#21

I am in the States yes. The clinic told me that they did take my insurance, but I didn’t get far enough to find out if that would have been the case after a consult.

They don’t just treat cancer they also treat BPH with the procedure. The out of pocket cost would have been $6500. If things deteriorate, and I assume they will. I’ll most likely look into again further down the road.

This from the clinic:

Focalyx BPH is a short, in-office procedure that treats your enlarge prostate within minutes with natural laser energy, by shrinking the prostate gland. There is no general anesthesia and minimal downtime.
While improving your urinary symptoms, you will preserve your potency and ejaculation, and will avoid the secondary effects of oral medications used to treat BPH.
The medical device/software used for the procedures is approved by the FDA for image/guidance, and the procedures are covered by Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans and Commercial insurances:

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#22

Wow! Wish I’d known about that procedure before I unfortunately tried Rezum. I should have asked for advice on this forum before I did anything. It sounds like it would have been much less painful and an easier recovery, regardless of whether it helped me. I’ll look for a local provider for that procedure to see if it’s an option if the PT doesn’t work. Thanks!

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#23

It does sound like a good option. My understanding is this is a really new treatment and I believe they are only one or two clinics in the country offering it. It might actually just be that clinic. I’d planned on flying to Miami, It seemed as though recovery was fairly quick.

I hope the PT works for you.

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#25

Davin wrote: In the meantime I’m also trying combo finasteride (full dose) along with testosterone replacement therapy in the hope that i can get the benefits of both without the side effects of either.

I do TRT (4 years now) and finasteride (32 years now) with great results. My urologists says my prostrate is hard to find… not that he doesn’t hunt for it… hmmm.

He also has me on tadalafil 2mg a day… says it is great for urinary health… been on it 1 year plus…amazing.

Hope it helps.

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#26

I have experienced discomfort and pain from my prostate during +25 years and over the years I have gained my own personal experiences of how I can handle my prostate issues. During the later years I have gotten BPH. I don’t know if it is of interest to share my experiences of what can reduce the symptoms of painful prostate, this since most suffering from these conditions often have tried a wide set of treatments. But I would like to say that pain from peppers, chilly and some other spices might not be a sign of unhealthy reactions in the prostate. Those sensations might come from increased ROS activity in the prostate. And from a ROS activity that leads to apoptosis in unhealthy cells. There is, for instance, quite a bit of research on piperlongumine and its effects on cancer – apoptosis – and the removal of senescent cells. I have noted that some effects are negated by NAC and antiaoidants. The increased ROS is the signal that starts the process that leads to apoptosis. Even though hot peppers, can cause pain in prostate, I do not stay away from peppers.

The promising potential of piperlongumine as an emerging therapeutics for cancer (explorationpub.com)

I find that fisetin make my prostate “young again” but only for a short time. It is hard to describe how it feels but it functions and feels like it did in my young age. The prostate feels great when I take fisetin 30 mg/kg body weight, mixed in oil . Taken on empty stomach and with black pepper and during two consecutive days. I found out this surprising effect a few years ago, when I started senolytic protocols with Fisetin. I sometimes add piperlongmunie to the senolytic coctail. And I note that piperlongumine is, like fisetin, an mTOR inhibitor. That gives some hope that rapamycin might provide som help to people dealing with a painful prostate.

I find prostate health very important, maybe because of my own experiences, but also because almost all men develop prostate cancer in a very old age and in the end of life. There is of course the idea that when we slow aging, we also slow the aging of the prostate. But I don’t think it is illogical to think that when we increase lifespan, we will meet more and more men with prostate related problems. The slowed processes of aging will most likely not slow down the aging of the prostate in all men.

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#27

For anyone considering surgery I urge you to research PAE. Prostate artery embolizatiom. I had it 8 years ago and it was a lifesaver

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#28

I have BPH and have taken Rapa for over one year. Rapa did not reduce the swelling.
The drug that really work for me is finasteride 5mg/daily.

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#29

How old were you when you had it done? What was the experience like?

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#30

https://karger.com/uin/article/94/3/286/322765/Effects-of-Pumpkin-Seed-in-Men-with-Lower-Urinary

Effects of Pumpkin Seed in Men with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms due to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in the One-Year, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled GRANU Study

Pumpkin seed versus pumpkin seed extract. Whole seeds were better.

The primary response criterion was a decrease in International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) of ≥5 points from baseline after 12 months.

Overall, in men with BPH, 12 months of treatment with pumpkin seed led to a clinically relevant reduction in IPSS compared with placebo.

https://www.ergo-log.com/25-grams-of-gelatin-per-day-reduces-benign-prostate-problems.html

25 grams of gelatin per day reduces benign prostate problems

The researchers gave men a total of 25 grams of gelatin per day, divided into three portions. The experiment had nothing to do with prostate complaints, but some of the men with benign prostate hypertrophy reported that they felt the urge to urinate less often, could urinate more easily and no longer experienced a burning sensation during these daily bodily routines.

When the supplementation stopped, the symptoms returned. However, after 5 months of taking 25 grams daily, the men also experienced the same positive effects at a lower dose.

The researchers also had data on men who consumed extra protein from meat on a daily basis. Meat protein did not reduce prostate symptoms

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#31

I have no idea which doctor is correct here, but thought it was interesting:

Dr. Roach: Urologists disagree on finasteride for an enlarged prostate

Dear Dr. Roach: I was diagnosed with an enlarged prostate two months ago. I thought it was another kidney stone I needed to pass, but I had a totally blocked urethra. I was sent home from the emergency room with a two-week catheter. My urologist prescribed 5 mg of finasteride and alfuzosin.

I spend winters in Florida, but my urologist in Florida says not to use finasteride, since it doesn’t work. I am stuck in the middle now with my prescription. What is your professional opinion on taking finasteride?

— D.T.

Dear D.T.: Your urologist in Florida is being overly dogmatic. The studies clearly show that finasteride (Proscar), like its cousin dutasteride (Avodart), are effective at treating an enlarged prostate. There is strong evidence that they shrink the prostate, slow progression of prostate enlargement, improve symptoms, and reduce the need for surgery, all of which are good things. Furthermore, they also reduce the risk of prostate cancer with estimates of a 25% to 50% decreased relative risk in developing prostate cancer.

What is true and what the urologist may really mean is that these drugs work very slowly. You’ll get about half the benefit you’ll ever get after six months of treatment. This is in sharp contrast to alpha blockers like alfuzosin, which work well the day you take them.

Many urologists will prescribe both classes of medicine to men who have a high risk of not responding to alpha blockers alone. The fact that you had total obstruction seems to support the prescription of finasteride, and the sooner you start it, the quicker it becomes effective. This decision takes clinical judgment, but the data generally support your first urologist’s decision.

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#32

Unfortunately… would have been better to start before the problem of an enlarged prostate.

I am sure it will do some good… just hard to go back to your 30’s prostate size.

I started at 32…been using 34 years… my urologist has a bit of a hard time finding my prostate. Says it is the size of someone in their late 20’s.

Better late than never.

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#33

Good aprouch Agetron! Sorry if you already mentioned before. But, do you mind sharing you dosage?

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#34

Yes… I take daily 5mg of Finasteride… generic Proscar.

Keeps prostate small… hair on my head… and blood cleared of cholesterol. Three wins!

Have been told because of medicine accumulation… could easily go every other day.

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#35

https://ergo-log.com/supplement-everyday-foods-prostate-cancer.html

Study

In 2014, British oncologist Robert Thomas, affiliated with the University of Cambridge, published a trial in which 183 men aged 53-89 with prostate cancer took a placebo or a supplement every day for 6 months. The men had a form of prostate cancer that had not yet spread and were closely monitored by their doctor.

The supplement that the men used is still on the market as Pomi-T. The men took 3 tablets every day. Each tablet contained 100 milligrams of broccoli extract, 100 milligrams of pomegranate extract, 100 milligrams of turmeric and the equivalent of 100 milligrams of green tea extract.

The ingredients of the supplement - isothiocyanate, ellagic acid, curcumin and EGCG - inhibit cancer cells in test tube and animal studies. Because they all work in a different way, the manufacturer suspects that they reinforce each other’s effect.

PSA levels did not increase in 46 percent of the men taking the supplement, compared to only 14 percent of the men in the placebo group.

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