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Testosterone Replacement causing Prostate Cancer Symptoms

Posted , 10 users are following.

craig84609
craig84609

I have been on TRT now for many years. At age 47 I noticed I developed problems like not being able to pass urine well, pain in my rectum and in front. Also pain in my back and hips. I stopped the TRT for a while and noticed that the symptoms got better. When I started up again by the second dose of Testosterone I was struggling to urinate again. Also orgasm is painful, it burns and causes the feeling or needing to go urinate badly but I really don't need to. Worst of all that lasts for over an hour. My PSA was tested and was great at only .24, so probably not PC but I think I have BPH that is caused by the Testosterone replacement therape. Not sure what to do about it. My testosterone is so low without TRT that it was barely measurable and as a result my bones are brittle so I need it to prevent Osteoperosis. I have my annual PSA test coming up again and I don't expect it to be high, but the symptoms are severe and making me wonder. I am 49 now and I read that men that are low in testosterone are more at risk for PC. I wonder also if one can have such a low PSA and still have PC? Also if I did how would they figure it out as my PSA is so low they would never think to give me a 3T MRI to check for it. Would be tough to convince insurance to pay for a 3T MRI with such a low PSA. I guess I need to talk to my urologist about my concerns. Any one have this low of a PSA with PC and if so how did they find out?

0 likes, 17 replies

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  • jimjames
    jimjames craig84609

    Posted

    Personally, I wouldn't go looking for trouble nor would I even think about PC at this point. As long as your PSA is normal, why have a 3TMRI? It's not a test that is normally ordered by urologists even for BPH. Sounds like you need to stay on TRT even if it's causing BPH although it's possible you may have developed BPH by now anyway. You should address your concerns with your urologist or two or three urologists if that's what it will take. If they haven't already, they should do the normal tests which include uroflow, post void residual, bladder/kidney ultrasound and cystoscopy and urodynamicis if deemed necessary. These are all more important right now than a 3T MRI nd should all be covered by insurance. May turn out to be something else. Good luck.

    Jim

    • craig84609
      craig84609 jimjames

      Posted

      Not really looking for trouble just answers. I nearly had to go to get cathed so I could urinate. I did figure out that the Testosterone is making my prostate larger and I read that is a side effect. My Uro didn't really have a good answer in that they said it is probably BPH, even with the low PSA. My dad had really bad BPH that needed surgery, but his PSA was low as well. Two of my dads uncles had PC, I am not thinking that it is the issue with me, but BPH is. My doctor doesn't seem to want to figure that part out. I would imagine that I need some medication to prevent the symptoms, although the pain has been horrible and don't really know if that will help. I was also on Cipro for months to see if it was an infection, but that didn't help much. I have been on a high dose of Prednisone for many years to control Crohn's disease and I am now coming off of it. One thing I read about Prednisone is it will foul the results of most inflammatory tests. There was a study done on the effects of it on PSA and in some it reduced PSA as much as 80% others were 50%, but all had a big decrease in PSA on Prednisone, so my PSA could be higher and I will not know until I am fully off of it and get my next PSA done. 

  • chris15677
    chris15677 craig84609

    Posted

    Hi Craig, 

    ?               I started TRT when I ditched Finasteride ( ruined my libido). I still take Flomax but have recently started to wean myself off it by taking 1 pill every 2 days instead of every day. 

    ?After a cystoscopy, my urologist told me I need a TURP so I decided never to see him again and started searching for possible relief. It would take too long to tell you everything so I'll just tell you what is working for me right now.

    ?I take Lugol's Iodine (6 drops twice a day in green tea). High strength K2 vitamin twice a day with a meal. I make a drink of 1.5 ltr bottle of still water with magnesium chloride (3/4s level teaspoon) and high strength Vit D3.

    ?I avoid tap water, milk and wheat products. I vigorously massage my perineum to assist in decalcifying the veins between prostate and testes because I think in my case that is where problems lie.

    ?What I am experiencing now is: no incontinence; no embarrassing searching for a toilet the moment I feel the urge to pee, no dribbling, no more erection problems, the return of libido and terrific orgasms as intense as when I was a young man.

    We are all different so what works for me may not be the same for others but I will continue with what works for me and investigate further because I feel strongly that the dice is loaded against us because a cure will cost Mr. Drugs Guy a great loss of income. BTW, I am 78 years old this year.

    ?I hope the Mods permit this link because I think it will help fellow sufferers:

        

    http://calmerme.com/importance-of-vitamin-k2-for-prostate-health-and-varicose-veins/ 

    Good health,

    Chris.

    • jimjames
      jimjames chris15677

      Posted

      Chris, You mention a bunch of things in addition to TRT. Could the improvement all be from TRT?

      Jim

    • chris15677
      chris15677 jimjames

      Posted

      Hi Jim,

                 I doubt if TRT is the champion here because I've been on it for about a year now and the improvements began when I started making changes to my lifestyle and diet.

      In my previous post I forgot to mention Borax, which I think is also important in my diet regime. I take a level teaspoon of Borax in a 1.5 ltr bottle of Volvic still water, which is the only water brand I can find with silica in it (32 mg per litre). 

      It may seem daunting to some people on here but it is really easy to get into the routine of taking vits and minerals we no longer get from our farmed produce and to eat foods we have been indoctrinated against eating by organisations with a vested interest in what we chuck down our throats.

      Doctors are so busy with the sick, they have no time to study the latest info on anything. But I have the time to read up on things that affect me, so that is what I do and boy, do I feel better? Of course I do.

      I hope that helps, Jim.

      Best,

      Chris. 

  • zdzislaw
    zdzislaw craig84609

    Posted

    Please, listen to Jimjames, he is of excellent advise. Personally I have Prostate Cancer, but I am much older (77) and my PSA went up to 80 at a point. I have never heard of low testosterone being a factor of risk! High testosterone is. After all castration is a means of curing an advanced PCa. Don't panic, find a good doctor even if it takes times and money. Zdz

  • carl91171
    carl91171 craig84609

    Posted

    With all due respect to zdzislaw, the relationship between high testosterone and prostate cancer has changed. Check the link below for the study in 2015. Also, I have seen two urologists who tell me definitively that testosterone does not cause prostate cancer.  If there is any info stating otherwise I'd appreciate reading it.

    https://prostate.net/articles/testosterone-prostate-cancer-link

    • craig84609
      craig84609 carl91171

      Posted

      What I am getting at is those that were very low on Testosterone are supposedly at higher risk for PC. I went on TRT to get my T up from 30 to 535 now. TRT can make conditions like BPH worse and I think that is the issue or I have Chronic non bacterial Prostatitis or pelvic pain syndrome. I have an appointment with my Urologist, but not until July 16th so in the mean time I just will have to suffer.
  • dcooperxyz
    dcooperxyz craig84609

    Posted

    Sounds very much like chronic prostatitis to me . This can be bacterial ( easily sorted ) or more often non bacterial . Pain in the rectum can be the inflamed prostate. All the other symptoms you mention are typical of prostatitis.

    • craig84609
      craig84609 dcooperxyz

      Posted

      I was thinking the same thing. The doctor took a sample and was able to confirm that there is no bacterial infection. When they pressed on my Prostate it was so painful I screamed in pain, surprising both my doctor and myself. I have lost all sexual desire and when I was able to function orgasm was painful, lots of burning and the feeling of having to urinate lasted for hours after. My doctor did mention a biopsy, but I told them I will pass on that right now. It may be Prostatitis that is non bacterial maybe fungal in nature and I know they don't check for that, she did say that I may have to go to an infectious disease specialist to be screened for other causes. If it is fungal, I am not sure if anything can be done about it. One thing I know for sure is Testosterone does cause the prostate to get bigger, so it said to use with caution in those with BPH and PC. I am wondering though why my PSA doesn't seem to reflect anything at all. The only answer I can come up with is that the Prednisone is reducing it. Like I said earlier in my post there was a study done and Prednisone reduced PSA in all of the test subjects, some more than others. Some of the men had as much as an 80% decrease in PSA. I am going back to my Urologist to see what the next step should be, I am really not doing well and I can't take the pain of it. It kinda wears you down, it has been going on now for a year and a half. Thanks for your reply.

    • dcooperxyz
      dcooperxyz craig84609

      Posted

      I’ve had a great deal of experience with all types of prostatitis I’m sorry to say . Acute which was very nasty and that turned into chronic bacterial which was sorted by 8 weeks antibiotics . I had 3 years symptom free and then a nasty bout lasting 5 months of non bacterial prostatitis. My GP told me that only prostatitis makes men Yelp when he touches the prostate, not PC. And you are the right age for prostatitis.It’s inflamed and you can feel the throbbing in your rectum . It’s very difficult to officially diagnose . The PSA is only sometimes affected . It rose to 6 for me when I had the bacterial version ( hence the biopsy)but normal when I had the non bacterial. There is very little treatment apart from pain killers and meds to help urine flow . Some people sware by pelvic floor exercises . In my experience stress is the contributing factor and there is a lot of evidence to support that . Happy to give u more advice etc to put your mind a rest . I also found it helped by having other tests such as ultrasound and urudynamics to put my mind at ease. I’m 52 . 
    • dcooperxyz
      dcooperxyz

      Posted

      It’s also worth mentioning that each case is different and symptoms differ from man to man so don’t panic if your symptoms are not the same as mine . The two flare ups for me produced pain in different areas of my pelvic region from lower abs to rectum to tip of penis to kidney area and lower back
    • uncklefester
      uncklefester dcooperxyz

      Posted

      My GP told me that only prostatitis makes men Yelp when he touches the prostate

      Thats ironic when I have a DRE It hurt when they touched my prostate. Not one of them suggested prostatitis. 

       

    • craig84609
      craig84609 uncklefester

      Posted

      In my case she did mention Prostatitis and put me on two months of Cipro. That didn't fix it. The reason I yelled when getting the DRE was at the time unknown to me, but I was having a severe flare of Inflammatory bowel disease, so when she pushed on it the pain was terrible. I may have non bacterial prostatitis and that was why they want to send me to an infectious disease specialist as they deal with less common issues like prostatitis caused by fungus. Still my PSA is probably low because of being on Prednisone. My dad also had BPH and needed surgery for it. I would imagine they can find out with a scan of my prostate. I will see what they suggest at this point.

  • dcooperxyz
    dcooperxyz craig84609

    Posted

    I think BPH is an enlarged benign prostate and that can be ruled out by a simple ultrasound. I’m pretty sure that will not cause a painful reaction when touched. 
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