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2.2 PSA at 35 years old

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Posted 5/12/2014 10:24 AM (GMT 0)
Hi all

I was given a 2.2 in a PSA test a couple of days ago and just wanted to ask a few things.

I am 35 years old with no history to my knowledge of PC within my family.

I am very aware that it most probably is something like a Urinary infection that has caused the level of PSA (I have not cycled, ejaculated etc to raise it). I am going to visit my GP tomorrow and someone has mentioned that my GP might not take this too serious given my age, if this is the case would you advise me to push for antibiotics to rule out any infection and also as that I can get it checked again in 3/6 months to monitor this?

Also can a cold raise the level in any way?

Thanks for your advice.
Posted 5/12/2014 11:18 AM (GMT 0)
KiltedScot,

I think it's great you are being proactive with your health at a young age.  Did something prompt your doctor to run a PSA test?  If you are able to get an appointment with a Urologist that might make you feel more confident in your care.

Posted 5/12/2014 1:09 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to HW.

There are a number of things that can cause PSA to rise: infection, enlarged prostate, sex before the test, bike riding, bad day at the lab or it's possible that 2.2 is normal for you. PC is so far down on the list for a man of your age to not be worth the thought at the moment.

I'd be interested to know what prompted getting your PSA tested. Few doctors would test a 35 year old unless there was a reason. You should learn more about what a PSA test is for and what it can't measure. It isn't really a marker for PC, just an indicator of prostate activity. PC tends to elevate PSA above normal levels and when used with other clinical tools, DRE, patient history, can be used to determine when a biopsy for PC is indicated.

In you're case I'd do a couple of things, get tested for UTI, take a course of Cipro to clear up any infection, retest in six months and don't worry about it.

Andrew
Posted 5/12/2014 1:29 PM (GMT 0)
I would consult a urologist. The urologist may re-test PSA. He may give you an antibiotic and then re-test PSA. He will almost certainly do a DRE -- and probably more proficiently than a GP.

This may turn out to be a minor infection or something else of little consequence. But 2.2 is high for a guy your age, so I think consulting with a doctor that specializes in the relevant area would be worthwhile.
Posted 5/12/2014 3:08 PM (GMT 0)

KiltedScot said...
Also can a cold raise the level in any way?

A cold? Probably not much. Cold medicine? Yes. Decongestants change the blood flow in the prostate and can cause the PSA to go up slightly, at least according to my urologist.
Posted 5/12/2014 7:23 PM (GMT 0)
My PSAs were twos and threes from my late 30s until my early 50s. I had BPH or so we thought and I guess at some point it turned cancerous. First I had a TURP to relieve LUTS last year at age 54, found Gleason 6, LUTS shortly returned, RALP 3 weeks ago.

PSA density is important I think. I would see a Urologist, they can either estimate (from a DRE) or measure the size of your prostate to give you an idea of your PSA density. If it turns out it is not a UTI, sounds like something you will want to keep an eye on in the future.
Posted 6/4/2014 2:45 AM (GMT 0)
I had a similar experience. When I was 36 my doctor accidentally ticked the PSA box when he sent me for some standard blood work. It came back at 3.3 which he said was high for my age. He told me to wait another month and get it tested again + a free PSA test. He thought it was likely an infection. The next 3 weeks were abut the worst of my life I was terrified, couldn't sleep, couldn't eat -- all I could think about was having cancer. Anyway took the retest and my PSA came back 2.8 or 2.7. We didn't discuss the free PSA but he showed me the result and it was 22%.

He said all evidence pointed to a small bout of prostatis (only symptom i had was once every year or 2 I have a 5 or 6 day period where I have to pee a lot at night but it cleared in a week or so). I'm now 38 and and this remains for me one of the worst experiences of my life. I still struggle with what im going to do when I hit 40. There are so many opinions regarding PSA yet no real concrete numbers on the amount of lives its saving vs the amount of people being treated for cancers that would never have hurt them.

Let us know how it turns out, and thanks for sharing!
Posted 6/4/2014 3:41 AM (GMT 0)
You may want to have your PSA checked every 6 months for a year or two to develop a trend line called PSA velocity..A PSA that is increasing rapidly is cause for concern. As men age, it's normal for their PSA to SLOWLY increase....
Posted 6/4/2014 11:22 AM (GMT 0)
I'm also surprised that you were tested for PSA. What was the reason?
Bob
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