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  • nick21549
    nick21549 Tim-B

    Posted

    Hi Tim, I had FOUR steroid injections for prostatitis between 1991 and 1995 on the NHS in Bristol. The first three gave me instant relief for about a year or so, but the fourth didn't help and made things worse. In 2002, my prostatitis disappeared totally for 13 years. It came back in 2015, but I've had up to 3 months during that time symptom free. I'm currently 90% free - possibly due in part to a bladder neck incision op I had about 12 weeks ago.

    I've posted a couple of times recent on this site with my story - https://patient.info/forums/discuss/bladder-neck-incision-and-prostatitis-610875 - if you want to know more.

    My current uro can't quite believe I had this procedure done once, let alone four times! In all my research on prostatitis over the years, I think this is the first time I've ever known anyone else to mention it. Good to know now I wasn't the only one!

    • Tim-B
      Tim-B nick21549

      Posted

      Thanks for the info Nick. I've struggled with prostatitis for over 15 years and seen 5 different urologists over the years. The recommended course of treatment is always the same - antibiotics and/or an Alpha blocker (of which I've tried 3). There has never been any indication of infection/bacteria in my urine and no doctor has mentioned this as an option until recently. The one prescription drug that gave some modest relief was Finasteride, but the side effects after 6 months were not worth the small benefit.

      I am having FLA in Dec for both PCa and LUTS and during that procedure will have an antibiotic injected.I've been researching other options for non-bacterial prostatitis when I came across the linked article and was trying to find how 'common' injections may be and the results. Hopefully, the FLA will provide the desired results and this will be a moot point - but it never hurts to have a bit more info.

       

    • nick21549
      nick21549 Tim-B

      Posted

      Tim, maybe try the herbal route at some stage. Rye grass pollen, quercetin, bromelain, pumpkin seed oil, saw palmetto etc. My uro acknowledges these do help some men and I'm sure they helped me. Pelvic floor exercises - I downloaded a CD from Australia - helped. If you find you feel better after a rest or power nap, might be worth a try. Acupuncture is also known to help sufferers, as is regular ejaculation. Mine first bout got better shortly after I got a new girlfriend after a lean couple of years!!

      Good luck for December.

    • CarlosZ
      CarlosZ Tim-B

      Posted

      Tim-B,

      I'm real sorry you have had to deal with this for so long.

      What symptoms were you experiencing with Prostatitis? Was inflammation visible on Mri?

      Did the biopsy cores mention chronic or acute inflammation?

      Sorry for all the questions, any thing helps.

      Kt

    • Tim-B
      Tim-B CarlosZ

      Posted

      Traditional LUTS, which most docs seem to assume is BPH (some of which I have now as well based on MRI). 

      Yes, inflammation shows on the MRI. No mention of inflammation on the biopsy.

      I did have the test - no sign of bacteria.

      Currently planning on antibiotic injection during FLA and a steroid pack.

      Hopefully, a combination of those two - plus the ablation, will help resolve the issue.

  • joe74831
    joe74831 Tim-B

    Posted

    Hey Tim, I had FLA done on Oct 9th, and  I also have suffered from prostatitis for years. I sent a sample to a new company a week before the procedure. They will give you a DNA analysis of the exact bacteria in your prostate, so your doc will know exactly what antibiotics to use.

     My Doc gave me an intramuscular injection of invanz the day before, IV ihfusion the day of the procedure, and an intramuscular the day after. He also injected Rcephyn directly into the prostate during the procedure. It is still to early to tell if it will work or not. I sure hope so, the Invanz was very expensive lol.

    That was a very interesting article, thanks for posting the link.

    good luck Joe

    • Tim-B
      Tim-B joe74831

      Posted

      Thanks Joe, I sent a sample last week - still awaiting the results. I'm not sure (yet) of the antibiotic to be used, but it may be the same as it is expensive.  Did you use Dr. K for your FLA?

    • joe74831
      joe74831 Tim-B

      Posted

      Good deal Tim, it sounds like,you are on the right track.

      And yes Dr K done my procedure, this was his first time trying to treat prostatitis as well. He is now considering doing the intra prostatic injections in his office using ultrasound.

      Is Dr K doing your procedure?

      ​Joe

    • Tim-B
      Tim-B joe74831

      Posted

      Yes he is - and he called with the results yesterday, no signs of bacteria/infection. So, we discussed doing a steroid pack in addition to the injection (and if the injection was still warranted). Currently, planning to do both. Did your test return positive?
    • joe74831
      joe74831 Tim-B

      Posted

      Good morning TIm. Yes mine came back with 3 different bacteria. One was a moderate bacteria load, and the other 2 were  small bacteria loads. The funny thing was I had no symptoms of an infection at the time.

      Also I used the swab that came with the kit, and sent prostatic fluid instead of semen. My regular GP who has treated me for years says that is really the only way to get a true result, unless you are in an active infection with LOTS of bacteria.

  • Howard31850
    Howard31850 Tim-B

    Posted

    Hi Tim,

    I looked into this a few years back. Here is what I learned. The prostate gland is similar to lung tissue - it is made up of  millions of tiny fluid sacs called acinii. Once bacteria get into these sacs the bacteria enclose themselves in mucous membranes that cannot be penetrated by antibiotics. So even if the bacteria are identified by culture/DNA analysis from the DRE prostatic fluid it is almost impossible to get the antibiotic through the mucous membranes and to all the acinii sacs where they hide. This why chronic prostatitis is so hard to cure. The time to get it is in the acute stage but few of us knew that back then. I visited doctors in New York and Toronto who claimed they could cure it by daily injections of a cocktail into the prostate (at $1000. a pop!) but their track records were not good.

    My own interest in CP is that it is often cited as the initial cause of BPH which is viewed by some as an autoimmune disease due to the chronic nature of the bacterial flareups.

    There is some good news on the horizon. Researchers have found that the bacteria breakdown and remake their own mucous membrane every few minutes. These researchers have identified the enzyme the bacteria use to breakdown the mucous shield and have synthesized and injected it into infected prostate of lab animals. The results are that this protective shield is then dissolved exposing the bacteria to proper antibiotics which then destroy them and cure the chronic disease. But it is a way off yet for us as treatment. Good luck.

     

    • Tim-B
      Tim-B Howard31850

      Posted

      Neil - fascinating info, thanks for sharing. I had not heard nor read that before. 

      Daily injections at 1k a pop... yoinks! That gives new meaning to getting it in the a..

  • joe74831
    joe74831 Tim-B

    Posted

    Hey Tim, it looks like you tried to respond to me on here, and it was stopped by a moderator. Feel free to private message me, or re-post. Sometimes they get blocked by mistake.

    Thanks Joe

    • Tim-B
      Tim-B joe74831

      Posted

      Yeah, this site can be overly...aggressive in that regard. It should come through shortly. I posted another reply prior to this and it too has been held - no idea why.
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