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Blood in Semen

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Posted 4/13/2017 8:00 PM (GMT 0)
I posted on this some months ago but wanted to follow up. I had a question for you guys. I've had blood in my semen for six months now. The first time, it was bright red and I went to the Cancer Center that treated me (HDR brachytherapy and IMRT) and they prescribed an antibiotic thinking it was an infection. However, it's continued although the color is dark brown and not bright red. I am following up with the Cancer Center but I was wondering if anybody had seen or heard something similar. Note this is taking place 1.5 to more than 2 years after treatment. Note also that my PSA has been going lower and lower since the treatment and my latest value in March was 0.3 ng/mL. I have no apparent symptoms of anything besides the presumed blood in semen. Finally, I take tamsulosin (generic Flomax) daily and have since treatment but I haven't heard this is a side effect of that drug. In any case, I was just wondering if anyone else had experienced anything like this so long after treatment ended. If anyone is interested, I will post again after I get some medical/oncology responses.
Posted 4/13/2017 8:35 PM (GMT 0)
I've had that 5 years after SBRT. When it's in the semen but not the urine, it is probably from scar tissue sloughing off or maybe prostatitis. When I had it for over a month, my Uro gave me an antibiotic that fortunately cleared it up, but not all prostatitis responds to antibiotics. The brown rather than bright red is the blood drying up), so it is probably healing on its own.
Posted 4/13/2017 8:42 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, Allen. I remembered that you had responded to my first post about six months ago but I wanted to post it a second time because it's been continuing. Your response makes sense and I'll also pursue follow up with the Moffitt Cancer Center who treated me. Interestingly, there's not much on the internet describing this although I did see a few posts from this forum a few years ago. Thanks, again.
Posted 4/14/2017 2:13 AM (GMT 0)
That's probably because most guys who have radiation (and all guys who have surgery) lose their ability to produce semen. You are lucky! I really only produce a couple of drops - so when there's blood there it is not diluted and very vivid.

You can probably find a lot more about it if you use its medicalese name: hematospermia

Here's an article about it:

www.issm.info/sexual-health-qa/what-is-hematospermia1/
Posted 4/14/2017 2:22 AM (GMT 0)
I've had the exact same thing occur with the semen blood but it's three months out from the biopsy. No discomfort or other symptoms, just brown semen. Initially, it was bright red but quickly changed to brown and has remained that way to the present. I suppose it is a symptom of healing over a period of time. The critical issue is that your PSA is doing the right thing and that's very good.
Posted 4/14/2017 2:29 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for your comments. Yes, the continuing to decrease PSA makes me think it's not a big deal but will follow up to be sure. Good luck with your own situation. I do remember brown semen following the biopsy as well.
Posted 4/14/2017 2:35 AM (GMT 0)
Allen, thanks for the link. I'm thinking that the HDR brachytherapy may have caused the situation and indicated that in my voice mail message to the Cancer Center this afternoon. I'll re-post after I get a chance to talk with them and see if they want to do anything to follow this.
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