Still having Prostate Issues

PSA test are reguarded by many as inconclusive. A DRE should feel like pressure, not pain. try another Uro By having PSA's done every 4 months, you can get a better overall view of the results, especially if done by differ labs 

2. What country do you live in?  What big city?

3. What type of insurance do you have? Private or government?

4. I just had a TRUS and it was no worse than having a rectal temperature taken.

You remove your pants and underwear, put on a hospital gown and lie on your left side. The doctor lifts the gown and gently inserts a well lubricated probe into your rectum. Relax and breath. It sends out a silent soundwave that you can not feel and records the bounce back which is displayed on a computer screen. It can detect large lumps and an enlarged prostate very accurately. Mine took about 5 minutes and the staff was so professional and busy with the computer I did not even have time to feel embarrassed.

5. Then they took 6 vials of blood on one needle prick. (I hardly felt it go in) and they test for 20 or more different levels of chemicals, proteins, enzymes, including PSA.. PSA is just one chemical they will look at. Mine is 3.9 and at my age that is just fine due to my BPH and active sex life.

6. Then they need a few urine specimines for a urine culture and a urinalysis. Once counts bacteris that grows in your urine the other looks for blood, chemicals, proteins, hormones, etc.

All simple tests. NOTHING to be afraid of. It was the first time I have been to a doctor for a thorough exam in nearly 50 years. I am a total medical wuss and I got through it so you can too.

Craig,

My 2 cents worth. I've been down this path more than once. First, get the PSA test done. It's a simple blood test, needle in the arm, a vial of blood. While a high PSA can easily be a symptom of infection, this is something you don't want to mess with. I had PSA's as high as 28. I had the needle biopsy several times. I'm not going to kid you, it hurts. I have a good friend that is a prostate doc in another state. When I was having my issues, his advice was this: "Go and get the needle biopsy" . It's painful for about 8 minutes. Every time my PSA spiked, I got another biopsy (4 total). Finally, my PSA stablized at about 10. Some guys have higher PSA's, caused by a multitude of reasons. Someone mentioned no sex for at least 4-5 days before your blood test. Good advice. You want to make sure that you have as clean and accurate a test as possible.

None of us enjoy having a DRI, but again, they are looking for bumps and such on your prostate. I've read all the info about all the alternatives, and I'm sure there are some that work instead of a needle biopsy. When I had mine done, some 14 years ago, that's pretty much all that was available.

Craig. Get this done. No sex, let them draw some blood. Get a good "baseline" for your PSA. Your doc will put you on antibiotics, it may knock out an infection and you're done. Let them do the DRI. They are looking for cancer, pure and simple. 

If antibiotics don't help knock it down or out, and a DRI possibly indicates a problem, gut this out and get it done. Don't become a statistic.

In my case, I found a great urologist, we did PSA's 2x a year, and when my prostate grew to the size of a grapefruit, and it became difficult to urinate, and sex with the wife was very painful, I went ahead and had a TURP. Best decision I could have made. I had to go through all these other tests, but I did so to make sure I didn't have prostate cancer. Don't let your fear of a painful test or two cloud your thinking. A ton of us on this forum have been down this same path. Guess what? We're ok. You can do this. 

I forgot to mention that I have Crohns Disease so needle punctures through the rectum is not a good idea in me. Could lead to an absess or fistula. My CD has caused this situation by destroying my Testosterone development. My T level was 30 when I was 38 years old. Pretty low, so my doctor started me on T replacement and he said when I reach 40 we need to do a PSA test to establish a baseline reading. Well the PSA didn't happen until I was 43 and my PSA baseline is .33. I am a little worried as to what it may be now. I will have the Bloody thing if my Urologist wants me to, but I don't have to like it. I went through so much with Crohn's and now this. 

I agree. I've had PSA tests for decades and as it has always been below 1.0, a biopsy has never been mentioned. I would guess a biopsy could be performed with general anthesia. I had the video cam routine perfomed with and without and never would do it without again.

Try to get a second opinion. All decisions belong only to you. The DRE is unpleasant, but shouldn't be painful! Don't be afraid of the PSA test, I already had my PSA at 75. Are you aware that having sex or riding a bicycle 48 hours before the PSA exam makes PSA grow? Test your ratio of free testosterone. Don't go for a biopsy lighthearted. A cancer is usually detected by DRE, a biopsy is used to

try (TRY!!!) to determine how aggressive it is. In fact it doesn't determine this at all. I had my biopsy in 2002 and was pushed towards radical prostatectomy. I did NOTHING except changing my lifestyle and I had lived with my cancer for 8 years totally undisturbed. Then I started having problems related rather to BPH. Still, I was more or less ok till this year. No metastases detected. I had TURP this year because urinating had become a problem. So now I have post TURP problems. 

Relax!!!