BPH Treatment, I am exhausted

Posted , 23 users are following.

I have been living with BPH symptoms for about 5-8 years and I am only 54 years old. My urologist offers very little help other than drugs or TURP, the so called "Gold Standard".I have been reading endless websites on my condition and how to treat it for many years. This is no solid or logical path to take, it all seems like a gamble.

This forum has been a great help , but each individual has different experience. I have had 2 AUR in 2 years and I plan my day , everyday based on where the toilets are. I am just so tired of it all! I don't know what to do.

To date, I don't take any medications and I have had no procedures done.

I don't want anything called or remotely associated with ROTO-ROOTER!

At this point I MUST do something. My plan is:

  1. Meet with top Urologist at UCLA.
  2. Meet with Dr. Bagla in Virginia.
  3. Meet With Dr. Karamanian in Houston.

Make a decision and DO SOMETHING! ANYTHING!

0 likes, 93 replies

93 Replies

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  • Posted

    Glad you have the means to see so many people. I didn't have that option. Hope all goes well for you! I am 2 weeks posy Green Light. So far, it's ok for me. Still stings quite a bit towards the end of my stream. Sporadic bleeding....not enough to cause alarm, but just when I think three times ago was the last, I get another surprise of a shot of blood. MUCH less effort at this point, other than that I can't really say because I'm only 2 weeks out.....

    • Posted

      I wish the best for you! - Keep us posted on GL.

  • Posted

    Your plan 3.

    Below is from Dr. Sperling in Florida who also does the FLA procedure.

    FLA-BPH is performed under real-time BlueLaser™ 3T mpMRI guidance instead of a visual scope or ultrasound guidance. Unlike transurethral procedures that access the urethra through the penis,

    Under real-time MRI guidance, a small laser fiber optic is inserted precisely into the center of each area to be treated. During each 2-3 minutes of laser activation, special software shows temperature changes in the tissue being treated, assuring there is no heat damage to surrounding tissues. Following ablation, the MRI is used to confirm each ablated area. After the procedure is done, the patient meets with Dr. Sperling during a brief recovery, and then leaves.

    The entire procedure is thus completely different from transurethral procedures such as TURP, TUMT, TUNA, other transurethral laser procedures, Resum therapy, and Urolift®.

    • Posted

      I was looking into Dr Sperling , seems to be more info on Dr. K- Thanks for the info.

  • Posted

    The more you search the more you will have doubts. GL is a good simple procedure. HoLep is also good and saves tissue to be sent to a histologist.

    I was out and about the day after GL after my 75 grm prostate was done with no problems. I had the advantage of not having a large median lobe and a surgeon who did a bladder neck sparing procedure.

    • Posted

      Yes more research more doubt for sure! I dont know about my median lobe.

    • Posted

      I believe in having the problem tissue removed but it can grow back. Over nine years my prostate regrew to 135 grms and I then had Thulium/Holmium laser similar to HoLep in 2013 and so far so good. However my flow tends to be rather variable for no reason that has been found but I have no retention and my PSA is down from over 7.0 to 0.70.

    • Posted

      Removing the tissue is the solution to the problem. As I say, "Remove the mass." However, I invite everyone to find the procedure that removes the mass and does not touch/disturb the bladder neck, urethra, sphincters, and nerve bundles. These MUST be preserved. Welcome to my world.

      Dave

    • Posted

      Mine were preserved with GL/PVP and Thulium/Holmium laser with different URO's . The NHS does some things quite well:-)

      Possibly unlike commercial URO's they are prepared to take their time. The one who did my Thulmium/Holmium one said that I had ruined his back as he had been crouching between my legs for three and a half hours 😃

  • Posted

    why don't you try tamsulosin.

    • Posted

      I have tried Flomax and daily Cialis. Both make me so dizzy that I can't function.

    • Posted

      Did they bring your blood pressure down? Flowmax brought mine down and put my heart rate up to 136 bpm on day three or four. I called the out of hours doctor as my chest was vibrating so much. He looked up his drugs book and said that was what was causing it.

  • Posted

    why don't you try tamsulosin.

    • Posted

      I love repeating this 😃

      Tamsulosin can give you Floppy Iris Syndrome and make future cataract surgery difficult. It also causes RE and other sexual problems. Speaking to the nurse at the surgery I once asked her what was the most complained about drug and that was it. I said Yes by men but she replied No by their wife’s.

      One a day Cialis is a much better alternative

    • Posted

      Derek,

      Any alpha-blocker drug could create problems during cataract surgery, which happens much after severe BPH symptoms. Eye-surgeons usually know how to cope with it. Alpha-blockers used for different reasons with other than BPH patients. Cialis helps to generate Nitric Oxide and alleviate LUTS symptoms, improves erections, but unfortunately doesn't treat BPH cause or resulting bladder neck obstruction. It's not an alternative, unfortunately. Works well in combination and is FDA approved, means, covered by most insurance companies. Alfuzosin doesn't cause RE and other sexual problems, at least for me. I take it almost 10 years daily+daily 5 mg Cialis.

      Most of the men who take Alfuzosin don't experience much of side effects.

    • Posted

      Alfuzosin does not cause floppy iris syndrome. I had not heard that Cialis alleviates LUTS.

      When I first took the normal dose of Cialis in 2010 I was surprised how much my flow improved when my prostate was regrowing.

    • Posted

      I experienced all that with Tamsulosim plus extreme nasal congestion. I did have cataract surgery but was limited on the replacement lens as my eyes were so messed up. I've been off Tamsulosin 3 1/2 months and still have RE. I take generic Cialis 10mg per day and get it cheap from Canada. All the excitement about HoLEP and RE does not concern me as I am living with it and don't find it that hard to deal with, orgasm is still fun.

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