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Xatrol (alfuzosin) stopped working
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Nospam
Mar 1, 2014, 11:01:58 AM3/1/14
to
Hi
First post here.
Hope you guys can commiserate with me.
I'm 60 years old and have been having BPH symptoms, especially troubling
at night, for at least a decade.
I first got a prescription for Flomax from my family doctor about 10
years ago but I didn't like the sexual side effects and it didn't seem
to help that much with the BPH symptoms either.
I started looking into various supplements but they never really seemed
to help much and due to their diuretic properties often made things
worse it seemed.
Eventually my family doctor sent me to a urologist whom I've been seeing
for about 3 years now I think.
He gave me an ulrtasound and some other tests and told me that I had a
"slightly" enlarged non-cancerous prostate, a small kidney stone and
some mild prostatitis.
The stone has yet to pass.
I did a round of antibiotics for the infection.
Treatment for the BPH symptoms is still ongoing.
[Meanwhile, I hate to think what the symptoms would be for a
"significantly" enlarged prostate.]
His first try was Rapaflo, similar to Flomax.
Same issues as Flomax.
Then he put me on Avodart.
It didn't seem to help much and the retrograde ejaculation was just too
creepy.
At some point he wanted me to combine the Rapaflo and the Avodart.
And I was willing to do it even with the side effects if it would help
me to get a decent sleep at night.
But it didn't seem to help much with the symptoms.
Then I heard about Daily Use Cialis 5mg for BPH and thought it might be
worth a shot especially since it has the exact opposite effect of the
most troubling side effects of most of the other BPH meds.
And at first, it really worked.
But after a few weeks the BPH symptoms were back, as bad as ever.
About 6 months ago he put me on Xatrol, the Canadian version of
Uroxatrol, aka alfuzosin.
10 mg.
For about 3 months it seemed perfect.
I could sleep for 4 hours before having to get up to pee.
No significant side effects sexual or otherwise.
About 2 months ago I tried combining it with a lower dose of daily Use
Cialis 2.5mg, just for fun.
And whether or not that is what made the Xatrol stop working for me I
couldn't say, but it stopped working for me right around the same time.
I've stopped taking the Cilais for about a month now and the Xatrol
still isn't working anymore.
Actually, it may be working some nights to some degree but most nights
not at all.
E.g. Last night I was up to pee every freakin' hour.
The previous night it was every 3 hours or so.
I've wondered if some of the pills they give are simply not as effective
as the others due exposure or whatever but I have no way of checking.
Maybe this pharmacy I use is giving me substandard pills?
I don't know.
I'm writing here to see if anybody has had a similar experience with
alfuzosin in that it worked great for a while and then just stopped?
I'm a little worried because this seems like a trend with me.
The 5mg Cials worked great for a while too and then just stopped.
I think my urologist has run out of options and some sort of surgery
might be next for me and I have not heard good things about any of these
types of surgery.
I'll be seeing my urologist again next week but in the meantime what do
you guys think?
J
First post here.
Hope you guys can commiserate with me.
I'm 60 years old and have been having BPH symptoms, especially troubling
at night, for at least a decade.
I first got a prescription for Flomax from my family doctor about 10
years ago but I didn't like the sexual side effects and it didn't seem
to help that much with the BPH symptoms either.
I started looking into various supplements but they never really seemed
to help much and due to their diuretic properties often made things
worse it seemed.
Eventually my family doctor sent me to a urologist whom I've been seeing
for about 3 years now I think.
He gave me an ulrtasound and some other tests and told me that I had a
"slightly" enlarged non-cancerous prostate, a small kidney stone and
some mild prostatitis.
The stone has yet to pass.
I did a round of antibiotics for the infection.
Treatment for the BPH symptoms is still ongoing.
[Meanwhile, I hate to think what the symptoms would be for a
"significantly" enlarged prostate.]
His first try was Rapaflo, similar to Flomax.
Same issues as Flomax.
Then he put me on Avodart.
It didn't seem to help much and the retrograde ejaculation was just too
creepy.
At some point he wanted me to combine the Rapaflo and the Avodart.
And I was willing to do it even with the side effects if it would help
me to get a decent sleep at night.
But it didn't seem to help much with the symptoms.
Then I heard about Daily Use Cialis 5mg for BPH and thought it might be
worth a shot especially since it has the exact opposite effect of the
most troubling side effects of most of the other BPH meds.
And at first, it really worked.
But after a few weeks the BPH symptoms were back, as bad as ever.
About 6 months ago he put me on Xatrol, the Canadian version of
Uroxatrol, aka alfuzosin.
10 mg.
For about 3 months it seemed perfect.
I could sleep for 4 hours before having to get up to pee.
No significant side effects sexual or otherwise.
About 2 months ago I tried combining it with a lower dose of daily Use
Cialis 2.5mg, just for fun.
And whether or not that is what made the Xatrol stop working for me I
couldn't say, but it stopped working for me right around the same time.
I've stopped taking the Cilais for about a month now and the Xatrol
still isn't working anymore.
Actually, it may be working some nights to some degree but most nights
not at all.
E.g. Last night I was up to pee every freakin' hour.
The previous night it was every 3 hours or so.
I've wondered if some of the pills they give are simply not as effective
as the others due exposure or whatever but I have no way of checking.
Maybe this pharmacy I use is giving me substandard pills?
I don't know.
I'm writing here to see if anybody has had a similar experience with
alfuzosin in that it worked great for a while and then just stopped?
I'm a little worried because this seems like a trend with me.
The 5mg Cials worked great for a while too and then just stopped.
I think my urologist has run out of options and some sort of surgery
might be next for me and I have not heard good things about any of these
types of surgery.
I'll be seeing my urologist again next week but in the meantime what do
you guys think?
J
Ed
Mar 1, 2014, 11:43:39 PM3/1/14
to
bit, and then seem to lose whatever effectiveness they had, and then
we are stuck.
If your prostate is big and pinching off the urethra, it got that way
for a reason, and that reason will keep it growing until something
happens.
Flomax and its relatives help only a bit. They work by relaxing the
smooth muscles. The prostate keeps growing.
Avodart and finasteride don't do much for the symptoms, but slow or
stop growth of the prostate by meddling with the hormones. If you go
on this type of drug early on, then you might be able to go many years
without big trouble. But if you start later, when symptoms are already
quite bothersome, you can only freeze that condition and hopefully
keep it from getting even worse.
All of us, it seems, eventually have to face the knife or other
intervention.
Surgery carries risks, but not having surgery also can be risky,
especially if your condition is starting to affect the health of your
bladder and kidneys.
Only you can decide when to go for the next step, hopefully after wise
council with your uro.
Fortunately we have options these days and don't have to die of the
condition as US President Jefferson and many others did.
Ed
Nospam
Mar 2, 2014, 6:04:40 AM3/2/14
to
On 2014-03-01, 11:43 PM, Ed wrote:
> On Sat, 01 Mar 2014 11:01:58 -0500, Nospam <nos...@nowhere.net> wrote:
Not exactly the cheery support I was hoping for. lol
> On Sat, 01 Mar 2014 11:01:58 -0500, Nospam <nos...@nowhere.net> wrote:
But thanks for contributing and thanks for the straight talk.
> We all seem to go through the same routine -- we try meds, they work a
> bit, and then seem to lose whatever effectiveness they had, and then
> we are stuck.
My urologist has yet to describe it as such.
> If your prostate is big and pinching off the urethra, it got that way
> for a reason, and that reason will keep it growing until something
> happens.
But it's obviously "big" enough to be causing me big enough problems.
> Flomax and its relatives help only a bit. They work by relaxing the
> smooth muscles. The prostate keeps growing.
>
> Avodart and finasteride don't do much for the symptoms, but slow or
> stop growth of the prostate by meddling with the hormones. If you go
> on this type of drug early on, then you might be able to go many years
> without big trouble. But if you start later, when symptoms are already
> quite bothersome, you can only freeze that condition and hopefully
> keep it from getting even worse.
Avodart to me that way.
I wish he had because I might have been more willing to stay on it when
he put me on it a few years ago.
> All of us, it seems, eventually have to face the knife or other
> intervention.
basic human denial and based on that I'm only 60, I hope it's still a
bit early for that.
But it does seem to be going that way.
> Surgery carries risks, but not having surgery also can be risky,
> especially if your condition is starting to affect the health of your
> bladder and kidneys.
I just need some sleep.
> Only you can decide when to go for the next step, hopefully after wise
> council with your uro.
(Thought it was next week.)
But I might have to make it sooner.
> Fortunately we have options these days and don't have to die of the
> condition as US President Jefferson and many others did.
Ed
Mar 2, 2014, 11:57:12 AM3/2/14
to
On Sun, 02 Mar 2014 06:04:40 -0500, Nospam <nos...@nowhere.net> wrote:
>On 2014-03-01, 11:43 PM, Ed wrote:
>> On Sat, 01 Mar 2014 11:01:58 -0500, Nospam <nos...@nowhere.net> wrote:
>
>Not exactly the cheery support I was hoping for. lol
>But thanks for contributing and thanks for the straight talk.
>
>On 2014-03-01, 11:43 PM, Ed wrote:
>> On Sat, 01 Mar 2014 11:01:58 -0500, Nospam <nos...@nowhere.net> wrote:
>
>Not exactly the cheery support I was hoping for. lol
>But thanks for contributing and thanks for the straight talk.
>
>> Surgery carries risks, but not having surgery also can be risky,
>> especially if your condition is starting to affect the health of your
>> bladder and kidneys.
>
>I don't know about my bladder and kidneys.
>I just need some sleep.
If your prostate is obstructing flow, then the bladder exerts more
>> especially if your condition is starting to affect the health of your
>> bladder and kidneys.
>
>I don't know about my bladder and kidneys.
>I just need some sleep.
pressure to eliminate the urine. Pee doesn't just fall out. The
muscles of the bladder force it out. With the urethra being pinched
all the time, the bladder walls become more muscular to cope. But too
much pressure stresses the kidneys. After years of this, it can cause
harm.
There is also the risk of acute urinary retention (prostate completely
blocks flow). That is a medical emergency. You need to get unplugged
by catheterization, usually done at the emergency department. When you
can't pee and excessive urine volume builds up in the bladder,
stretching the walls beyond what they were designed for, that can
cause permanent damage to the bladder.
>> Fortunately we have options these days and don't have to die of the
>> condition as US President Jefferson and many others did.
>
>How does one die from BPH?
get backed up, waste products accumulate in your body, and you die of
uremic poisoning.
It helps to be informed! That way you can ask your uro the right
questions. Your docs are a resource. You still have to make the
decisions yourself. The more you know, the better your decisions are
likely to be.
Ed
Joey Goldstein
Mar 2, 2014, 1:17:40 PM3/2/14
to
still don't think I'm quite there yet as far some of your more
depressing scenarios are concerned.
Or at least I hope not. lol
Thanks again for your input.
Just wondering...
Are you a urologist or just an experienced BPH sufferer?
--
Joey Goldstein
<http://www.joeygoldstein.com>
<http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/JoeyGoldstein>
<https://www.facebook.com/JoeyGoldsteinMusic>
Nospam
Mar 2, 2014, 1:18:41 PM3/2/14
to
On 2014-03-02, 11:57 AM, Ed wrote:
Ed
Mar 2, 2014, 5:38:55 PM3/2/14
to
things along the way.
BPH is something that can be managed satisfactorily with modern
medicine, but not always the way we want.
After much hand-wringing, I decided for a TURP around 5 years ago. It
was not that easy of a TURP because I had a big prostate, so did
experience some bleeding. Still, I went home after one or two nights
(can't remember which). Now I can pee over the back fence. The
symptoms have not returned (but I am continuing with Proscar to slow
growth).
Have you looked at factors you can manage yourself, to help symptoms?
Cut back on liquids in the evening, especially beer. Some people find
coffee aggravates symptoms. For me, dark chocolate was especially bad.
Ed
Nospam
Mar 3, 2014, 1:04:38 AM3/3/14
to
On 2014-03-02, 5:38 PM, Ed wrote:
So much for the anonymity I was trying to achieve in this newsgroup.
D'oh.
I've had BPH symptoms for at least 10 years now but it's never been as
problematic as it's become recently.
Tried managing it just with various supplements but never had much luck.
About 6 years ago my family doctor gave me a prescription for Flomax but
it didn't seem to help all that much, as I recall, and I didn't like the
sexual side effects.
But I didn't really give it much of a chance to be honest.
So I kept trying to mange things with supplements and watching what I eat.
[I only recently discovered though that caffeine is a big trigger for me.
I only have one cup of coffee with caffeine in the morning.
Any other coffee I drink is decaf.]
About 2 years ago now I started seeing a urologist.
He started me on Rapaflo, then Avodart, then Rapaflo with Avodart together.
As I recall that combo might have given me some relief, but again the
creepy sexual side effects.
And I had this (misplaced I guess) pride about not wanting to be on
these meds for the rest of my life. Etc.
But then the Cialis Daily Use For BPH ads started showing up on TV and I
got him to prescribe that.
It seemed to work and the extra benefit of the boners was great.
But it only worked for a few months and then i was up every hour to pee
again at night.
Started on Xatrol about 5 months ago and it was great for about 3.5 months.
But now I'm up every hour again.
I'm going to try mixing the Xatrol up with some supplements over the
next couple of weeks to see if it helps at all before I see my uro on
the 21st.
The supplement has beta sitosterol and nettle root and I'm hoping it
might help to reduce the size of the prostate a bit while the Xatrol
relaxes the tubes etc. I plan on taking some pretty high doses of the
supplement to give me about 400mg a day of the beta sitosterol.
But I know it's just wishful thinking.
If I don't get a decent night's sleep soon I'll call the uro for an
earlier appointment.
I do try to not drink much water at night and don't drink much beer or
other booze either.
But I've also got this weird problem that surfaces fairly regularly with
leg cramps at night.
They seem to be triggered when I get the urge to pee and it also seems
to be related to dehydration.
So it's a bit of a Catch-22 for me.
I think black pepper is a big trigger for me too, but I still tend to
over use it.
I might try replacing the Xatrol with Flomax just to see if there's any
difference.
I'm guessing that the next thing the urologist and I will try is the
Rapaflo + Avodart again.
Maybe that plus some Cialis to stave off the ED.
But I'll probably be fainting all the time from the low blood pressure.
If none of that works then I guess it'll be some sort of an operation
next and I REALLY don't look forward to any of that.
This is such a major drag.
> On Sun, 02 Mar 2014 13:17:40 -0500,
> <nos...@nowhere.net> wrote:
>> Just wondering...
>> Are you a urologist or just an experienced BPH sufferer?
>
> Not a uro, but have had BPH for 15 years... and have learned a few
> things along the way.
>
> BPH is something that can be managed satisfactorily with modern
> medicine, but not always the way we want.
>
> After much hand-wringing, I decided for a TURP around 5 years ago. It
> was not that easy of a TURP because I had a big prostate, so did
> experience some bleeding. Still, I went home after one or two nights
> (can't remember which). Now I can pee over the back fence. The
> symptoms have not returned (but I am continuing with Proscar to slow
> growth).
>
> Have you looked at factors you can manage yourself, to help symptoms?
> Cut back on liquids in the evening, especially beer. Some people find
> coffee aggravates symptoms. For me, dark chocolate was especially bad.
> Ed
>
First off...
> <nos...@nowhere.net> wrote:
>> Just wondering...
>> Are you a urologist or just an experienced BPH sufferer?
>
> Not a uro, but have had BPH for 15 years... and have learned a few
> things along the way.
>
> BPH is something that can be managed satisfactorily with modern
> medicine, but not always the way we want.
>
> After much hand-wringing, I decided for a TURP around 5 years ago. It
> was not that easy of a TURP because I had a big prostate, so did
> experience some bleeding. Still, I went home after one or two nights
> (can't remember which). Now I can pee over the back fence. The
> symptoms have not returned (but I am continuing with Proscar to slow
> growth).
>
> Have you looked at factors you can manage yourself, to help symptoms?
> Cut back on liquids in the evening, especially beer. Some people find
> coffee aggravates symptoms. For me, dark chocolate was especially bad.
> Ed
>
So much for the anonymity I was trying to achieve in this newsgroup.
D'oh.
I've had BPH symptoms for at least 10 years now but it's never been as
problematic as it's become recently.
Tried managing it just with various supplements but never had much luck.
About 6 years ago my family doctor gave me a prescription for Flomax but
it didn't seem to help all that much, as I recall, and I didn't like the
sexual side effects.
But I didn't really give it much of a chance to be honest.
So I kept trying to mange things with supplements and watching what I eat.
[I only recently discovered though that caffeine is a big trigger for me.
I only have one cup of coffee with caffeine in the morning.
Any other coffee I drink is decaf.]
About 2 years ago now I started seeing a urologist.
He started me on Rapaflo, then Avodart, then Rapaflo with Avodart together.
As I recall that combo might have given me some relief, but again the
creepy sexual side effects.
And I had this (misplaced I guess) pride about not wanting to be on
these meds for the rest of my life. Etc.
But then the Cialis Daily Use For BPH ads started showing up on TV and I
got him to prescribe that.
It seemed to work and the extra benefit of the boners was great.
But it only worked for a few months and then i was up every hour to pee
again at night.
Started on Xatrol about 5 months ago and it was great for about 3.5 months.
But now I'm up every hour again.
I'm going to try mixing the Xatrol up with some supplements over the
next couple of weeks to see if it helps at all before I see my uro on
the 21st.
The supplement has beta sitosterol and nettle root and I'm hoping it
might help to reduce the size of the prostate a bit while the Xatrol
relaxes the tubes etc. I plan on taking some pretty high doses of the
supplement to give me about 400mg a day of the beta sitosterol.
But I know it's just wishful thinking.
If I don't get a decent night's sleep soon I'll call the uro for an
earlier appointment.
I do try to not drink much water at night and don't drink much beer or
other booze either.
But I've also got this weird problem that surfaces fairly regularly with
leg cramps at night.
They seem to be triggered when I get the urge to pee and it also seems
to be related to dehydration.
So it's a bit of a Catch-22 for me.
I think black pepper is a big trigger for me too, but I still tend to
over use it.
I might try replacing the Xatrol with Flomax just to see if there's any
difference.
I'm guessing that the next thing the urologist and I will try is the
Rapaflo + Avodart again.
Maybe that plus some Cialis to stave off the ED.
But I'll probably be fainting all the time from the low blood pressure.
If none of that works then I guess it'll be some sort of an operation
next and I REALLY don't look forward to any of that.
This is such a major drag.
Ed
Mar 3, 2014, 12:06:10 PM3/3/14
to
At least it is a natural thing, and it is common. You have a lot of
company.
I too put in a lot of effort learning how to live with the condition
trying to avoid surgery. Even learned intermittent
self-catheterization. These tricks worked fairly well for a while, but
eventually I gave in. As suggested, I started to get worried about
effects on other organs.
Drugs like Flomax and Avodart take a lot of time for their effects to
be apparent. Some patience is needed. Still, at best, the relief is
modest.
Work with your uro to find the best solution for you. Best of luck.
Ed
Nospam
Mar 3, 2014, 12:23:58 PM3/3/14
to
On 2014-03-03, 12:06 PM, Ed wrote:
>
> It's no fun, that's for sure.
>
> At least it is a natural thing, and it is common. You have a lot of
> company.
>
> I too put in a lot of effort learning how to live with the condition
> trying to avoid surgery. Even learned intermittent
> self-catheterization. These tricks worked fairly well for a while, but
> eventually I gave in. As suggested, I started to get worried about
> effects on other organs.
>
> Drugs like Flomax and Avodart take a lot of time for their effects to
> be apparent. Some patience is needed. Still, at best, the relief is
> modest.
>
> Work with your uro to find the best solution for you. Best of luck.
>
> Ed
>
>
> It's no fun, that's for sure.
>
> At least it is a natural thing, and it is common. You have a lot of
> company.
>
> I too put in a lot of effort learning how to live with the condition
> trying to avoid surgery. Even learned intermittent
> self-catheterization. These tricks worked fairly well for a while, but
> eventually I gave in. As suggested, I started to get worried about
> effects on other organs.
>
> Drugs like Flomax and Avodart take a lot of time for their effects to
> be apparent. Some patience is needed. Still, at best, the relief is
> modest.
>
> Work with your uro to find the best solution for you. Best of luck.
>
> Ed
>
Thanks again for your input.
I may keep posting about my "progress" on this newsgroup.
Not sure yet.
It's more than a little bit weird talking about this kind of stuff in a
public forum.
FWIW
After adding the supplements yesterday to my daily Xatrol meds I
actually had a reasonably good night's sleep.
Three hours before my 1st pee and then about 2 hours between all the others.
I actually got around 8 hours sleep for a change.
Very often, when I'm up every hour to pee, I get so frustrated after the
4th or 5th time that I can't get back to sleep.
This supplement does seem to have a real strong diuretic effect though
and it seems to make me pee a lot more during the day, yet it seems to
help at night.
I kinda wonder why that is, but my main concern right now is being to
able to sleep.
The formula I'm taking now is this one:
<http://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-prostate-formula-with-selenium-saw-palmetto>
I'm taking the recommended dose of 2 tablets but I'm doing it now twice
a day.
I'm thinking of switching to this one though because it's got even more
of the phytosterols, stinging nettle and pygeum etc.
<http://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-prostaheart-dual-action-mens-formula>
Ed
Mar 3, 2014, 10:19:41 PM3/3/14
to
Yes, please let us know what happens. It is good to share experiences
with others who have similar problems.
Ed
Ed
Mar 3, 2014, 11:27:13 PM3/3/14
to
On Mon, 03 Mar 2014 12:23:58 -0500, Nospam <nos...@nowhere.net> wrote:
>FWIW
>After adding the supplements yesterday to my daily Xatrol meds I
>actually had a reasonably good night's sleep.
>FWIW
>After adding the supplements yesterday to my daily Xatrol meds I
>actually had a reasonably good night's sleep.
>This supplement does seem to have a real strong diuretic effect though
>and it seems to make me pee a lot more during the day, yet it seems to
>help at night.
>I kinda wonder why that is, but my main concern right now is being to
>able to sleep.
I don't know about your supplements, but I believe diuretics will make
>and it seems to make me pee a lot more during the day, yet it seems to
>help at night.
>I kinda wonder why that is, but my main concern right now is being to
>able to sleep.
you pee, and after that has taken place, leave your body drier than
before. You won't pee as much if your body is drier.
Here is another thought. Some folks have edema. For instance, the legs
swell because fluid accumulates in the legs. When you lie down to go
to sleep, the blood pressure in the legs is less, the swelling
subsides, and the body absorbs the fluid. Then the body expels the
fluid as urine, and you pee all night.
So if you have swollen legs, try compression stockings to reduce
swelling. I think I've heard that exercise before retiring can also
help.
Ed
RickMerrill
Mar 6, 2014, 2:56:45 PM3/6/14
to
take it 12 hours before the symptoms appear to be the most objectionable.
I currently take half a 10mg tadalafil and a alfuzosin and half a finasteride before breakfast.
Nospam
Mar 6, 2014, 4:20:38 PM3/6/14
to
On 2014-03-06, 2:56 PM, RickMerrill wrote:
> If
> you take one a day something, you should
> take it 12 hours before the symptoms appear to be the most objectionable.
Hmm.
> If
> you take one a day something, you should
> take it 12 hours before the symptoms appear to be the most objectionable.
Maybe I'll try that sometime.
The worst for me is at night and since I'm generally going to sleep now
around 1am I'll have to try taking my Xatrol after lunch rather than
after dinner which is what I've been doing.
Are you basing this tip off of anything scientific?
Or is it just a hunch possibly backed up by your own experience?
RickMerrill
Mar 8, 2014, 12:07:54 PM3/8/14
to
at the 12 hour point. Ask your druggist for more accurate information on timing.
I found taking pills at lunchtime to relieve nighttime symptoms better, BUT it also led to more forgetting!
Derek F
Mar 16, 2014, 4:15:10 PM3/16/14
to
>> bladder and kidneys.
>> Fortunately we have options these days and don't have to die of the
>> condition as US President Jefferson and many others did.
>
> How does one die from BPH?
Uremic syndrome (uremia) is a serious complication of chronic kidney
disease and acute renal failure. It occurs when urea and other waste
products build up in the body because the kidneys are unable to
eliminate them. These substances can become toxic to the body if they
reach high levels.
British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan resigned when misdiagnosed with
prostate cancer in 1963. Macmillan lived out a long retirement until
1986 when he died at 92.
Derek
Derek F
Mar 16, 2014, 5:26:46 PM3/16/14
to
>
> If none of that works then I guess it'll be some sort of an operation
> next and I REALLY don't look forward to any of that.
>
> This is such a major drag.
would not because it is a messy procedure with many possible unwanted
outcomes.
Older readers of this group know of my subsequent history.
I knew that laser surgery was being developed and read here of the
excellent results of PVP. It was a long wait for it to get to the UK and
hard to get an NHS referral to a hospital doing it.I eventually had PVP
on my 75cc prostate in June 2005 and recovery was rapid.
The flow was not as good as I had expected but retention and urgency had
gone. Unfortunately it it did not do as much as hoped for during the
night and I was still up twice but that was better than four.
Gradually my prostate grew again but only some of the symptoms returned.
Eventually my prostate reached 130cc and I again needed surgery last
year. By then three laser procedures were available and I had the choice
of PVP that my local surgeon was totally against and called it just a
commercial procedure and the reason that I again needed surgery. That
left me with HoLep and Thulium laser options.
I had Thulium laser at the end of May last year. With PVP the benefit
was practically instant. With Thulium the full recovery took about three
months but was slowed down by a catheter acquired infection.
Once again no urgency, no retention but only a reasonable flow at first
that has gradually improved and of course the expected retro.
I would probably sleep through most nights now but I have developed
atrial fibrillation and side effect of the drugs for that while I wait
for cardioversion cause disturbed sleep and joint pain that stops me
getting easily to sleep.
Derek
Derek F
Mar 16, 2014, 5:33:33 PM3/16/14
to
On 03/03/2014 17:23, Nospam wrote:
> On 2014-03-03, 12:06 PM, Ed wrote:
>>
>> It's no fun, that's for sure.
>>
>> At least it is a natural thing, and it is common. You have a lot of
>> company.
>>
>> I too put in a lot of effort learning how to live with the condition
>> trying to avoid surgery. Even learned intermittent
>> self-catheterization. These tricks worked fairly well for a while, but
>> eventually I gave in. As suggested, I started to get worried about
>> effects on other organs.
>>
>> Drugs like Flomax and Avodart take a lot of time for their effects to
>> be apparent. Some patience is needed. Still, at best, the relief is
>> modest.
>>
>> Work with your uro to find the best solution for you. Best of luck.
>>
>> Ed
>>
>
> Thanks again for your input.
> I may keep posting about my "progress" on this newsgroup.
> Not sure yet.
> It's more than a little bit weird talking about this kind of stuff in a
> public forum.
>
Many of us have been doing it for years hoping that our experience will
> On 2014-03-03, 12:06 PM, Ed wrote:
>>
>> It's no fun, that's for sure.
>>
>> At least it is a natural thing, and it is common. You have a lot of
>> company.
>>
>> I too put in a lot of effort learning how to live with the condition
>> trying to avoid surgery. Even learned intermittent
>> self-catheterization. These tricks worked fairly well for a while, but
>> eventually I gave in. As suggested, I started to get worried about
>> effects on other organs.
>>
>> Drugs like Flomax and Avodart take a lot of time for their effects to
>> be apparent. Some patience is needed. Still, at best, the relief is
>> modest.
>>
>> Work with your uro to find the best solution for you. Best of luck.
>>
>> Ed
>>
>
> Thanks again for your input.
> I may keep posting about my "progress" on this newsgroup.
> Not sure yet.
> It's more than a little bit weird talking about this kind of stuff in a
> public forum.
>
help others.
> FWIW
> After adding the supplements yesterday to my daily Xatrol meds I
> actually had a reasonably good night's sleep.
> Three hours before my 1st pee and then about 2 hours between all the
> others.
> I actually got around 8 hours sleep for a change.
> Very often, when I'm up every hour to pee, I get so frustrated after the
> 4th or 5th time that I can't get back to sleep.
> This supplement does seem to have a real strong diuretic effect though
> and it seems to make me pee a lot more during the day, yet it seems to
> help at night.
> I kinda wonder why that is, but my main concern right now is being to
> able to sleep.
>
> The formula I'm taking now is this one:
> <http://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-prostate-formula-with-selenium-saw-palmetto>
>
> I'm taking the recommended dose of 2 tablets but I'm doing it now twice
> a day.
>
> I'm thinking of switching to this one though because it's got even more
> of the phytosterols, stinging nettle and pygeum etc.
> <http://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-prostaheart-dual-action-mens-formula>
prostate from growing but relieved some symptoms.
The drugs all gave me problems. The first alpha blocker put my heart
rate through the roof. The second one caused sexual and eye problems and
another had me starting to grow breasts.
Derek
Nospam
Mar 22, 2014, 7:40:12 PM3/22/14
to
So is there any reason to think that going back to either Flomax or
Rapaflo would be any better at relieving my BPH symptoms than the Xatrol
currently is doing?
As I think I said in my OP, I've tried both these drugs before but
because of the sexual side effects I didn't really give them much of a
chance.
In the short time that I took these drugs though I did not see any real
symptomatic improvement, unlike with Xatrol (Alfuzosin) which seemed
like magic right from the first night.
[Rapaflo is supposed to work really quickly too but it didn't seem that
way to me.
When I was on Rapaflo I was alsp taking Avodart.
But as I say below I didn't give that regimen much of a chance.]
But the Xatrol just stop working after a few months and hasn't started
back again even though I've continued to take it.
I'll be seeing my uro on Tuesday but do any of you know if the dose of
Xatrol can be increased?
My current prescription is for 10mg.
Also, the main consensus here, mostly from Ed, seems to be that the
reason the Xatrol probably stopped working for me is that my prostate
has increased in size since I first started taking it.
Does anybody have any other suggestions as to why it might have stopped
working or does that seem about right?
Could it have been a change in diet?
Which I kind of did.
I went back on a very low carb diet right around the time that the
Xatrol stopped working.
I have no desire to go on Avodart again but it seems to be the only drug
besides Proscar that actually shrinks the size of the prostate.
But I was taking various supplements purporting to shrink the prostate
right up until the time I started seeing this uro back in 2012 and then
I basically put myself in his hands and went off the supplements.
I'm back on the supplements again lately hoping that they might make an
improvement but they take at least a month to kick in.
I intend to use them in addition to the alpha-blockers.
Any comments about any of this are welcome.
Rapaflo would be any better at relieving my BPH symptoms than the Xatrol
currently is doing?
As I think I said in my OP, I've tried both these drugs before but
because of the sexual side effects I didn't really give them much of a
chance.
In the short time that I took these drugs though I did not see any real
symptomatic improvement, unlike with Xatrol (Alfuzosin) which seemed
like magic right from the first night.
[Rapaflo is supposed to work really quickly too but it didn't seem that
way to me.
When I was on Rapaflo I was alsp taking Avodart.
But as I say below I didn't give that regimen much of a chance.]
But the Xatrol just stop working after a few months and hasn't started
back again even though I've continued to take it.
I'll be seeing my uro on Tuesday but do any of you know if the dose of
Xatrol can be increased?
My current prescription is for 10mg.
Also, the main consensus here, mostly from Ed, seems to be that the
reason the Xatrol probably stopped working for me is that my prostate
has increased in size since I first started taking it.
Does anybody have any other suggestions as to why it might have stopped
working or does that seem about right?
Could it have been a change in diet?
Which I kind of did.
I went back on a very low carb diet right around the time that the
Xatrol stopped working.
I have no desire to go on Avodart again but it seems to be the only drug
besides Proscar that actually shrinks the size of the prostate.
But I was taking various supplements purporting to shrink the prostate
right up until the time I started seeing this uro back in 2012 and then
I basically put myself in his hands and went off the supplements.
I'm back on the supplements again lately hoping that they might make an
improvement but they take at least a month to kick in.
I intend to use them in addition to the alpha-blockers.
Any comments about any of this are welcome.
Nospam
Jul 16, 2014, 9:16:27 AM7/16/14
to
On 2014-03-22, 7:40 PM, Nospam wrote:
>
> I have no desire to go on Avodart again but it seems to be the only drug
> besides Proscar that actually shrinks the size of the prostate.
> But I was taking various supplements purporting to shrink the prostate
> right up until the time I started seeing this uro back in 2012 and then
> I basically put myself in his hands and went off the supplements.
> I'm back on the supplements again lately hoping that they might make an
> improvement but they take at least a month to kick in.
> I intend to use them in addition to the alpha-blockers.
FWIW
>
> I have no desire to go on Avodart again but it seems to be the only drug
> besides Proscar that actually shrinks the size of the prostate.
> But I was taking various supplements purporting to shrink the prostate
> right up until the time I started seeing this uro back in 2012 and then
> I basically put myself in his hands and went off the supplements.
> I'm back on the supplements again lately hoping that they might make an
> improvement but they take at least a month to kick in.
> I intend to use them in addition to the alpha-blockers.
The combination of supplements and prescriptions that I've been taking
since then does seem to be helping my symptoms quite a bit.
Along with the supplements, that I'll detail below, I've been on Cialis
5mg daily since then (late March) which is when I went off the Alfuzosin.
My uro also had me try Vesicare but it didn't really seem to be helping
all that much so I'm not taking it currently.
As far as supplements, I've been taking largish doses of pretty much
every substance known to man that is purported to or rumoured to have
any positive affect on BPH symptoms.
Saw Palmetto extract
Beta-sitosterol
Pygeum Extract
Selenium
Zinc
Lycopene
Pumpkin Seed oil
etc.
I also tried some Rye Pollen extract for a while but I'm not using it
currently.
The actual products are:
�
<http://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-prostate-formula-with-selenium-saw-palmetto-60-capsules>
I was taking a double dose of these at first (4 per day) but am down to
the suggested dose (2 per day) and it still seems to be working.
�
<http://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-phytosterol-complex-with-beta-sitosterol>
Although the Prostate Formula also has beta-sitosterol, I've been taking
these as well.
I was taking a double dose but now it's one a day.
This stuff is also supposed to be good for healthy cholesterol levels.
� <http://www.vitacost.com/planetary-herbals-full-spectrum-pumpkin-seed-oil>
I'm taking 2 per day.
When I started on this regimen (while on the Alfuzosin alone) I was
getting up to pee every hour.
Nowadays I regularly have 3 to 5 hour long periods of pee-free sleep.
Last night I was up 3 times to pee over the 8 hours of sleep I got.
The night before was only twice.
Three times a night seems to be my current average.
Urinary urges during the day are also much better.
I had been reading so much negative stuff lately about the lack of
efficacy of prostate supplements, especially saw palmetto, that I really
didn't think that this regimen was going to work at all and that I'd be
booking myself for a TURP soon.
I'm so happy that that doesn't seem to be the case.
It took about 2.5 months though before I really started seeing positive
effects.
Don't give up after a few weeks.
RickMerrill
Jul 20, 2014, 8:40:25 PM7/20/14
to
I have really good releaf with 5mg tadalafil (a.k.a. cialis)
plus alfuzosin (generic) and centrum silver.
I really would advise you to stop taking all those "supplements"
as their potency is often variable (!) and effectiveness uncertain.
Plus, they can interfere with the alpha-blocker etc.
plus alfuzosin (generic) and centrum silver.
I really would advise you to stop taking all those "supplements"
as their potency is often variable (!) and effectiveness uncertain.
Plus, they can interfere with the alpha-blocker etc.
Maurice
Jul 21, 2014, 7:56:01 AM7/21/14
to
On Sun, 20 Jul 2014 20:40:25 -0400, RickMerrill wrote:
> 5mg tadalafil (a.k.a. cialis)
Expensive stuff?!
--
/\/\aurice
(Replace "nomail.afraid" by "bcs" to reply by email)
> 5mg tadalafil (a.k.a. cialis)
Expensive stuff?!
--
/\/\aurice
(Replace "nomail.afraid" by "bcs" to reply by email)
Nospam
Jul 21, 2014, 8:29:52 PM7/21/14
to
I won't stop taking the supplements unless they stop helping my symptoms.
If you've read any of my posts you should see that it's likely that it's
the supplements that are relieving my symptoms rather than the Cialis.
In fact my next experiment is to stop taking the Cialis and see what
happens.
Be careful mixing Cialis and alfuzosin.
That combination can cause low blood pressure and fainting.
Nospam
Jul 21, 2014, 8:30:25 PM7/21/14
to
On 2014-07-21, 7:56 AM, Maurice wrote:
> On Sun, 20 Jul 2014 20:40:25 -0400, RickMerrill wrote:
>
>> 5mg tadalafil (a.k.a. cialis)
>
> Expensive stuff?!
>
My insurance pays for most of it.
> On Sun, 20 Jul 2014 20:40:25 -0400, RickMerrill wrote:
>
>> 5mg tadalafil (a.k.a. cialis)
>
> Expensive stuff?!
>
RickMerrill
Jul 26, 2014, 8:11:32 AM7/26/14
to
On 7/21/2014 7:56 AM, Maurice wrote:
> On Sun, 20 Jul 2014 20:40:25 -0400, RickMerrill wrote:
>
>> 5mg tadalafil (a.k.a. cialis)
>
> Expensive stuff?!
>
You can get 1 month free from the maker of Cialis.
> On Sun, 20 Jul 2014 20:40:25 -0400, RickMerrill wrote:
>
>> 5mg tadalafil (a.k.a. cialis)
>
> Expensive stuff?!
>
You can get tadalista via Canada, made in India cheeper.
You can get Rx for 10mg and split 'em.
:-)
RickMerrill
Jul 26, 2014, 8:18:01 AM7/26/14
to
On 7/21/2014 8:29 PM, Nospam wrote:
> On 2014-07-20, 8:40 PM, RickMerrill wrote:
>> I have really good releaf with 5mg tadalafil (a.k.a. cialis)
>> plus alfuzosin (generic) and centrum silver.
>>
>> I really would advise you to stop taking all those "supplements"
>> as their potency is often variable (!) and effectiveness uncertain.
>> Plus, they can interfere with the alpha-blocker etc.
>
> I'm not taking any alpha-blockers at the moment.
>
> I won't stop taking the supplements unless they stop helping my symptoms.
Of course you won't. And you are probably selective enough to be buying the best and
> On 2014-07-20, 8:40 PM, RickMerrill wrote:
>> I have really good releaf with 5mg tadalafil (a.k.a. cialis)
>> plus alfuzosin (generic) and centrum silver.
>>
>> I really would advise you to stop taking all those "supplements"
>> as their potency is often variable (!) and effectiveness uncertain.
>> Plus, they can interfere with the alpha-blocker etc.
>
> I'm not taking any alpha-blockers at the moment.
>
> I won't stop taking the supplements unless they stop helping my symptoms.
most consistent content.
> If you've read any of my posts you should see that it's likely that it's the supplements that are relieving my symptoms
> rather than the Cialis.
> In fact my next experiment is to stop taking the Cialis and see what happens.
> Be careful mixing Cialis and alfuzosin.
> That combination can cause low blood pressure and fainting.
Nospam
Oct 8, 2014, 2:56:32 PM10/8/14
to
The supplements + Cialis 5mg regimen just seemed to stop working around
a month and a half ago.
I'm back to waking up every hour (or hour and a half if I'm lucky) to pee.
I got a pretty good 3 months out that regimen though, only waking up 2
or 3 times a night.
So I started taking Avodart on Sept 11 because I figured that I really
hadn't been doing anything to actually shrink my prostate's size and
that it was probably overdue to start doing something like that.
I understand that it can take up to 3 months before I'll get any sort of
symptomatic relief from the Avodart though.
Then I stopped the Cialis about a week later, waited about 4 days and
then started on Alfuzosin again.
The alfuzosin actually made it noticeably worse.
Usually I'm not too bad during the daytime but on the alfuzosin it was
miserable.
So I'm back on Cialis as of Sept 29.
It's still not helping much with the BPH symptoms but at least the
sexual side effects of the Avodart are well mitigated.
So all my hopes right now are on the Avodart eventually reducing my
symptoms.
Otherwise I'll have to get some sort of an operation because I can't
keep going on like this.
I'm still taking all the supplements though even though they're probably
useless.
And although I don't have a number for my prostate's size, my urologist
tells me it's only slightly enlarged.
It's hard to understand how shrinking its size will help my symptoms.
I next see him again in January but might have to do that earlier if
this keeps up.
Oh well.
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