Prostate

I'm scheduled to see my doctor early next week for prostate investigation. I suppose he will want to
do a DRE and PSA test.

Is this sufficient to properly diagnose any problems?

At this point I am only showing urinary indications of decreased flow. No chills, fever, pain, etc.
Am I correct to assume that the possible diagnosis could be BHP,Acute or Chronic bacterial
prostatitis, Nonbacterial prostatitis, or prostate cancer?

Lastly, are there any other symptoms I may not have noticed or related to this, and what questions
should I be asking my doctor.

Thank you in advance.

Tom Burns wrote:
> I'm scheduled to see my doctor early next week for prostate investigation. I suppose he will want
> to do a DRE and PSA test.
>
> Is this sufficient to properly diagnose any problems?
>
> At this point I am only showing urinary indications of decreased flow. No chills, fever, pain,
> etc. Am I correct to assume that the possible diagnosis could be BHP,Acute or Chronic bacterial
> prostatitis, Nonbacterial prostatitis, or prostate cancer?
>
> Lastly, are there any other symptoms I may not have noticed or related to this, and what questions
> should I be asking my doctor.
>
> Thank you in advance.

About 2 hours after posting this, I experienced painful urination (burning sensation). I suppose
this would indicate prostatitis, but why would it not manifest sooner? I noticed the decreased
flow/pressure more than a week ago, but the burning just today.

Thanks

Tom Burns wrote:
> I'm scheduled to see my doctor early next week for prostate investigation. I suppose he will want
> to do a DRE and PSA test.
>
> Is this sufficient to properly diagnose any problems?
>
> At this point I am only showing urinary indications of decreased flow. No chills, fever, pain,
> etc. Am I correct to assume that the possible diagnosis could be BHP,Acute or Chronic bacterial
> prostatitis, Nonbacterial prostatitis, or prostate cancer?
>
> Lastly, are there any other symptoms I may not have noticed or related to this, and what questions
> should I be asking my doctor.
>
> Thank you in advance.

About 2 hours after posting this, I experienced painful urination (burning sensation). I suppose
this would indicate prostatitis, but why would it not manifest sooner? I noticed the decreased
flow/pressure more than a week ago, but the burning just today.

Thanks

Tom Burns wrote:

> Tom Burns wrote:
> > I'm scheduled to see my doctor early next week for prostate investigation. I suppose he will
> > want to do a DRE and PSA test.
> >
> > Is this sufficient to properly diagnose any problems?
> >
> > At this point I am only showing urinary indications of decreased flow. No chills, fever, pain,
> > etc. Am I correct to assume that the possible diagnosis could be BHP,Acute or Chronic bacterial
> > prostatitis, Nonbacterial prostatitis, or prostate cancer?
> >
> > Lastly, are there any other symptoms I may not have noticed or related to this, and what
> > questions should I be asking my doctor.
> >
> > Thank you in advance.
>
> About 2 hours after posting this, I experienced painful urination (burning sensation). I suppose
> this would indicate prostatitis, but why would it not manifest sooner? I noticed the decreased
> flow/pressure more than a week ago, but the burning just today.
>
> Thanks

Tom, since it's late, if you can't get to your doctor, try a walk in clinic.

Take a list of (or your) other medications with you. http://www.co.broward.fl.us/mei00232.htm
Perhaps they'll try an antibiotic first (or combinations?) and if it continues to worsen you can
follow up with them over the weekend, then follow up with your own doctor (depending on how it goes)
next week.

Prostatitis (and other causes) can elevate the PSA. I think, but not sure, walkin clinics can do
those or write a script for you to go to a lab. It costs, but my understanding is that rechecks to
see if it goes back down or continues to rise (after treatment) is important to know. And from the
prostate cancer newsgroup reading, some have been diagnosed without an elevated PSA, so it's not the
"be all" of tests.

If the walk in clinic does do tests, ask them to fax the results to your doctor (or make sure you go
back and pick up copies). J - not a doctor

Tom,

Tom Burns wrote:

> I'm scheduled to see my doctor early next week for prostate investigation. I suppose he will want
> to do a DRE and PSA test.
>
> Is this sufficient to properly diagnose any problems?

How old are you? Have you been regularly examined with DRE and PSA in the past and, if so, what were
your PSA levels over time (PSA 'velocity')?

> At this point I am only showing urinary indications of decreased flow. No chills, fever, pain,
> etc. Am I correct to assume that the possible diagnosis could be BHP,Acute or Chronic bacterial
> prostatitis, Nonbacterial prostatitis, or prostate cancer?

At this point, could be any of those things or even something else. Prostatitis seems to be one of
those things which is diagnosed by 'exclusion', ie., by excluding all other causes. Even then, there
doesn't seem to be much the urologists can do about it.

> Lastly, are there any other symptoms I may not have noticed or related to this, and what questions
> should I be asking my doctor.

You might want to subscribe to the following newsgroups and letting the people there hear some of
your questions:

sci.med.prostate.prostatitis sci. med. prostate.cancer alt. support.cancer.prostate

Note that I am not in any way suggesting that you have prostate cancer, only that some of the
individuals on these groups have had experience with a number of prostate-related problems.

> Thank you in advance.

Best of luck, Balls

ballstoyourpartner wrote:
> Tom,
>
> Tom Burns wrote:
>
>
>>I'm scheduled to see my doctor early next week for prostate investigation. I
>>suppose he will want to do a DRE and PSA test.
>>
>>Is this sufficient to properly diagnose any problems?
>
>
> How old are you? Have you been regularly examined with DRE and PSA in the past
> and, if so, what were your PSA levels over time (PSA 'velocity')?
>
>
>>At this point I am only showing urinary indications of decreased flow. No
>>chills, fever, pain, etc. Am I correct to assume that the possible diagnosis
>>could be BHP,Acute or Chronic bacterial prostatitis, Nonbacterial prostatitis,
>>or prostate cancer?
>
>
> At this point, could be any of those things or even something else. Prostatitis
> seems to be one of those things which is diagnosed by 'exclusion', ie., by
> excluding all other causes. Even then, there doesn't seem to be much the
> urologists can do about it.
>
>
>>Lastly, are there any other symptoms I may not have noticed or related to this,
>>and what questions should I be asking my doctor.
>
>
> You might want to subscribe to the following newsgroups and letting the people
> there hear some of your questions:
>
> sci.med.prostate.prostatitis sci. med. prostate.cancer alt.
> support.cancer.prostate
>
> Note that I am not in any way suggesting that you have prostate cancer, only
> that some of the individuals on these groups have had experience with a number
> of prostate-related problems.
>
>
>>Thank you in advance.
>
>
> Best of luck, Balls
>
>

I went to a clinic as suggested. Received a DRE (much thanks) and a preliminary
diagnosis of prostatitis, for which I was prescribe some antibiotics and
something to make me urinate more (Flow-something). Seeing my doctor on Monday
for a full workup.