Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with prostate

How can my 74 yr old ex husband make an informed decision about his super high PSA results?

naplesyellow — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:12:36 -0800

I am good friends with my ex husband. He learned a couple of months ago that his PSA was over 20. He was also having a serious problem with his leg at the time (he had a femoral by pass surgery). That surgery went well and he has recovered from it..but during that time the high PSA results were put on the back burner until he could get through the surgery. Ex was buoyed by reading that very high results can be accounted for by other reasons aside from cancer and his urologist prescribed Avodart and scheduled a new PSA test (which came back recently..much improved..down to 8).

Far from congratulating my ex for this improved number the urologist told him today that ex very likely has prostate cancer and he should have a biopsy and whatever treatments the biopsy indicates. The trouble is that ex h and I have both read articles that indicate that biopsies might actually cause cancer to get into the bloodstream (and if you think of it this seems very logical). When this concern was raised with the urologist today (according to ex's account) the Doctor lost patience and told ex that it is all his decision and he can't decide for him..and further, that the article my ex cited is "old."

Ex's problem is complicated by the fact he has a colostomy and his prostate can not be accessed by normal means. I realize all these health problems I have described make him sound like a total wreck..but he isn't, he has had quite good health for most of his life and he is strong and youthful.

I know you aren't his doctor...but what about his age (74) and the idea that biopsy can spread cancer? How can anyone be expected to make a good decision with so many conflicting ideas about both PSA and biopsy?
This is quite a terrible predicament where you have to rely on people who make money with surgeries and strategies that you have no way of knowing are going to extend life or not! When ex asked the dr what would he do if he were in ex's position the answer was naturally biopsy and surgery!

Please help us to figure out where to go for better easy to understand information that can help him to determine a good plan.

Mystery male organ pains (NSFW)

Anonymous — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 08:32:18 -0800

Mystery male organ pains (NSFW). Doctors I've seen before couldn't figure out the cause. What could it be and who should I see about this in Montreal, Quebec? I've had pain for the last six years in the area near the base of my penis (not on the shaft). It feels irritated constantly and I can't ride a bike. It also takes me a while to lose my erection after sex or masturbation. I'm not sure if that part is related or normal but the last woman I was with was surprised that I kept an erection for a while after orgasm.

This pain scares me and I know it's not normal, so every couple of years, I've gone to the doctor to have it checked out. I've had a few doctors in two different states look at it. Now I live in Canada. While I still lived in the states last year, I had tons of tests done including two different types of ultrasounds. The urologist also stuck a needle in my shaft to check for priapism. He said that high-flow prapism was a possiblity. I've had to urinate frequently my whole life (but I also drink a lot of liquids). The doctor said my prostate looked fine but I'm not sure what kind of tests they did. I had the glove test done tons of times. Because I also had pain in my lower-right abdomen/stomach at the time (which might have been caused by anxiety and stress from a major, sudden and unwanted life change forced upon me at the time), he sent me to a colorectal specialist. I had a colonoscopy done. The doctor who administered the test told me everything was normal, the doctor who ordered the test said it was abnormal. He told me I might have Crohn's disease or ulcerative collitis.

The pains in my stomach have mostly subsided since my life has settled down a bit but the pains at the base of my penis (could this be my prostate?) remain. I'm not sure how to approach this further with doctors. I'm not going to lie- this has been a constant fright for me but I spent roughly $10,000 in the U.S. (out of pocket after insurance) on tests and nobody up to this point has been able to come up with a solid diagnosis of the cause. Nobody has been able to provide a working treatment so I had to stop seeing doctors because I couldn't afford it anymore. I was put on Flomax for a short while and it cured the frequent urination but I don't think I was on it long enough to see if it would help with the pain.

What could this be? Who can I see about this in Montreal, Quebec? I am 26 years old, scared, and my mother says "don't be ridiculous- you're too young to have prostate cancer." I am covered by RAMQ. How difficult would it be to get another prescription for Flomax here? Could I get into trouble for this being a pre-existing condition?

Kindly explain other men's urethras please

hayvac — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:09:15 -0800

What's going on with the guys at the urinal who can barely pee? I've stood next to them, on-and-off, my entire public-washroom-using life: normal-looking dudes who sidle up to the urinal next to me, unzip, and then start gasping and moaning like they're giving birth while squeezing out what sounds like thimblefuls of urine. Today I was doing my business when the guy at the next head starting orgasmically wheezing "Ohhhhh yeah, unnnnhhh . . . " while passing a few dozen pee-molecules at a time and my curiosity finally got the better of me.

What the hell's going on? Do all these guys have prostate problems? They don't appear to cluster by age. Am I the only one noticing that something like one in every ten male urinators seems to have this problem?

Has anyone experienced post-ejaculatory pain?

Anonymous — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 13:22:12 -0800

Does anyone else experience or know anything about post-ejaculatory pain in the testicles? My (first opinion) doctor is stumped. (Hint: It's not blue balls and I'm also infertile) First: I've seen a doctor and am not using this for diagnosis. I'm just curious if anyone else has had personal experience with my problem. Please email anon_mefite at yahoo.com for clarifications or what-have-you.

I'm 24 and since 14 or so I've experienced a dull ache in my groin post-ejaculation. It's difficult to pinpoint the location of the pain, but it's around the testicles. My best guess is that it's half-way between the base of the penis and the testes, under the surface.

Interestingly, I've recently learned how to orgasm without ejaculating, and have no pain whatsoever in this case. I'll bring this up in my next doctor visit.

The pain was rare at 14 and lasted only a short while. It has steadily increased in frequency and duration and now occurs 90% of the time, typically for 1-4 hours if I'm sitting or laying down, 5-10 hours if I'm up and active. Erections intensify the pain.

When it became more than an annoyance, I saw my primary doctor, and then a Proctologist. The primary had never heard of it before. The Proctologist prescribed "Flomax" which stops ejaculation. I didn't notice a significant change while on Flomax, but I didn't orgasm much that month. After Flomax seemed to fail, the Proctologist basically said "I dunno".

He also told me I was infertile after I provided a semen sample. Somewhat stupidly, I gave the sample while on Flomax, so my volume was rather low. He insisted that this didn't matter, since the problem he found was immobility, but that I should still try again.

I was rather displeased with the Proctologist, so I'm going to get a second opinion soon. I'll definitely let he or she know about how non-ejaculation does not cause pain. Until then, does this sound familiar to anyone else? Thank you!

Sleep, Interrupted

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 22:17:41 -0800

Why am I waking up exactly one hour after I fall asleep... with a giant urge to urinate... almost every night? I am a male in his mid-30s, and apart from some depression, I'm in otherwise good health. This has been going on for well over a year, and it really does seem to happen almost exactly an hour after I've fallen asleep; or as near as I can tell.

Most (but not all) nights I'll wake with the desperate urge to urinate... and I do mean desperate... to the point where I feel like I'm going to lose control of my bladder. There is no burning, nor any other symptoms, that go along with the urge. What's strange is that, roughly 25% of the time, I won't be able to "go" at all once I'm up. On those occasions, I'll just go back to sleep and be fine until morning. And about half the time when I am able to go, it's nothing significant. I don't generally drink copious amounts of liquids before bed.

I do not have any related or similar problems during the waking hours, so it does not seem like prostatitis based on what I've read. (Although, now that I think about it, I can't stand to sit in the middle of a row in a crowded theater. If I do, I'll usually be convinced that I have to get up and go before the show starts, and then usually not be able to produce anything. I guess I've got "issues".)

I recently asked my doctor about this, and he responded with a more-or-less blank stare. Any ideas?

PSA Confusion

Xurando — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 20:03:12 -0800

I need resources to help me negotiate/make sense of the minefield of my "prostate specific antigen" (PSA) score/level. When I started having an annual PSA test 4 years ago, my physician warned me about the ambiguity of the results. After three years of normal results, now at the age of 50+ I find my score has gone up by 2 and 1/2 points in the last year, but still within the normal range. The digital exam was slightly enlarged but smooth.

My doctor gave me a number of options including do nothing, take a "free PSA" test, be referred to a urologist, etc, and told me to call him next week with my answer.

In trying to find up to date information on the web, I find contradictory, out of date, and confusing information, everywhere, including the fact that the physician developer of the test no longer thinks it is an accurate diagnostic tool. I also found that John Kerry had a score lower than mine and had a biopsy and eventual prostatectomy.

Does anyone know where I can find accurate and current information about PSA levels?

Do men enjoy crapping because it stimulates their prostate gland?

Malachi Constant — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 17:29:00 -0800

My friend and I were just talking about how much more men seem to enjoy taking a crap compared to women and were wondering... Do men enjoying voiding their bowels because it massages the prostate slightly? I mean, I know I sure love going number 2.

Is prostate stimulation an acquired taste?

Anonymous — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 10:14:57 -0800

Is prostate stimulation an acquired taste? While that area in general feels great, direct prostate stimulation just seems to feel weird/intense/somewhat uncomfy. Am I missing something?

Anbody know of remedies/cures for prostatitis and other prostate problems?

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Sep 2005 09:11:38 -0800

I have had a serious long term problem with my prostate, with predictable results not only on my sex life but on almost every aspect of my life. I have gone to a variety of specialists, none of whom seem to have an answer. I have had several courses of antibiotics and been put on Flomax, which has helped, but still leaves a lot of room for improvement. A naturopath was able to help quite a bit, with various natural remedies, but while the pain has gone away, I have little sexual feeling and sometimes have great difficulty achieving orgasm. I have searched the internet without much success and tried to learn as much as possible about various problems with the prostate, such as chronic prostatitis, but have not found anything very useful. Any information and advice would be greatly appreciated.

Enlarged prostates and orgasms

hellx — Fri, 20 May 2005 14:48:22 -0800

Most men develop an enlarged prostate as they age. I was wondering what effect an enlarged prostate would have on pleasure derived from the massaging of the prostate. Does an enlarged prostate make anal sex more pleasurable, less pleasurable or does it have no effect on pleasure?

Anal Prevention?

hellbient — Sun, 17 Apr 2005 11:55:03 -0800

Are gay men less likely than hetero men to contract prostate cancer? I have a friend who claims so - that prostate cancer is due to an inactive prostate, thereby making gay men less likely candidates. My bullshit detector went up immediately, as it seems too simple an answer. But I haven't found anything specifically on this, which makes me more skeptical. Has anyone ever heard this theory before?