Hello all. I’ve just turned 46. Eight years ago I was diagnosed with Prostatitis, though no DRE or PSA test was done. I was prescribed two weeks of antibiotics and the symptoms - primarily frequent need to urinate and feeling as though bladder had not completely emptied - cleared up.
I would say that I have always urinated slightly more than average, but not significantly so. In the intervening period I’ve had no other issues or obvious symptoms.
Fast forward to just before Christmas and I noticed that I started to wake up once in the night needing to pee. Not every night, but probably two or three times per week. I thought nothing more of this other than it being part of the aging process.
Then, about three weeks ago, I very suddenly experienced the development of a range of symptoms, particularly:
- Frequent need to urinate, particularly during the day. Feeling as though I needed to pee again almost as soon as I had finished.
- Slight increase in night time urination, waking up once or twice at night, every night.
- occasional burning sensation in urethra after urination.
- Uncomfortable feeling in perineum. Not really a pain, but almost like a pinching sensation.
All of these came on very suddenly. I.e., 4 weeks ago none of them were there but then, in a matter of days, all were present.
I visited the GP who said that he thought it was likely a UTI or recurrence of Prostatitis. He prescribed two weeks of antibiotics and took a urine culture sample which came back as negative.
I completed the course of antibiotics yesterday. There has been some improvement - or at least there was until yesterday.
Whilst there was still a sense of needing to urinate even when I didn’t really want to go, I was able to comfortably ‘hold’ this for three to four hours. When I do go, the stream is not particularly hesitant in starting and does not have a noticeably decreased flow (when I haven’t been for a while). There was though still a bit of post completion dribble. I kept a log of when I went to the toilet and over the last few days was going around 7 or 8 times during the day, which felt about normal for me. On three of the last seven nights I woke up to pee once, the other nights not at all.
I took all of this as sign that things were on the mend.
Then, yesterday, things were back with vengeance. Near constant feeling of needing to pee. Going lots. Because going frequently not much there, and so poor flow. Discomfort in right groin.
Because the UTI test was negative, and the antibiotics haven’t worked, I am concerned that maybe there is something more serious going on and I know that PCa rarely presents with symptoms unless relatively well advanced which is worrying me sick. But then, would the symptoms come on so acutely so suddenly?
I’m very worried in could be prostate cancer and, if it is, the fact that there are symptoms might suggest it is already well developed. That scares me.
I’m really unsure what to do, and would appreciate any words of wisdom you good folks may have. Should I now insist on a PSA test, or given I ‘may’ have had in infection which I understand could raise PSA levels would the value of this be negated at this time?
one final bit of info, my dad has very recently been diagnosed with PCa, aged 65. I know this increases my risk profile, and so I will need to start with regular PSA Tests. I guess the question is, should I do this now?
Thank you.
Edited by member 12 Mar 2024 at 08:37
| Reason: Typos