BPH Treatment, I am exhausted

You say that it has not worsened over the years. That is extremely unusual as the prostate tends to grow like a weed. I take it that you do have it checked out ?

What did you find are the good prostatitis meds ?

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Posted a reply that did not print. Trying again, abbreviated.

Didn't mean to suggest that there has been no worsening over 30 years. There has, though it appears to have leveled off the last 5 years now. Uro says it may well have stabilized from here and will not worsen. No indications that my prostate is growing beyond what it has been.

Prostatitis med for me is Bactrim aka sulfameth. Puts out the fire in 24 hrs and eliminates the bout of prostatitis within 2 weeks

Final thought for the night on all this: The only docs that seem to have broader credibility with the group here are those who offer high ticket trailblazing procedures that seem not covered by insurance. For many if not most, that is a big factor in living with the status quo. Spouse and I are secure in retirement but can ill afford out-of-pocket $20 or $30K or more for state-of-the art surgery. So...I improvise.

Owen over last few years you have posted 150 messages on this forum and most of them are misleading, which could be a disservice to this community and less educated but suffering members. BPH never stops growing, albeit the speed for different people could be different. Currently TURP is not the safest procedure, staying put and waiting is not a good tactics either, as you are harming you bladder and eventually kidney. Going to the restroom every 1.5 hrs and three times per night is not normal at any age! Don't recommend this . to everybody. Of course, you are free to suffer on your own... There plenty of less invasive procedures now, which are covered by most insurances and practically all of them are covered by Medicare. Of course you need to buy Medicare B and additional Medigap insurance that covers the rest of the 20%of the bill left by Medicare B. Medicare Advantage (except Kaiser) won't cover most of the novel procedures. It will cost you nothing, if you coverage is correct (read above). PAE, Urolift, GLP , even penis implants are fully covered by Medicare. Stop scaring people out of the modern procedures and blaming doctors who promulgate modern effective therapies. It's the old school Uros with their "golden standard" TURP and Robotic surgeries who enrich themselves by butchering suffering ageing men. Doing noting is not an option too...

Gene -- Never meant my opinions -- or recommendations -- to be gospel. And while it may seem as if I have posted here for over a few years, it's really been but a few months. And 150 posts? I tend to doubt that. I'd say I discovered this forum late last year at the earliest, though I could be a tad off on that.

Time does fly, though, when you are having fun.

My impression was -- and is -- that this is a forum of personal experiences, shared by individuals who have had often different experiences with an extremely annoying -- though, Thank God, not fatal -- malady. I have shared my experience with BPH, and passed on whatever knowledge -- or lack of knowledge -- offered by my urologist.

On this we might agree: a good urologist in one's life is a gift. I guess when you have one, you know. I am still only moderately satisfied with my own. As for insurance, I have Medicare Advantage through United Healthcare. Thus far I have just assumed -- from info gleaned on this forum -- that the more pioneering BPH-oriented procedures are often not covered by plans like mine.

And I don't believe I attacked any physicians offering services at either end of the professional spectrum. But people can gain impressions from a word or two here and there that was never intended in the way they processed it.

And as for TURP, my uro specializes in it but I am scared to death of the procedure. Interestingly, he cannot place me in contact with any of his past TURP patients. Prostatectomy, yes. But not TURP. "I never thought of establishing a patinet referral base in that area."

As for the rest, sorry I upset you with the coping suggestions. Time for a pause. I wish you well.

P.S. Just checked. I joined this site 5 months ago -- just seems like 18 months to you apparently. Maybe there is another Owen in patient./com? And you joined this forum just two months ago. At the 150 message pace you mention -- that's every day exposure to my words. Not possible, if I may say. Perhaps a case of mistaken identity.

Owen,

I apologize for my mistake with 150 comments, probably I mistook the number of comments in this specific thread for being all yours. Nevertheless, I do disagree with your medical recommendations, which could be misleading for many. What you describe as Prostatitis, is most likely LUTI (Low Urinary Tract Infection), sometimes generalized UTI, which can treated quite effectively with Bactrim or Cipro. Prstatitis,an inevitable companion of a late stage developed BPH, which could be responsible for some degree of ED, is very difficult to treat. It happens in much younger male as well, who suffer in silence and develop an early BPH as a result.

I can only repeat that postponing BPH treatment is a medical mistake. One destroys the bladder neck, walls, kidney, not to mention a miserable quality of life and sexual life. Orgasm and ejaculations are not dangerous to your prostate, it's an "urban legend". Sexual life is regulated by your libido, inborn abilities, fitness, in the end and doesn't require to be moderated. Enjoy it to the extent you are able to. Effective treatments of BPH (some of them relatively minimally invasive) are available in US, and even more in European countries with "socialized" medical services, where TURP becomes an antiquated treatment. I believe that at age after 65 men in US need a better medical coverage than so much coveted cheaper option of Medicare Advantage plan. For another $150 per month you can have a much better option, which will allow you to be treated at any University Hospital or even Cleveland or Mayo Clinic. That's the key to good health not propagating misleading information based on your HMO experience. I speak about these things based on my own experience with severe BPH, GP and URO allowing my prostate to grow to 135 g, bleeding, AUR, etc. Finally I found my correct solution and am very happy with it. I don't go to the bathroom at night and can hold my urges 4-5 hours. I was in your situation and even much worse, but took some time 18 month ago to study my options. My HMO offered me only TURP, which is a malpractice at . the size 135 g, but I resisted and got my PAE through Medicare. You can switch from your Advantage Plan to General Medicare B (once per year) perform any sophisticated surgery or FDA approved procedure an then switch back to your Advantage Plan. Switching to General Medicare B is available only till 2020. After that time you will be stuck with your Advantage plan. That fact speaks for itself.

Take care.

Clicking on your name shows that you joined the Forum in September and have now made 152 post to it. Check it for yourself.

https://patient.info/forums/profiles/owen35669-1208184/activity

Hi Gene,

Do you have a reference re: not being able to switch from Advantage to regular Medicare after 2020? Thanks!

Rich

Formatting bug strikes again. It seems quite random.

Here's the question again.

Do you have a reference re: not being able to switch from Advantage to regular Medicare after 2020?

Gene --

Sincere thanks for this detail and theory...which I have copied and will share with my uro in summary form at my next annual. If as you opine I have not actually suffered from prostatitis and if non-invasive BPH "therapy" as I am now practicing it is destroying my bladder, kidneys etc...then I might have to call a doctor's bluff and move to better therapy as you suggest.

Still, regarding orgasms and prostatitis...that information was taken from a book titled A Headache in the Pelvis. p. 244. The author is a doc, so it seems plausible. Maybe not.

I also have an annual with my GP next month. I intend to ask him about his universe of patients with long-standing BPH and whether -- short of surgery-like intervention -- they all drop off the grid with the essentially terminal outcomes noted in your reply. I do hope not. My own long-standing 30-years BPH at age 73 is an extraordinary annoyance but a condition that has not exhibited itself -- yet? -- as ominous in any metabolic panels or physical exams. Perhaps I've

just been lucky. Good health to you and thanks again.

P.S. I do drink a lot. Literally gallons of fluids -- low fat milk, juices especially -- every day. Have done so since I was a kid. That, too, is a blessing or a curse.

AUR is Acute Urinary Retention. If you have ever had one, you would know what it is. Sent me to the ER 2 years ago,at 52 years old. This 100% blockage, cant pee, your body says PEE, but nothing comes out. It is hell!

My second AUR was one month ago, I self catheterized from what my urologist taught me. I know many on this site self cath ( Also known as CIC ) as a way of life, but that is not for me.

I am a young man! I have a business and a family. I travel on planes, client meetings, family outings, etc. Peeing every 90 minutes would be an improvement!

I do manage my fluid intake, I just need some normalcy back in my life.

Thanks for all the replies.