669
Posted
I wonder if the prostate is "used" or massaged or somehow manipulated, does it release fluid which makes it smaller? Do our prostates increase in size as sexual activity decreases? It seems logical (i'm an engineer so I'm always looking for logical) but if so, is there something we can do about it? This is why I started this thread.
Once I try some at home therapy, I'll share my findings with the group.
derek76 michael31017
Posted
Are you going to buy a prostate wand or have your partner do the prostate massage ? Uro's do it for the fluid to be released to test it for infections.
Billy Connolly told the hilarious story of his on the Michael Parkinson show once and it was also featured on Family Guy.
Evidently prostate massage is a speciality of German prostitutes.
michael31017 derek76
Posted
My idea is to buy a high quality prostate device like the Aneros Helix Syn or something like that and do it myself. I haven't quite reached a point of asking my wife to help me in this area until I understand more about it.Need more information, as usual.
derek76 michael31017
Posted
I imagine it will take quite a bit of practice to get it right.
michael31017 derek76
Posted
Yes I agree and I have been unable to allocate the time to begin the practice. 😦
derek76 michael31017
Posted
We await to hear if it helps or gives you any satisfaction 😃
michael31017 derek76
Posted
Ok! Now that I'm back at home after yet another business trip, I hope to get started soon. The overall concept is sort of funny but I'm still wanting to try something new.
derek76
Posted
If you have any Gay friends ask them about their prostate pleasure.
michael31017 derek76
Posted
Well, 9 months later and I just didn't get the results as expected with prostate massage devices. It was sort of interesting to try, I felt silly waiting for something to improve, but not something that I would consider as a "treatment" for BPH. 😦
derek76 michael31017
Posted
Did you get any pleasure from it ?
j12080 michael31017
Posted
Welcome to old age. And no. There are NO cures for BPH. You just have to manage it. Drugs were not an answer for me and thank goodness I did not take them. Holistic treatments may help but do not work to the degree that you want. Urologist will butcher you in most cases. We are basically down a black hole. If you don't want to spend you own money then you better just go with a Uro and use your insurance. Some treatments they offer work.
I went FLA for a lot of logical reasons. Very please for the last two years. I think now it is very proven but I was the first for BPH. But my prostate has not and never will stop growing. When the time comes, I will do FLA once again because the relief was so good for me. I am hoping for 3 to five more good years then I will climb in the saddle again and have the precise controlled reduction of only the tissue that is causing the problem. Until then, thing are good.
Just except where you are, do your research and by all means, treat it soon than later. I wish I had not had to wait for a good treatment to come along. Urologist will not support FLA because the are not capable of doing the procedure and second they do not make any money suggesting the MRI direction to us men.
I know where you are because I was there once. Good luck. We are all in the same boat.
richp21 j12080
Posted
John, I would also mention PAE as an alternative (which is performed by interventional radiologists).
j12080 richp21
Posted
Yes I would mention it to Michael, but I must confess that except for going to visit and interviewing both Dr. Isaacson and Dr. Bagla in person for my diligence when selecting my choice of treatments, I have no first hand experience with PAE. My single close friend that chose PAE had to do it twice and did not achieve the results he wanted. He is now looking at other things. But this is not to say that PAE is not a good treatment. I decided that it was not for me with a 125cc prostate and a large median lobe issue. I needed visual contact with the tissue being removed to be sure the correct tissue was opened up. I wanted to see the issue and I wanted to know the doctor that was removing the tissue was looking at it when he did so. Kind of like the theory of looking at the nail when you swing the hammer.
PAE is a good offering for some men. It is random in the control of the shrinkage area through atrophy of the tissue and I needed something that was precise in removal of only the spots and the tissue was that was causing the blockage. But PAE has had good results for a lot of men and works.
My main point to Michael is that first he needs someone to tell him his specific situation of his individual prostate. He need to see the film of his prostate and be shown the real issues that are causing the problem. Then, if he is already experiencing the horrible symptoms of BPH at his early age, he should not wait to find a treatment and suffer. We all know what we can do to our bladders by waiting. A younger man also wants to make sure the selected treatment gives him the absolute best changes of no sexual side effects. I feel FLA and PAE offer that and that is a major positive for my selection. Personally, it was the most important selection factor for me. And, he wants to be sure his problem is a prostate issue he is having and not a bladder issue from the beginning. Unfortunately, he may have to seek this analysis from a urologist.
Also, I hope he understands that Urologist will not present to him anything except the "flavor of the month" treatment that they are currently using and selling for BPH. So speaking to them about PAE or FLA is a useless effort and will try to block his consideration of these treatments. Research will show him the truth about this.
It is a sad spot to be in and most of us are in it, or have been there. The growth of the prostate NEVER stops no matter what treatment you pick.
But Michael has a lot of options and should have a lot of hope. FLA and PAE are not fully supported by the insurance companies as of yet, and the Urological Associations and Lobbies are fighting hard to keep it that way.
I wish him the best and know that diligence and research will give him power through knowledge. He can get a lot of leads and knowledge of other men's experiences on this site. But, in the end he should research and talk to as many doctors with possible solutions as possible. Only he can make his decision. Money should not, if possible be the first or most important consideration.
In studying this, If one uses logic, and can be shown how and why the procedure has success, then apply that logic to their specific situation, the chances for a good experience is very high. Ask to be shown HOW and Why something will work and ask the practitioner doing the procedure. Have them show you on your specific condition. If they don't have the time, effort or ability to deliver those answer then; you actually have your answer to their offering and you best stay away from them.
Light1 j12080
Posted
Hi John,
Good to hear from you! What's the latest you've heard about Rezum?
Best wishes,
Fred
michael31017 j12080
Posted
Thanks for the detailed response. I commented above on my Urologist's advice but I'm not sold on it. You make a good point about doing something now rather than later when the bladder is damaged due to lack of clear path for drainage.
Curious, how do you guys know that your prostate is 125cc or 50cc or some specific size? My urologist seems to have guessed by size via DRE which doesn't seem very accurate to me.
I'm not opposed to traveling a distance to find a good Urologist such as the person in Virginia (USA) who has been mentioned on this website a few times. I worry that something invasive like the various types of TURP (cutting, vaporizing, cauterizing) will cause permanent impotence.
I find it funny (in a annoying way) that my urologist and primary care doctor have one solution each and don't ever offer to discuss all the options. My PC doctor even gets annoyed when I do research online and bring him new information for discussion. "I am the doctor!" is his reply! (yes, I need to find a better one soon)
derek76 michael31017
Posted
I found that DRE estimates were confirmed by later tests.
j12080 Light1
Posted
Hey Fred!
Sorry, for the late response. The Safari Club show is in town and I have been working in a booth down there.
Good to hear from you. I have heard both good and bad about Rezum just the same as with every other treatment offered to us. As I have said many times, I really think the most important decision is choosing the right Doctor or the person who does the treatment. It is not a question of their geographical location to me, it is a question of the type of person they are and their training.
My issue with Rezum when I was researching was the the treatment was up the urethra. They go up the urethra and then punch the hole back through the wall of the urethra into the prostate. i also did not like that they then pull the trigger and destroy the tissue just outside the urethra walls. They have to make several punctures in the process. I was not interest in Rezum mainly because I want something more controlled and I want the doctor actually looking at the tissue he is removing as he does the procedure.
It was a big benefit to me to have the doctor show me the MRI of my prostate and the mark the tissue he would remove and to line out the path he would take with the device to do the procedure. It was better for my decision as I believe in the Trust and Verify theory. I like it that the second films used during the procedure actually showed me he removed what we talked about and nothing else. I don't think the urological procedures offered can do that.
Good to hear from you, let's stay in contact and we should also continue, when ask, to support these poor guys who are trying to find what is right for them.