low psa, normal dre, bone pain in hips and coccyx

User

Posted 10 Jan 2025 at 00:32

im new here and a little worried.

ive had annual psa tests along with my normal mot test since i was 50, im 54 now and each year its always been 0.5 which my gp said was low. Ive also had a couple of dre tests, one a few years ago and one around 6 months ago. Both normal. Not had any problems with urination or ejeculation although i have low testosterone and some times ED.

However, Last summer i noticed i was getting bone pain around my coccyx area and found i was getting hip pain when walking and laying on my sides, both sides. Sitting on a hard surface is quite painful. Its a very dull ache but definitely worse when laying down where i struggle to find comfort. It aches enough to keep me awake most nights.

With the hip pain, my GP ordered the psa, did a dre which he said was normal and did a faecal tests to ensure it wasnt colon related. This was normal.

i wasnt initially worried as my psa is low and hasnt changed but i stupidly went on the internet and found that high grade prostate cancer can have low psa and hip pain can be one of the first symptoms to show up.

does this sound familiar to any of you? Would a prostate cancer large enough to spread to my hips be large enough to be felt on a dre?

thanks for reading

User

Posted 10 Jan 2025 at 11:20

Hi Paul.

Welcome to the forum. Hopefully, you'll not have to be here long.

Your very low PSA and normal DRE suggest that you have no prostate conditions including PCa

Your bone pains are most likely caused by another unrelated condition, something like arthritis, which I suffer from causing pains in my lower back, hips and legs.

Best of luck mate.👍

Edited by member 10 Jan 2025 at 12:11 | Reason: typo

User

Posted 10 Jan 2025 at 17:43

Thanks for replying.

I hope you are right

there are some instances, though rare, something like 1-2%, where an aggressive variant doesn't show on a psa test. I also worry the dre was conducted by a standard GP and not a urologist who probably does dre 15x per day. Maybe he missed something.

Something is definitely wrong in my pelvic region. Strangely my coccyx doesnt hurt at all when im stood up and not sitting on it and my hips only hurt when im laid sidewards on them. Its like pressure has to be there on the bone. its now been here over 6 months.

Thanks

User

Posted 10 Jan 2025 at 17:46

with low testosterone you get accompanying low estrogen bc mens testosterone makes their estrogen too

So I am guessing your bone pain is due to estrogen deficiency resulting in arthritis

Edited by member 10 Jan 2025 at 19:37 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 10 Jan 2025 at 21:42

thanks for replying

i hope it is arthritis as that is a better outcome that this. I don’t know how low my testosterone is or how long it’s been low but they had mentioned starting me on testogel replacement therapy. I need to find out if it’s prostate cancer before I go near that stuff.

can you get arthritis in the coccyx? It hurts so much when I press it.
I am surprised how much it sticks out and easily felt it is. It literally just hangs there. I’m not surprised many people break theirs.

the reason I seem to be fixated with this is that it definitely feels something is going on around my coccyx and back passage when I’m sat down. I have a fullness in my rectum which makes me think there is a problem with my prostate.

Thanks

Edited by member 10 Jan 2025 at 21:48 | Reason: Spelling

User

Posted 10 Jan 2025 at 23:45

As others have said, it is unlikely to be prostate cancer. Yes 1% don't produce PSA, but if the cancer was so advanced it had spread to your hips, it would show up on a DRE even if done by an amateur (which would be uncommon). Your problems need investigating, and it would be nice if when you find the cause you let us know as it may help the next person in your situation.

Dave

User

Posted 11 Jan 2025 at 01:19

Hi again Paul.

Funnily enough since you started this thread, my lower back has been really playing up. Which is why I'm awake and posting on here at this unearthly time in the morning. 🙂

None of us are medically trained but we do have pretty good knowledge on prostate cancer and the chances of your symptoms being advanced PCa are remote.

I found an NHS link on coccyx problems, may be this will help.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tailbone-coccyx-pain/

I hope that you get the problem sorted. 👍

User

Posted 11 Jan 2025 at 02:26

Thank you

Yes im struggling to sleep too. A mixture of worry and pain keeping me up.

Im clinging to the hope that if prostate cancer was advanced enough to cause this many bone mets that surely the gp would have felt something in the dre. I was definitely getting pains in hips pelvis and coccsyx back in september when he did the dre so if it was mets i would hope the prostate would not feel smooth as he said it was. How much of the prostate is actually felt during the dre? He was very quick.

There just seems to be so many bones affected that it has to something serious rather than just bruising my coccyx as my hips and back pelvis are also painful when sat on or used.

When i actually think back im pretty sure i had hip pain on and off well over 18 months to a lesser degree. Would a very agressive prostate cancer be manifesting much further that just bone Mets? Ive read small cell prostate cancer life expectancy is measured in months not years.

The fullness feeling in my rectum is quite new, i dont think ive felt that certainly not when i visited the gp in September. Does cancer in the prostate area present itself with pains in the rectum region.

Thanks.

Edited by member 11 Jan 2025 at 06:25 | Reason: Spelling

User

Posted 13 Jan 2025 at 19:17

I have an appointment with my GP in the morning. How should i approach this to best ensure i get taken seriously. I will ask for another dre tomorrow as a starter. If the GP is still adamant he cant feel anything how do i get an mri?

Will i need to see a urologist first or can my gp order one? Im not sure how this works.

As a last resort, I am in the westfield health scheme so can claim back any consultation fees but i have to get a referral from my GP to see one. I believe if i get my GP to refer me i can get a consultation who can then get me an mri. I am assuming its a urologist i need to see?

Thanks

User

Posted 13 Jan 2025 at 23:14

I don't think a GP in the UK can request an MRI, so you need a consultant. Now what kind of consultant you need depends on what disease you have. Your GP is probably better at guessing your disease than you are. I think with pains in your bones it is more likely a rheumatologist can help you than a urologist. If the rheumatologist finds the disease in the bones is consistent with cancer he will refer you to an oncologist, or a urologist if he thinks the cancer is prostate cancer.

Definitely make it known to the GP that you have private medical insurance. I don't know how doctors are paid in this country, but I bet they don't get a bonus for referring to NHS consultants.

Dave

User

Posted 15 Jan 2025 at 06:18

Ok so saw a GP today. A different one at my GP surgery as its a large practice and we see whoever is available. He did a DRE and stated he couldnt feel anything unusual so his hands were tied in forwarding thiese pains down a prostate route. So he is organising physio on my pelvic pains to see if that helps.

Obviously i believe there is something else going on so i am going down the private consultant route to have an mri or bone scan on my pelvis and lower back. I’ll update once i have the scans. Thank you to whoever read and commented.

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