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:
- Meet with top Urologist at UCLA.
- Meet with Dr. Bagla in Virginia.
- Meet With Dr. Karamanian in Houston.
Make a decision and DO SOMETHING! ANYTHING!
0 likes, 93 replies
DaveCanPee Bobcats
Posted
Hello - What are your symptoms and what size is your prostate?
Dave
Bobcats DaveCanPee
Posted
Hi Dave,
Prostate estimate by DRE is 60CC. Symptoms are peeing all the time ! Urgency, cant hold it.
If I do hold it, stuck in traffic or something, the whole day becomes dribble, dribble every 10 minutes.2 AUR in 2 years.Night time is not too bad , up at 1am, up at 3am, up at 5:30 am and stay up- Go to gym. I usually go back to sleep though.
I know you are happy with your prostatectomy , but your private message you sent me a few weeks ago scared the p**s out of me ( I WISH ! )
DaveCanPee Bobcats
Posted
Hi Bob:
You are not alone. If the "invasive" word is used, it becomes taboo. I am the exception to the rule, but very successful nonetheless. Best to you.
Dave
gene97713 Bobcats
Posted
Bob,
You are on a right track. In my personal opinion and experience that I expressed so patiently on this forum many times, PAE is the best option so far for most BPH patients except with small prostate. Specifically Targeted PAE which I underwent. I'm 12 month post the procedure and can't be happier. In my opinion you don't need to travel to Florida or Texas. I've done it with Dr. Picel at UCSD and there is a IR Professor in LA who does at at Mount Sinai.
It might be expensive if not covered by insurance. Check with your insurance. Enlarged Median lobe is not such a problem with Targeted PAE. Most of us went through similar experience with AUR. Myself twice too + bleeding eventually, but I'm 71 and suffered starting age 62. Medications can help a lot and postpone the surgery. . Alfuzosin has relatively few side effects. You might need it anyway due to the thickened bladder.
Good luck.
Bobcats gene97713
Posted
Thanks Gene,
Dr Picel has been on my radar, as I am in L.A.But seems Bagla has more experience?
gene97713 Bobcats
Posted
Most likely you will not feel great first few days. I might be painful and frequent urination. Dr. Picel is nearby and so far had 95% success in his clinical trial He was trained in NC by another pioneer of PAE.
Bobcats gene97713
Posted
Gene,
Have you any idea how many PAE Dr Picel has done? It does seem more appealing to stay local, I just want to make sure to go with the best Doctor. At this point I'm not trying to save money!
maurice86282 Bobcats
Posted
I am 54 as well with BPH and median lobe. I was on Flomax for years but the effectiveness of the drug has gone down so needed to do a procedure. However, I didn’t want to do any invasive procedure that would risk causing impotence or retro ejaculation. My first urologist only did Rezum and he didn’t have good reputation. Switched to a second urologist who only did TURP and started recently to do Rezum but wasn’t comfortable with the fact he didn’t have a lot of experience in Rezum. The more research I did on this forum and online the more I liked the Urolift procedure as it was the least invasive of what I mentioned above. Urolift sent me their top urologists in the NY area and I ended up getting Urolift done two weeks ago at one of the highest rated urologist by the Urolift company. So far, 12 days post procedure, things have exceeded my expectation. Very little bleed in the first few days which stopped completely after 5 days. No pelvic pain (one of the possible symptoms), little burn when urinating, no catheter. Excellent flow when urinating. Went to the Dr on Friday for a follow up and he said this should give me 5-7 years of symptom free life. Based on what I read on this forum, each patient reacts to procedures differently, in my case as of now, I am extremely satisfied with the outcome (realizing it has only been 2 weeks). Will provide update in the future.
DavidDundas Bobcats
Posted
Hi,
Because you have BPH and you mention that you have to plan your day around where toilets are located, you are probably having to get up often in the night for a pee. If so, this is probably the basis of your tiredness, so I suggest you have the TURP as soon as possible, since the enlarged prostate irritates the bladder; this way you should get better sleep and then be less tired.
I had the TURP many years ago and it works, but you may need to practice stretching you bladder which will have got used to having a small capacity, by "hanging on" as long as possible before urinating. Please don't forget to have a regular PSA test (every six months) as prostate cancer can remain dormant and then suddenly wake up within months; and ask what the PSA level actually is, don't accept that "its OK" because the PSA can vary widely from the average of 4 ng/ml depending on the size of your prostate. I have recorded my PSA test levels for more than 16 years and this is valuable for later diagnosis. If your GP is worried about a high PSA, the next step is an mpMRI scan, not a biopsy.
derek76 DavidDundas
Posted
As you had your successful TURP many years ago why have you just joined this Forum?
DavidDundas derek76
Posted
Hi Derek,
I have joined the forum because I have been diagnosed with Advanced prostate cancer, and have had a radical prostatectomy 9 months ago from which I am in recovery mode. My reason for commenting on Bobcats dilemma is to share my experience of the TURP as well the importance of having regular PSA tests. I have had a PSA test every 6 months but my GP missed calling me up after 6 months and I forgot to remind him, as I was recovering from a second hip operation and was focussed on that. When I had a PSA test a year after the one before, my PSA had jumped 80%
derek76 DavidDundas
Posted
Wow, so sorry to read that. It seems a massive change over a year. Had you previously had an MRI or a biopsy ?
richp21 Bobcats
Posted
Your plan sounds first rate.
Before I made my decision, I spoke on the phone several times with Dr. K, Dr Bagla, and one other highly regarded IR. I have only the best things to say about Dr K and Dr Bagla. I ended up having a PAE with Dr Bagla about 2 years ago. I've had modest improvement that has allowed me to discontinue meds.
jim81578 richp21
Posted
I second that with Dr. K.
tom86211 Bobcats
Posted
Bobcats,
Why not try Tamsulosin as an experiment to see if helps you? That might be a bridge for you until you decide on a procedure. A PAE with Dr. Bagla might work if you don't have a median lobe issue. It would certainly be the easiest procedure with the fewest side effects and fastest recovery time.
Tom