HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Can Antibiotics raise PSA?

Support Forums
>
Prostate Cancer
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 2/15/2012 8:03 PM (GMT 0)
I'm really confused - I know something is going on and I'm waiting for a biopsy (shed 3/16) - the wait is killing me.

In the meantime, the Doc had me take 2 weeks of Bactrum to rule out infection. I've been on a steady slow-ish climb for a while, then I took the Bactrum and 2 weeks later shot up 1.5? Surely I thought something was off, so I had another test run a week after that - it's down slightly - 4.6. Could the Antibiotics have stirred something up? If not, is this a sign that if I have PC, it's now drastically increasing?

And by the way - I've done nothing in the past week that would cause it to go up, if you get my meaning...

My stats:
49 years old
Jul 2008 PSA 1.5
Sep 2009 PSA 1.9
Nov 2010 PSA 2.4
May 2011 PSA 2.9 (free PSA 3%) - Biopsy done - Negative.
Oct 2011 PSA 3.1 (moved to new city, new doc)
Jan 2012 PSA 3.3
BACTRUM
Feb 2012 PSA 4.83 - just two weeks later!
Feb 2012 PSA 4.66 one week later.

Thanks all!
Posted 2/15/2012 8:17 PM (GMT 0)
Elevated PSA is commonly caused by infection, and a multi-week course of antibiotic is common treatment. Statistically, it is more likely that a rise in PSA is caused by prostate inflammation than prostate cancer. A boggy or soft prostate examined during the DRE can clue the urologist that an elevated PSA is from inflammation or infection. Three-weeks or so of Ciprofloxacin (or Cipro) is commonly prescribed. Some infections may be difficult to trace, but your free PSA test result is troubling.
Posted 2/15/2012 8:26 PM (GMT 0)
Sometimes prostatitis (even without symptoms) can cause a spike in PSA.

Your PSA is slowly rising, so it is a concern. We have all been there, including many who no longer post here because the biopsy came out just fine. This is a miserable time.

Good luck. You'll just have to wait it out.

Mel

Posted 2/15/2012 8:33 PM (GMT 0)
I remember waiting for the biopsy and then waiting for the pathology report. What a killer.

The only real way to know if you PC is to - you'll not like this - wait for the pathology report.

Hope it turns out well for you.
Andrew
Posted 2/15/2012 8:35 PM (GMT 0)
There are only three things that can affect psa:
1. Prostate cancer. (Slow but steady increase over time)
2. Normal benign prostate tissue that is constant with the size of your prostate, (.066Xprostate size in cc)
3. Inflammination of the prostate due to infection. (usually indicated by rapid rise or fall of PSA without any clear pattern.

Anitbiotics would only affect #3 and should cause a drop. As was mentioned some infections are very stubborn and can last years and are hard to treat. Most will respond to a two week course of Cipro or Bactrium.
Posted 2/15/2012 8:42 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks all - I'm pretty convinced there's some amount of PC - just keeping my fingers crossed that it's early. Since the last neg biopsy - they did an MRI and there are two suspicious spots, so they know where to target for this biopsy. For the most part I actually have my head wrapped around that aspect of it all and will be ready to make some decisions - I'm relatively young @ 49. - so I'm ok with all that.....

My bigger question and the part I can't wrap my head around is the sudden departure from .5 or so increase per year to 1.5 increase in two weeks. The Bactrum should have brought it down - I just question if it could also cause it to drastically increase.

I expect a person can have both PC and and infection - one doesn't exclude the other.
Posted 2/15/2012 8:50 PM (GMT 0)

gadget said...
I expect a person can have both PC and and infection - one doesn't exclude the other.

That's correct

Posted 2/16/2012 12:54 AM (GMT 0)
Gadget:

Well, regardless, you're right on it

Mel

Posted 2/17/2018 1:42 AM (GMT 0)
I don’t know the reason why but, yes. I have been dealing with infection for nearly 2 years and on doxycycline, sulfa and cipro at different times. Psa spiked both times on sulfa.
Posted 2/17/2018 1:49 AM (GMT 0)
Most prostatitis does not respond to antibiotics, and cannot be linked to a specific pathogen. What the AUA recommends is just waiting it out. Prostatitis relapses and remits. just get a PSA test in 3 months to see what it does. Better yet, get a Prostate Health Index (PHI) test, which is not as affected by prostatitis.
Posted 2/17/2018 3:05 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Gadget,

Feb, 2012? I'm confused.

I was around your age when I went to a urologist for prostatitis. I had an elevated PSA of 6 at the time. A 6 core biopsy (standard at the time...rrrrrrr) was done with no cancer found. Antibiotics did eventually work and I forgot about it as my doc suggested (rrrrrrr). Five years later I went back to the doc for another bout of prostatitis. My PSA was then 65 and a 12 core biopsy revealed most cores positive.
I wish I was you back then, focused and on this board.
I always wondered if the cancer was causing inflammation and infections.
In retrospect I am grateful for those infections as they got me to see a doctor (though I wish I has seen a different one).
The good news is that now after treatment I no longer get prostatitis. Of course my prostate has been blown to smitherines by radiation but hey, at least there is one silver lining in this pca cloud you can perhaps look forward to if you are positive and go through treatment.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply