Worried

Hi Tim! please don't be worried. Prostatitis can be very hard to diagnose, and even harder to treat. So yes, not only can it still be causing a spike, you can still be having an infection.

PSA isn't a marker for cancer, it is simply a check engine light, something is causing a rise in PSA, so go to a doctor and figure out what it is. 99% chance it is simply an infection. Get an antibiotic from the doctor, and go from there.

Jordan

Tim:

Welcome to the forum! Glad you found us but sorry you found yourself needing to look. I hope we can help.

Like Jordan said, prostate infections can cause an elevated PSA, can linger for a long time, and can be difficult to treat. The usual drill for men who have an elevated PSA that is suspected to be due to an infection is to treat them with antibiotics and re-test the PSA a month later. If the PSA goes down after the antibiotics that usually indicates an infection since antibiotics have no effect on prostate cancer.

Other things that can cause an elevated reading are: sex within the 48 hours before blood is drawn for the test... or bicycle riding. or horseback riding. or your doctor poking his finger up your behind to check your prostate before he draws your blood. or nasal decongestants.

... or prostate cancer.

You need to get yourself checked out but it's too early to panic. Keep us posted. Let us know if you get tired of worrying. We'll worry for you. We have some highly trained, very effective worriers here. We got you covered.

PDA,

You read that antibiotics can make PSA go down without resolving any of the prostatitis symptoms (when there are any)? I haven't heard that, but prostatitis can be very mysterious. I thought that the PSA will go down only if the source of the inflammation (e.g., infection) is removed. Sometimes the inflammation becomes chronic and sort of takes on a life of its own, without any known or apparent infective agents. PSA leaks out into the bloodstream any time prostate cells are disrupted, whether by inflammation, bike riding, sex, urinary retention, BPH or cancer.

If PSA goes down in response to antibiotics, it certainly was prostatitis. But if PSA doesn't go down with antibiotics, that doesn't rule out prostatitis.

- Allen

I have had psa spikes that lasted for up to six months following prostate biopsies. Tripled the original result, and were pretty upsetting at the time. Eventually, the psa finally just returned to original with some sitz baths, but without any medication.

jpenn44 said...
Hi Tim! please don't be worried. Prostatitis can be very hard to diagnose, and even harder to treat. So yes, not only can it still be causing a spike, you can still be having an infection.

PSA isn't a marker for cancer, it is simply a check engine light, something is causing a rise in PSA, so go to a doctor and figure out what it is. 99% chance it is simply an infection. Get an antibiotic from the doctor, and go from there.

Jordan

Hi Jordan,
Thank you for the response. When I had the infection, my urine smelled horrible, I could hardly urinate. Ejaculation actually hurt. Is that common for the infection?

island time said...
While most of the human anatomy readily accepts and therefore respond to antibiotics, once again our ol friend the prostate gland isn't always so cooperative. There's somthing (I don't know the science behind it) about the tissue of the prostate gland that makes it difficult to get antibiotic into it. It so est readily accept it.

That's stuck in my mind from somewhere. Maybe Walsh's book...i don't remember.

Good luck worriedtim. I had prostitus on and off alot of my adult life...beginning in my 30's. It's a scary thing anytime one feels there's anything wrong "down there".

That area is alot closer to a man's heart than what we're taught in school.

Thank you!

based on your age...history and symptoms...i'd say less than 1% chance of cancer. Now, that's not a professional opinion...but I'd bet a lot of money on you not have prostate cancer...

Tall Allen said...
tim,
Prostatitis is very common in men your age, PC isn't. Especially because you know you've had prostatitis, you know (in your head) that that's the issue here.

But I don't think probabilities are going to help you through this. If we say .1%, you'll just focus on the .1%. You seem to have really bad anxiety issues that are interfering with your everyday life. I suggest you look into psychotherapy for that. You can be taught some techniques to help cope with the anxiety, perhaps medications as well.

- Allen

You are right Allen.... I have high anxiety. My father went through a different type of C. It's very difficult to retrain your emotions.
Thank you for your input.. 😊

Thank you for replying. I am scheduled for the urologist on Tues. I really appreciate the replies. I'm sure you understand the anxiety as does everyone else on the threads.
Thank you again Pratoman