Do any of the OTC BHP pills work ?

I have tried Saw Palmetto and BetaSisterol...both seems to do some good...Uro said I can try Flomax etc but im afraid of the side effects

Before I was diagnosed, I was taking one of the 'mens's health' supplements that contained saw palmetto and other things. One thing it did for me is that it suppresses PSA--so my true PSA at the time of diagnosis was double (more or less) what the test showed.

That is one risk to these things--Flomax as well--that your PSA readings will go down, but it won't have any effect on your potential for cancer.

Give pygeum a shot.

If we take finasteride as an example, you and your uro can measure the PSA lowering effect (usually around 50%) after a few months. Patients are usually told that rises while on the drug need to be taken more seriously: a rise of .2 should be considered as about .4. That understood, PSA levels will still be affected by PCa.

The problem with supplements is that you may not be aware of its PSA lowering effect, as you point out. My opinion, however, is that none of these agents can suppress PSA against the rise from PCa. You should tell your docs about your supplements. If a substance has lowering effect, you should see it when you start taking it! I started taking a good number of phytochemucal supplements , including tumeric curcumin, after my RP. You would think I would see a lowering effect. However, my PRS rose from its nadir of 0.007 to 0.015 as I added phytochemicals. I would be very surprised if the PSA-lowering effect of any if these were anywhere near that of finasteride.

Djin

Post Edited (DjinTonic) : 2/13/2020 5:19:18 AM (GMT-7)

cvc: Here's the thing, when I was diagnosed in 2014, I had been on the saw palmetto for at least a couple of years. Prior to that, I had some mild BPH symptoms, and my PSA was very low (<1). Annual checks saw my PSA start to increase in 2011, and when it reached 3.2 my PCP referred me to a urologist. I note that my PCP never said anything about the supplement having a PSA effect.

At the first visit, pre-biopsy, with the urologist, his NP had this to say about the supplement: Double your PSA, and stop taking it. So, my 3.2 PSA at age 56 would have been slightly elevated based on age. Double it to 6.4, and it has meaning. I did not have a follow up PSA--instead I had a biopsy which came back with 3 positive G6 cores. My post surgery pathology was G3+4.

This is why I will tell anyone in here who asks about supplements, saw palmetto in particular, to keep an eye on your PSA--the suppressive effect could mask the development of a serious issue--it did for me.

Bubba: since when is passing on personal experience in here not permitted? I'm passing on what a well established, well experienced DOCTOR told me. And, the supplement did not keep me from getting cancer.

Bubba: since when is passing on personal experience in here not permitted? I'm passing on what a well established, well experienced DOCTOR told me. And, the supplement did not keep me from getting cancer.
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Its ok, I actually agree with you. I worry with my 11.5 PSA reading from last Wednesday some of the things I take may be covering up something. My well established, well experienced Johns Hopkins DOCTOR says no.
I was just trying to point out that when some (myself or perhaps cashless or the vit D guy who's name I forget) bring real research there is a lot of push back, often kinda nasty, that there is no level 1 so it must be fake.
You have no level 1.

I didn't do a good job of making my point so skip it.

Post Edited (NotBubba) : 2/14/2020 8:50:20 AM (GMT-7)

Thats 100% valid and a good point. There is currently NOTHING that cures cancer.
What about the guy who isn't doing well. What about all this research on apoptosis. Programmed cell death. Is that helpful or harmful information?