Yikes! My brothers and prostate problems!

Just got back from a trip to my childhood hometown in Iowa to visit my mom and brothers. My oldest brother had just had his prostate removed and my second oldest brother had it done a while back. They regaled me with horror stories of what happened and the pain and side effects, (bad bladder control, impotence). And then proceeded to prophesy that my operation is soon coming. My older brother was cut from mid-cheek to mid-cheek and was sitting down like someone blew his ass up with TNT.

Well, I guess I have no choice but to get the PSA test and see what shows up. However, I am not accepting this with the good humor that my brothers expected me to have. I have no desire to join their club.

Help from anyone with experience here would be appreciated. Don’t leave me at the mercy of the medical community!

Questions: does enlarged prostate have anything to do with getting prostate cancer?

Any workarounds?

What does testosterone have to do with prostate cancer? ( I have been, of late, trying to increase my testosterone!)

Saw Palememnto is something posted here to help with an enlarged prostate and maybe hair loss too. It blocks or binds with some type of bad testosterone I believe. I am by no means an expert, so wait till the more medically proficient chime in.

I have no idea on the cancer link at all. Just contributing what I beleive I heard. So try a search.

I heard about the Saw palemetto thing also.

Hi, Girth;

There is no reason to assume that you will get prostate cancer just because your brothers did although incidents within immediate family are something that need to be paid attention to.

The best thing you can do is find yourself a good urologist and start tracking your PSA levels now from a baseline level that can then be followed annually. What they may not mention to you is that you shouldn’t ejaculate for at least 48 hrs prior to their drawing the blood for the PSA test since ejaculations raise PSA levels. A bout of prostatitis also raises PSA.

Have your uro perform a digital exam to see if your prostate is enlarged. No, an enlarged prostate does not necessarily become cancerous. Millions of men have enlarged prostates and also have very low PSA readings.

Are you having any prostatitis symptoms now?

I am looking into saw palmetto, it’s active ingredient is supposed to be beta-sitosterol, check this link out: http://www.youn … /betpros30.html

I am looking at this seriously.

avocet8,

Thanks for your post. I have more frequent urinantion than when I was young, and the stream is not quite as gushing. Doctor stuck his finger up my ass not too long ago and said it felt ok, (not to me, though :D ). I will get the psa test. Thanks for the info, bud! I wonder how much my brothers knew before they got sliced up. :(

Saw palmetto and pumkin seed work to prevent hyperplasia of the prostate.

good luck.

Saw Plametto has helped me a great deal with decreasing the frequency of urination (no more getting up at nights) and increasing the flow considerably.

I have had an enlarged prostate since I was about 18 years old. I am now in my 50’s. When I had my first PSA test about 10 years ago the reading was quite high (no one had told me not to ejaculate in the 48 hours prior to a test). A repeat PSA test was also high, but not off the scale as the first one was. A biopsy way done, and nothing unusual was found.

Threel years ago, another PSA test by another doctor showed a high, reading, I was referred to another urologist who did a biopsy, again with nothing unusual being found. The doctors decided not to do any more biopsies on me unless my PSA readings increased dramatically.

My points in all this:
An enlarged prostate does not necessarily mean you have anything unusual happening except that you have a larger than usual prostate.
Higher that normal PSA readings do not mean you have anything going on if that high reading is normal for YOU.
Get a PSA test so you have a baseline number, and then keep track of your numbers over time. Get the digital exam through the rectum, so the doctor can check for lumps, hardness, etc. He can feel about 60% of the prostate in that manner. Get a biopsy if the urologist recommends it, as that can test about 10 to 15 different points n the prostate for cancer. It’s uncomfortable, but not unbearable, and takes about 10 to 20 minutes.

Good luck!

Groan_

Girth, I’m a Dr and have recommende saw palmetto. It works. Get an exam and testing. If I were in your shoes the first symptoms that I could relate to prostate I would use as an excuse to get started on it.