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Prostatitis recovery period

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max59857
max59857

Hi All, 

So I've been trying to get rid of prostatitis for the last 3 and a half months now, hard to get a diagnosis but eventually got put on 6 weeks of meds (4 weeks levo, 2 weeks doxycycline). After 6 weeks of up and down in regards to progress, a few days after finishing the script the symptoms got better and urine flow improved (no more retention feeling etc.)

Read about only 5% have bacterial blah blah, but my doc seems to think all prostatitis is caused by bacteria at the beginning. Anyway, symptoms improving but I have also stopped drinking, smoking, eating spicy foods, sitting down for longs periods of time and cut down on sex. From your experience If I lapse and do these things will the prostatitis just come back?

thanks

3 likes, 213 replies

213 Replies

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  • RonTexan
    RonTexan max59857

    Edited

    Sounds to me like you may have cured yourself!  I have not had your problem, mine was BPH. I have followed these forums daily for the last six months ago and in that time there have been several with simiarly-sounding problems to yours who changed their life-style, eliminating gluten primarily but also losing weight, getting lots of exercise, more sleep and just getting their bodies into a lean and mean condition. I have heard of no one who benefited from less sex. Even alcohol is recognized as beneficial if done in moderation.  

    Another major factor in better health of many on these forums is paying attention to the real-life experiences of other posters. I, for example learned of the solution to my BPH here, and I have found a new therapy for my wife's difficulty in another thread which we are just beginning to implement. My bph solution was not even heard of by my urologist and was criticized by both he and another urologist. I'm 100% better as a result of this unknown surgery that I had to go out of state to find a Dr to perform it. My wife's therapy was totally discredited by my GP and her specialist. It's the "not invented here" syndrom at work. Maybe it won't work but testing on a limited number of patients has worked beautifully. We learned of it here, not in a Doctor's office.

    Her therapy, in a nutshell, involved thrty six steps she and I can do to get our bodies in the best condition of our lives, from exercise, sleep, no suger, no gluten, certain vitamins and minerals, some prescription drugs, the idea being that none of these 36 actions help in any way, by themselves,  to solve her problem  but the specialist who developed this protocol has found a synergistic relationship among these factors and has a limited understanding of how they fit together but he has found that if most of the actions are taken it simply works.  

    I would guaranty you that it would work for you but I think it would be overkill for your problem.

    I hope that I have instilled in you an urge to further-pursue  a solution on your own and these forums are the best place I have found to do so.

    Best of luck to you and Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones. Ron  

    • john76970
      john76970 RonTexan

      Posted

      Hi Ron. Would you be willing to elaborate on the surgery , such as name of the procedure, Dr., state in which it is done. (I have BPH).

      Also, would you elaborate on the 36 steps.

      Thank you!

      John

    • john91757
      john91757 RonTexan

      Posted

      Why are you so cryptic about this surgery, and other successful treatments? Can you elaborate, or are you trying to sell something?
    • mohamed27452
      mohamed27452 RonTexan

      Posted

      hi ron

      i hop you are in good heath now , can you tell me about what kind of drugs and minerals you take plz

  • derek76
    derek76 max59857

    Posted

    Sex should help relieve it by flushing secretions from the prostate. Mine is a mixture of bacterial and non bacterial but mostly non bacterial. At worst it has taken four months to go away and has actually sometimes gone overnight. I don't think that det is a factor in it.
    • mike102580
      mike102580 derek76

      Posted

      Sex does not help if youfrequently ejaculate it goes to urinary track and bladder I am so fed up with this crap it’s been almost 2 and a half years of this I’ve been on doxy- cipro and sulfatrim any suggestions would be greatly apretiated 
  • youngman62353
    youngman62353 max59857

    Edited

    hi max.

    I have been battling the same symptoms for about two months now and yeah mine is a case of bacterial prostatitis as well. i also followed the similar routine of antiiotics (ofloxacin and doxycycline) so i can relate to the irritation this wretched disease causes.

    the lifestyle changes of cutting back on alcohol, caffine and smoking definitely help. if you revert back to your old ways the infection won't come back but it could irritate your prostate causing inflamation and making it susceptible to infection. thats what my doc told me.

    you could always drink in moderation and make sure that you are not dehydrated. that could take you back to square one (personal experience).

    moreover it seems to be a myth that more ejaculation is helpful for prostatitis. an inflammed prostate needs rest. i found that out the hard way. my symtoms were improving but then one fateful day i jerked off and even though there is no urinary retention i can feel my prostate swollen and painful.

    moreover take saw palmetto and pumpkin seeds extract supplements for 6 months. my doc told me they would help heal the prostate.

    congrats on the recovery and best of luck mate.

    • max59857
      max59857 youngman62353

      Posted

      Hi Youngman, 

      Sounds very similar to my experiences to be honest - one of the most stressful things to happen to me at the beginning, guess it is one of those things that doesn't go away over night however much you try.,,

      Agree about the ejaculation myth - im no doc but it seems that for CPPS or the type that is related to pains in the pelvis, masturbation will help relax the muscles and eveleate pain but if it is purely to do with the prostate (my symptoms been 90% urinary with slight pains and fatique) then the prostate needs to rest and my doc said it is like 'kicking the prostate' when ejaculating. 

      I haven't drunk any alcohol or caffeine for 3 weeks and this has helped alot. I'm taking the saw palmetto which also helps (maybe placebo but ill take a placebo)

      How is your recovery going? I reckon I'm 95% better on a good day but then I'll have a lapse and it's back to 60%. Also - boring - but apparently just getting back into being healthy, gym, swimming, eating well, seeing mates will help, 

      Wish you a speedy recovery too - been scared outta my mind that I would be like this forever especially when reading the internet!

       

    • derek76
      derek76 youngman62353

      Posted

      The myth is encouraged by the Channel 4 programme Embarrasing Bodies:

       'if antibiotics don’t clear up the infection then self-help measures such as hot baths, avoidance of strenuous activity and regular ejaculation are normally prescribed, the latter helping to drain the prostate and clear infected matter'

      Also by the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health:

      Role of ejaculation in the treatment of chronic non-bacterial prostatitis

      Abstract.

      Chronic non-bacterial prostatitis (NBP) is the most common prostatitis syndrome. Prevention and cure are not possible because the cause of NBP is unknown. However, patients may benefit from supportive measures. The impact of the frequency of ejaculation alone on the course of NBP was evaluated in the present study.

      METHODS:

      Thirty-four single male patients who avoided masturbation and extramarital sexual intercourse for personal and/or religious beliefs and who did not respond to a clinical trial of doxycycline hydrochloride therapy (200 mg daily for 4 weeks) directed against mycoplasmas, chlamydiae and ureaplasmas were enrolled in the study. They were encouraged to masturbate regularly at least twice a week and were re-evaluated at the end of a 6 month period, including a complete inquiry regarding their sexual function during this time. Response was assessed by a symptom severity index.

      RESULTS:

      Clinical and laboratory re-evaluation could be performed in 28 patients. Of 18 patients who adhered to the recommendations, two (11%) experienced complete relief of symptoms, whereas six (33%) had marked improvement, six had moderate improvement and four (22%) did not benefit. In contrast, three of seven patients who masturbated less frequently reported partial improvement. Three patients who did not ejaculate other than during wet dreams had a worse prognosis.

      CONCLUSIONS:

      Young men who are single and suffering from NBP must be informed about their illness in detail and, if they are not doing so, they should be encouraged to ejaculate regularly, for example by masturbation in the absence of a sexual relationship with a partner. We believe that normal sexual activity decreases the incidence of NBP in some cases.

      PMID:

      10226823

      [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

       

    • max59857
      max59857 derek76

      Posted

      Well it must have worked for someone!

      Doesn't personally for me and this has been confirmed by my doctor but from reading these boards, if you can take anything from them, it's how different everone is and especially their reaction to prostatitis. 

    • derek76
      derek76 youngman62353

      Posted

      Are you in the UK? Not many doctors apart from in Germany give credence to Saw Palmetto. I took it for about ten years for BPH while waiting for somehing better than TURP to arrive in UK.

      I buy it in tincture form from a herbalist and have started to take it again for prostatitis. 

    • max59857
      max59857 derek76

      Posted

      Hi Derek, 

      Yeah UK based - although I haven't been recommended saw palmetto from my doctor - dunno if it actually works but worth giving it a shot for a while along with the pumpkin seed extract on the road to recovery.

       

    • youngman62353
      youngman62353 max59857

      Edited

      Hi max.

      Tell me about it bro. Internet is a scary space. Even I felt instant improvement after taking saw palmetto and even I don't care whether it's placebo or if the the berry actually works. 

      Yup on a good day it's like no trouble at all and on bad days I can feel my prostate swollen and expanded and its damn irritating, though not painful. It's like the gland is pushing against abdomen.  

      Unfortunately I realised the no jerking off Part quite late. I had been feeling better for about four days and thought now might be a good time to clear the pipes. And bam Mr. Prostate got angry. 

      I don't have trouble peeing anymore or penile pain ( man the first ten days were excruciating. It was like my penis wAs on hot thorns ). It's the stupid discomfort and the knowledge that the problem still persists after two months that's disconcerting.

      Even I haven't touched liquor for two months. Started with the gym a week back. Hopefully it'll help. 

      One thing man, sitting for long hours is a big no. I have an exam coming up and so have to study for it. Each session leaves me sore. 

      I found another supplement while surfing the net "quercetin with bromalein". This had great reviews on the net. Apparently this an effective prostate anti inflammation drug. Medical studies also support it (net info). Apparently taking it together with saw palmetto increases the anti inflammatory action.

      I hope it is as good as it's purported to be. I've ordered it, hopefully it'll reach by the end of the week.

    • youngman62353
      youngman62353 max59857

      Posted

       It's an herbal supplement And to be honest I'm willing to give anything a shot. 

      Everyone, including my doc keeps telling me you're young you'll recover quickly. Hopefully the age would work to our advantage. 

       Keep posting about your recovery and experiences man, may be something that works might creep up.

    • mal23592
      mal23592 max59857

      Posted

      Yes, STRESS can be a major player in chronic prostatitis aka CPPS. Google "Stress chronic prostatitis cpps HPA axis". Complex but interesting!
    • Guest
      Guest max59857

      Edited

      I've been living with this thing for over a year now with symptoms very similar to those described throughout this forum. All I know is that for me anyway, there is definitely a point where I need to be wary of frequency of ejaculation. If aything more than once every three or four day then I know I will get inflammation for the next day or two. Having said that, ejaculation after a dry spell of at least a week doesnt seem to cause any great discomfort as long as its no more than one time.

      Currently 30% way through a 12wk course of ciproxin. Improvment is noticable but slow. I can see I'll have to go through with the entire course to see any real benefit.

    • divine5592064
      divine5592064 max59857

      Edited

      hi @max59857 I not sure if you've posted recently but i want to know how you are doing now. I've also been experiencing the prostatitis symptoms. I am levo for 17 days now and started taking a supplement that has saw palmetto and pumpkin seed.

      so basically I want to know whether the treatment worked for you?

    • jeffdug
      jeffdug youngman62353

      Posted

      Hi youngmann

      I we been struggling with bact. prostatitis for a few months now. Basically the whole story is is smilar to yours. You wrote that your doc told you to take saw palmetto and pumpkin seeds extract supplements. Have you tried some? Did it work? Tnx

    • jeffdug
      jeffdug divine5592064

      Posted

      divine5592064 which supplement are you taking? I've read that supplements containing saw palmetto and pumpkin seed are recommended but with all this frustration regarding my prostatititis I want to avoid aditional stress by waisting my money on some useless products. Tnx

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