Enlarged Prostate: Solutions?

**2Sox** · 11-30-2015, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by Richard Head

2Sox,
How's it going? Hope your doing better.

I'm taking it a day at a time, as the saying goes. And thank you for asking. Giving thought to the posts I compose for this forum helps me a great deal to take my mind off the pain. And it doesn't let up - which can be very discouraging at times. But I've been seeing great truth in the idea that I learned many years ago from Aesthetic Realism - I have to do everything I can to like the world - particularly in times of difficulty - and this in itself will make me stronger, heal me faster, make me happier. I see the truth in this everyday and I keep a journal of all the things I liked and affected me during the course of the day. It has a very good effect and puts my mind on other things besides myself.

TURP is a common procedure but I have a few issues that make my situation a little more involved. One is raging prostatitis the other is bladder cancer. The surgeons took care of the tumor which was very early stage and easily treated with a course of immunotherapy drugs later on. I see at least one benefit from the TURP already - I can pee easier and the stream is stronger; and this with everything still inflamed from the surgery! But I won't go out of the house without an adult diaper on. I just don't know what to expect. I sleep with one on also. Nice thing is that I can get an erection so I expect things to be good in that department - but I'm still in too much discomfort at this point to even attempt it. My young wife is very understanding, but eager nevertheless. Believe me, I'm eager too!

I just had to stop the opiate pain killers because the constipation side effect was driving me nuts! I hope this is not TMI but just the process of having a BM rubbed against my prostate and drove me into agony.

So I'm living on so much Ibuprofen and Tylenol that it worries my wife. One can kill your kidneys, the other can kill your liver - so I actually write a diary of how much I am taking of what, and at what times so that I don't overdo it.

I'm taking short walks with my wife and my dog and hope to take my regular 3 milers soon. Of course the gym hasn't seen me in almost a week but I think I might attempt a very light arms workout today. Maybe. I'll see how it goes; I have lots to do and still can't sleep through the night so a nice long nap is in order before I do anything.

According to all reports, my surgery went exceedingly well.

**Simon1972** · 12-02-2015, 03:25 AM

wow! hey best of luck 2sox and hope this ends up as just a memory, this kind of post defintely helps the members and occasional seekers of help in the future find some intelligent help/advice/discussion that may guide them to the releif they are after.
Please keep updating this thread, with history of prostate enlargement in my family i will definitely be bearing this thread in mind.

thanks for your openess.

**2Sox** · 12-02-2015, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by Simon1972

wow! hey best of luck 2sox and hope this ends up as just a memory, this kind of post defintely helps the members and occasional seekers of help in the future find some intelligent help/advice/discussion that may guide them to the releif they are after.
Please keep updating this thread, with history of prostate enlargement in my family i will definitely be bearing this thread in mind.

thanks for your openess.

It's a pleasure. And thank you for your encouragement.

**2Sox** · 12-02-2015, 06:51 PM

Well, my wife doesn't have to worry about the number of Advils and Tylenols I'm taking anymore. I just had to go back to taking Percocet. Pain level kept on creeping up to a constant 7-9 and that's not a life.

I feel SO much better now but I'll have to seriously address this constipation side effect. I figured it was either deal with this or live with constant pain. I'd say everyone on opiate pain killers has to come to a decision like this somewhere down the line. I saw both sides and figured this was my best path right now.

**kelkel** · 12-02-2015, 08:17 PM

Wash it down with prune juice!

**reporich** · 12-02-2015, 10:48 PM

Take fiber when you take the meds and drink a lot of water....

**GSXRvi6** · 12-04-2015, 11:22 PM

Originally Posted by 2Sox

Non-bacterial

I was diagnosed with non-bacterial prostitis and was pissing constantly (37yo). I was taking saw palmeto, doing things like tren would make piss just dripple, and my prostate constantly hurt, if I touched ANY caffeine it made it way worse.

I was told avoid things that agitate it and take ibuprofen when it hurts and be prepared to live with it.

I raised my DHT's, and the problem has completely gone away. I can run a lot of tren for a long period of time with 0 issues now so long as I keep my DHT's up my prostate stays happy, my damn scalp is the only thing that isn't happy from it.

Just sharing my experience

**MICKY H** · 12-06-2015, 06:47 AM

Been away from here for a while, reading with interest as I am a similar age. And like you say vanity is a large part of what we put in our bodies. Good luck buddy and I hope its a Merry Christmas.

**noon** · 12-06-2015, 04:56 PM

This has been a very enlightening read.
I wish you nothing but the best of luck with your health

**2Sox** · 12-06-2015, 10:02 PM

Originally Posted by noon

This has been a very enlightening read.
I wish you nothing but the best of luck with your health

At this point, I only wish I had prostatitis. Just found out the situation is considerably more serious that was first thought. The cancer actually went through the bladder muscle wall and cancerous bladder cells migrated to the prostate and THIS is what has been giving me this agonizing prostate pain. The long and short of it is that both my bladder and prostate must be removed after I finish a course of chemo. I'm going in for full body scans this week to see if this has spread. Not at all good news. But at least my wife told me even with a few parts missing, she'd still love me.

They'll make me a new "neobladder" from a section of my small intestine. Now all I have to wait for is an new prostate. No thanks. (They haven't come up with this yet anyway.)

I'm switching doctors and hospitals; going to Cornell-Weill in NYC and seeing Dr. Jim Hu, director of robotic surgery and urological oncology.

And I thought I'd live till 90! I'll keep you uptdated.

**Simon1972** · 12-07-2015, 04:32 AM

Sorry to hear that 2Sox. Keep up your spirits if you can. Wish you all the strength you need to fight this head on.

**2Sox** · 12-07-2015, 05:38 AM

Originally Posted by Simon1972

Sorry to hear that 2Sox. Keep up your spirits if you can. Wish you all the strength you need to fight this head on.

Thanks for your good wishes, Simon. This is particularly tough on my wife. Definitely need a support system here.

**Ronnie Rowland** · 12-07-2015, 06:18 AM

Originally Posted by 2Sox

I have a question. I'm in my sixties and now that my prostate is the size of an orange (slight exaggeration), I awake 3-4 times a night to pee, can't even count the number of times a day I do, and there is never a time urination does not involve pain to some degree (particularly at night). Urinary retention, big time but strangely no pain at all during sex! I am considering finasteride for some degree of relief. For those that don't know me, I'm on 98mg T cyp/week, 700iu hCG /week, 12.5mg anastrozole/week.

I understand that it takes some months for the size of the prostate to be reduced with this medication and for certain men at certain stages of prostate enlargement, this may never even happen - or to a degree to relieve symptoms. It is not guaranteed. What does happen is a reduction in DHT which should decrease prostate growth and decrease hair loss (which is a side benefit I wouldn't mind). DHT has many other benefits, not the least is it's involvement in libido and erections.

I'm not at all optimistic or enthusiastic about the Finasteride route. But I have to do something about my condition. My quality of life is suffering severely. The other option I'm considering is TURP - a procedure which has been done for decades, which is the surgical widening of the section of the urethra that passes through the prostrate and removal of adjoining prostate tissue - thus lessening urinary retention and eliminating pain and frequency. Given results: 1. immediate relief which makes it very popular 2. retrograde ejaculation - not the worst thing. Possible risk: 0.01% chance of impotence - which I believe mostly involves men with other serious medical conditions. The procedure is fairly simple but the necessity for catheterization afterwards - the pain is excruciating with bladder spasms only relieved somewhat with opiate suppositories. (Sorry if this is TMI. I had bladder surgery recently and I can personally attest to this.)

I welcome a discussion on this and any suggestions, experiences, or opinions to help make clear my options.

Don't use Finasteride! It can permanently shut down your sex drive. Are you taking any oral anabolics?

**2Sox** · 12-07-2015, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by Ronnie Rowland

Don't use Finasteride! It can permanently shut down your sex drive. Are you taking any oral anabolics?

Yeah, I've heard stories. I only took it for like 4-5 days, at a lower dose than the doctor prescribed (I took 2.5mg/day and he prescribed 5mg/day) and decided it's not worth it. And in this case, it's not needed since my prostate will be gone shortly.

No oral anabolics - ever.

**Richard Head** · 12-07-2015, 06:48 PM

Very sorry to hear 2sox. Prayers for you and your family.

**2Sox** · 12-07-2015, 06:58 PM

Originally Posted by Richard Head

Very sorry to hear 2sox. Prayers for you and your family.

Thanks, Richard.

**thisAngelBites** · 12-08-2015, 05:16 AM

Oh, goodness. I am so sorry to hear that this is happening, 2Sox. I'll be keeping you in mind, and sending lots of healing vibes and wishes for the return of good health.

P.S. If you like, I can put you onto a neurosurgeon whose work I think is very very promising. He's been working in quantum biology and has some been developing some pretty unusual protocols for general health and eradication of inflammation. It's radical thought, but sometimes radical thought is welcome. If I got any cancer diagnosis, that would be my first choice. Let me know if it interests you, and I will send you a link.

**Ronnie Rowland** · 12-08-2015, 08:02 AM

2sox I believe you are making a smart move by visiting the high experienced doctor in NY. I've actually heard of him. One of my ex-clients in SC. had prostate cancer and was operated on by Dr. Jim Hu.My brohter-in-law had robotic surgery a few years ago to have his prostate removed. He's okay now. There's two nerves stemming from the penile areas. If the surgeon accidentally cuts one you can still have sex. If he cuts both of them you cannot.

Testosterone Therapy doesn't cause prostate cancer. In fact, it actually inhibits it by improving the communication among the immune system. The toxins in our food and obesity are largely the cause of all forms of cancer. Genetics also plays a role. I'll pray for you and please keep us updated!

**NACH3** · 12-08-2015, 08:11 AM

I'll be sending positive energy & prayers your way, 2sox! Stay strong my man!

**2Sox** · 12-08-2015, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by NACH3

I'll be sending positive energy & prayers your way, 2sox! Stay strong my man!

Thank you all for you very kind and supportive wishes. This forum is the best support group I can ever hope for. I will definitely keep everyone updated through regular posts to this thread.

Tomorrow: Appointment with new pain management doctor.
Thursday: First consultation with Dr. Jim Hu. This is when I find out when I begin the chemo, get the full body scans and eventually schedule the surgery.

RonnieR,
It's VERY good to know that this surgery is not necessarily the end of sex!

**2Sox** · 12-09-2015, 08:35 AM

I though it would be useful to write about something that happened to me yesterday. It had to do with my state of mind that directly impacted my physical well being.

My wife and I visited the office of the surgeon who performed my most recent surgeries for the purpose of getting a script for pain meds to last me until I see the pain med specialist. I don't like this surgeon. He is very skilled but I feel he is cold and uncaring and I believe a lack of feeling in any health care provider makes him or her dangerous - at the very least not to be trusted. I already decided that he is to no longer be responsible for my health.

I could have said things to him straight about what I felt but instead I remained silent and had thoughts to myself. If I had spoken to him of my doubts and concerns regarding his care, it would have done us both good. Instead I chose to have silent contempt - which satisfies greatly in the short term but has long term effects that are not good. I spoke to my wife about my anger with him but that's not the same. Shortly after I returned home, I became ill. Nothing you could pinpoint - but just dragging-my-ass-fatigued and just down in general. I could hardly move. There was no other reason for it other than what I just described. Contempt weakens. I learned an important lesson here.

**kelkel** · 12-09-2015, 10:42 AM

Withholding your thoughts surprises me 2Sox.

**2Sox** · 12-09-2015, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by kelkel

Withholding your thoughts surprises me 2Sox.

I surprised myself too. Silent contempt on the surface is a sweet victory, but I hurt myself and I could have possibly done his life good if I had spoken up. I guess I'm a work in progress. And imperfect. As we all are.

**thisAngelBites** · 12-11-2015, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by 2Sox

I though it would be useful to write about something that happened to me yesterday. It had to do with my state of mind that directly impacted my physical well being.

My wife and I visited the office of the surgeon who performed my most recent surgeries for the purpose of getting a script for pain meds to last me until I see the pain med specialist. I don't like this surgeon. He is very skilled but I feel he is cold and uncaring and I believe a lack of feeling in any health care provider makes him or her dangerous - at the very least not to be trusted. I already decided that he is to no longer be responsible for my health.

I could have said things to him straight about what I felt but instead I remained silent and had thoughts to myself. If I had spoken to him of my doubts and concerns regarding his care, it would have done us both good. Instead I chose to have silent contempt - which satisfies greatly in the short term but has long term effects that are not good. I spoke to my wife about my anger with him but that's not the same. Shortly after I returned home, I became ill. Nothing you could pinpoint - but just dragging-my-ass-fatigued and just down in general. I could hardly move. There was no other reason for it other than what I just described. Contempt weakens. I learned an important lesson here.

Just as a different perspective, 2sox: I have a lot of friends who are physicians, and many of them agree that the best cutters are antisocial jerks. I had a friend recommend someone to me for a very minor procedure and he was very cold and almost nasty. I wasn't personally worried as I told my friend to just recommend the person best with a scalpel. And he did a really fantastic job. Of course you would rather have someone who was kind and good, but maybe it's a different way to think about it.

**Simon1972** · 12-11-2015, 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by thisAngelBites

Just as a different perspective, 2sox: I have a lot of friends who are physicians, and many of them agree that the best cutters are antisocial jerks. I had a friend recommend someone to me for a very minor procedure and he was very cold and almost nasty. I wasn't personally worried as I told my friend to just recommend the person best with a scalpel. And he did a really fantastic job. Of course you would rather have someone who was kind and good, but maybe it's a different way to think about it.

Agreed, give me an arrogant genius over a friendly slacker anyway. Arrogant people tend to not settle for mediocrity , especially helpful when making deep impacting decisions

**2Sox** · 12-11-2015, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by thisAngelBites

Just as a different perspective, 2sox: I have a lot of friends who are physicians, and many of them agree that the best cutters are antisocial jerks. I had a friend recommend someone to me for a very minor procedure and he was very cold and almost nasty. I wasn't personally worried as I told my friend to just recommend the person best with a scalpel. And he did a really fantastic job. Of course you would rather have someone who was kind and good, but maybe it's a different way to think about it.

It's funny you should say this. My wife is a PA and has the same sentiment about skilled surgeons. I guess as long as they do an excellent job, why should it matter. But as you imply, it would be nice to have someone who genuinely wants to have larger emotions about the people whose bodies they are responsible for. And it would have such a good effect on the patient, and at least remove some of the anxiety they are are feeling at the time. I am learning so much at this time.

My wife and I spent almost the entire day yesterday at the the world famous Weill Cornell Medical Center in NYC. On the third floor of 520 East 70th street, The Star Building, is for cancer patients. I saw scores of people of all ages. Different backgrounds, races, ethnicities. All had this in common; they all had hope, they all were fighters. As they waited for a very long time to be seen - as did I - I marveled at their patience and good nature. They had me respect humanity that much more. And you had a deep sense that every person who worked in that building absolutely knew, without a doubt, about the private battles being fought by each individual there. My wife and I spoke about all this and agreed that it was a deeply humbling experience.

**2Sox** · 12-13-2015, 04:08 PM

An update that I left out last week:

My wife and I met with the pain management specialist; Dr. Ari Lerner, in Astoria, Queens, NYC. I give this doctor's name because he's good. Liked him right off. No nonsense guy who got right to work on taking care of my situation. Asked me a lot of good questions. Was very pleased I was keeping a pain and medications journal.

He prescribed me a Fentanyl Transdermal patch to be changed every three days. Constant morphine going through your skin. Based on the pain meds I had been taking, he said that 25mcg would be a good place to start. He also gave me a script for Hydromorphone tablets, 2mg, for breakthrough pain. Got 120 of them! I soon found out why. In the beginning a pain management protocol is very trial and error - kind of like TRT. But if you don't get this right, you can literally start screaming from the pain No chances here. I've needed these little helpers MANY times this week.

I want people to know that there is a relatively new medication on the market that in my opinion is a miracle drug. It addresses OIC - Opiod Induced Constipation which is a very big problem if you've ever taken opioids, long term. All I can say is that I feel my GI system operates almost like it did before. The name of the med is Movantik. Once a day on an empty stomach. Incredible.

Another update that I'm not a all happy about. Due to the nature of my condition, I can't get a neobladder. Only an illeal conduit. Here it is from WebMd.

An ileal conduit uses a piece of your small intestine to make a tube. The tube connects your ureters to an opening the doctor makes in your belly. Your ureters are the two tubes that normally carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. After surgery, the urine passes from the ureters through the conduit and out the opening into a plastic bag that is attached to your skin.

if I survive all the other stuff that comes before it - chemo, surgery, etc - I'd be very grateful to get this.