After several years of using Saw Palmetto (with a degree of success) as an alternative to Proscar or Avodart, I have now commenced taking the latter to help relieve the symptoms of BPH.
I've taken this step, despite reservations, in an attempt to reduce the impact of worsening urine retention on my bladder in particular and the urinary tract in general.
I'm well aware of the potential side effects of taking Avodart (ED, developing man boobs, affecting PSA, etc) and on weighing them up against such issues as , a "short range bladder", frequent UTIs, nocturia and bladder stone development, I don't believe I have any choice other than to give it a go for at least 6 months.
The alternative treatment of undergoing a TURP which although still regarded as the "gold standard" treatment for an enlarged prostate, would be a bit of a no, no for me due to my body's tendency to develop excessive scar tissue and I don't fancy undergoing a regular "reaming out" to remove the offending tissue when it becomes problematic after a year or two.
I welcome the views and comments of anyone who has been on either Proscar or Avodart for any length of time and in particular I would be interested to learn how many of you experienced a significant reduction in prostate volume and lessening of symptoms.
Thanks in advance for any input on this matter.
Edited by member 11 Aug 2014 at 11:05
| Reason: Not specified
Roger |
User
That must be a huge relief Roger (no pun intended)
Pleased to hear you are getting there.
Xx
Mo
User
Just wanted to say glad the results of the latest PSA shows that what you endured after the Holep made it worthwhile
Best Wishes
Sandra
Edited by member 23 Jan 2016 at 09:00
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We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails |
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Well, it looks as though the Avodart hasn't had the desired effect after almost 7 months of taking them but all is not lost as I've finally been able to get referred to Addenbrookes and following a consultation yesterday, I have been accepted as an ideal candidate for a HoLEP procedure to be carried out.
Given my concerns over the potential for spread of PCa via biopsies and the conventional TURP, something I have managed to avoid for almost a decade since having my last set of biopsies, this procedure removes most of those concerns and if some of the tissue removed during the procedure later shows anything sinister, I shall deal with that if and when that happens.
Out of interest has anyone on here undergone the HoLEP procedure or knows someone that has. Feedback on their experiences would be most welcome.
Just the wait until late spring when the procedure is carried out but in the meantime no more Avodart and I can throw away the bra!http://community.prostatecanceruk.org/editors/tiny_mce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif
Roger |
User
HoLEP procedure carried out over the weekend and so far so good. Just waiting for the histology report on the 34 grms of tissue removed during the procedure. Have now stopped the Avodart and Flomax for good!
Roger |
User
That must be a huge relief Roger (no pun intended)
Pleased to hear you are getting there.
Xx
Mo
User
Thanks Mo.
The transition from the sluggish stream of the last six years to a veritable Niagara Falls is awesome.;)
Addenbrookes is truly a centre of excellence when it comes to all prostate issues and the struggle to get accepted by them for treatment has been worth the wait of more than two years.
Escaping the clutches of the Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust was something I'd been looking forward to for a long time!
p.s. the catheter out after just a couple of hours and minimal bleeding is one of the major benefits of the HoLEP and I would strongly recommend it as an alternative to the archaic TURP which should have been consigned to the scrapheap when the Laser alternatives became available a decade or so ago.
Roger |
User
Sod's law I suppose but someone has got to be a statistic. Eleven days after the HoLEP procedure I suffered a severe hemorrhage losing over a litre of blood in 12 hours. Despite this I would still recommend the procedure as it is generally less prone to post op complications and I was just unlucky. Incidentally, the histology done on the tissue samples taken during the procedure showed a Gleason 6 (3+3) PCa which goes to show how sneaky the little buggers can be at dodging biopsy needles. Plan A for the future is a specialised MRI and active surveillance if the imaging shows no major issues.
Edited by member 27 Nov 2015 at 17:16
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Roger |
User
First PSA result since undergoing HoLep two months ago has showed a massive drop to 0.3.
So the question is did they get all the PCa out during the procedure?
Hopefully the Multi-parametric MRI scheduled for some time next month will give me the answer.
Edited by member 25 Jan 2016 at 15:31
| Reason: Not specified
Roger |
User
Just wanted to say glad the results of the latest PSA shows that what you endured after the Holep made it worthwhile
Best Wishes
Sandra
Edited by member 23 Jan 2016 at 09:00
| Reason: Not specified
We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails |
User
Thank you Sandra.
After 10 years as a forum member but not a fully paid up one (no definitive diagnosis for virtually all of those 10 years) it might just turn out that my "paid up" status may have been very fleeting indeed.
Is it good fortune that my PCa was/is a "pussy cat" or down to following the advice I received on these forum pages regarding diet, lifestyle changes and questioning the views of urologists rather than obediently accepting them.
I'd like to think the latter is the case and I thank all those that have given me sound advice over those last 10 years, some of them no longer with us unfortunately. Thank you guys!
Edited by member 23 Jan 2016 at 09:40
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Roger |