r/bph

It's maybe too early to say what the long term result will be, but I thought I'd share my initial experience since I don't see many posts about TUIP. My back story is that I've has difficulty urinating for years now, and bad nocturia for the last two. It got to the point where I was waking up 5-6 times a night, and only getting a few hours of sleep at a stretch. My prostate was too small to recommend Holep or even TURP, so my urologist recommended Trans-urethral Incision of the Prostate. Two little cuts near the bladder neck to relieve any pressure or blockage.

I went in for the procedure at 8:30 Monday morning and was back home by 11am. It was general anesthesia, so I don't remember any of it (not how I got dressed afterward, not how I got in the house - that whole couple of hours is missing). Fortunately nothing really hurt, aside from the catheter that I had to wear until this morning. It was only in for 24 hours, so really not a long time. I don't know how any can walk with those things for an extended period of time, because it stung like a bitch.

I've been drinking liters of water, walking more today, and I'm peeing better than I can ever remember. There were a few blood clots that came out the first time I went after the cath was removed, but they passed quickly and didn't hurt much.

Now it's at least two weeks of recovery, so no intense exercise, and no sex for a few weeks until there's no more blood in the urine. I'll probably wait a little even after that, just to give the prostate time to be definitely healed.

Tonight will be the real test of how well I sleep. Hoping to only wake once or twice. I know that eventually I may need a bigger procedure like Holep (and maybe PAE will be more widely available then, too - it sounds so easy, but very few radiologists in my area do it and it's not currently covered by my insurance unless I had an extremely enlarged prostate). The doctor said this should fix the problem for 10-15 years, so we'll also see how that goes.

Absolutely no regrets, and this should help me get off of the tamsulosin, which is a nice bonus. We'll see what the longevity is like, but as of right now I would totally recommend it to men who are having similar troubles or who have prostates that are too small for other procedures.

Yesterday I had the hoLEP. If you seen my previous posts and responses, my prostate was enlarged but not enough to justify the procedure alone. But the symptoms I had afforded my urologist enough information (all the testing) to do hoLEP and he found my bladder neck to be very tight and did what he could to give me relief.

I have a catheter and I have my follow up today at 1130, but here is the question, how can I survive any longer with this constant feeling of having to pee with this in? I can see my bag filling up, very orange (medicine) but I didn’t sleep, I can only lay on my back, but because I have chronic back pain, I can do this in 10 minute intervals. Does anyone have an at home remedy that can help? I won’t do it but I’ve thought about yanking it out. I called me doctor yesterday, he assured me it’s normal and I believe him, but my stubbornness is getting the best of me.

Also, anyone who has had hoLEP, how did you travel after? Unfortunately, I have a family emergency, and must travel 4 hours away, today, to possibly go say bye to a loved one (mom) as she herself was rushed into surgery/ICU yesterday but here I am not there. What do I need to take, leak pads, adult diapers, towels clothes?

Around the end of 2020, my prostate took a turn for the worse. Before that, I was having a lot of typical symptoms like needing to urinate frequently and getting up in the middle of the night. But in 2020, I started getting fevers.

With a urologist, I confirmed that the fevers were a result of urinary tract infections, caused by my prostate expanding. My first ultrasound exam showed my prostate was at about 40cc, then a year later, it went up to about 50cc. The fevers seemed to be increasing in frequency, as well as the day to day symptoms getting slightly worse.

I started to look into ways to deal with this, and both by talking with my doctor and looking up information online, it seemed that there were only two options available, surgery or medicine. And both had potential side effects and limitations.

I really want to emphasize that as far as I could tell, surgery and medicine were the only options I could see anyone talking about with any kind of credibility. I've seen a handful of different urologists, and they all said the same thing. Surgery or medicine.

Around May of 2024, though, without going into all the details of what led me to it, I had an idea that some kind of massage treatment might work, and I developed my own approach to it.

By six months later, although my prostate had continued to increase up to 60cc, all my day to day symptoms had disappeared. Frequency was way down, and I could sleep through the night.

Then, at about two years after I started my treatment, my prostate had gone down to 30cc.

I made this chart showing my prostate size change over time, as well as marking out when I had the fevers, and when I started doing my treatment:

https://preview.redd.it/jzi9cpzmcqbh1.png?width=651&format=png&auto=webp&s=8696c2d11fbf50a496f44cbff15281e57f19de3b

So, I thought I had discovered something potentially new and exciting. A non invasive, non medicinal way to reverse BPH.

I confirmed my prostate size was definitely smaller now with an MRI, then I went to my urologist, and I told him all about the massage that I was doing, expecting his mind to be blown. Everything I read online and had heard from doctors was that BPH was simply not reversible.

But, my doctor didn't seem to react much at all. He wasn't skeptical or even particularly surprised. He just said it was good that my prostate was down, and that he had heard that maybe in other countries they might suggest some kind of massage, but, here in Japan, where I am, it's not something they recommend.

I can't quite understand his reaction. In part because, whether or not it can be confirmed that it was my massage treatment that was the cause, isn't the fact that my prostate went down in size for any reason a notable event? From what I gather, that just doesn't happen.

Maybe I'm delusional, but I thought this was something remarkable. If what I'm doing works, wouldn't that be something a doctor would want to look into? But he didn't ask a single question about it. Not like he was cold in any way, he's a friendly guy and usually really good at communicating. It was just that he treated it like it wasn't a big deal at all.

So, did I get the wrong impression? Is reversing BPH through massage something that is well known? Or is it not that unusual for a prostate to go down sometimes for some reason or another? Is the fact that I reversed my BPH no big deal?

I am a 59 year old man and I had avoided doctors most of my life (I know, not great) but at 56 years old BPH symptoms finally drove me to see one. I got some medication and it fixed my symptoms for the most part. From then on I have gone to see my doc multiple times a year and had around 5 blood panels done. I kept noticing that a PSA number wasn't on any of the reports. I thought to myself they are probably doing it but I it's just called something else on the report. I thought if there was an issue they would tell me. About a week ago I had another blood panel done and a separate PSA report appeared on my file. I was relieved that it seemed low .78 but was curious about my past numbers. I clicked on the trend line button to see all my past results of this test and there was nothing. This was my first PSA test. Now my insurance isn't great and the doctor I see is new and she seems to be possibly be being overseen by an older doctor (that I haven't met). Is my doctor kinda dropping the ball here? Should I have had this test sooner?

- Edit: Just to add that I was also diagnosed with BPH as this might not have been clear in my original post. This together with my previously existing condition is what triggered symptoms. The Rezum procedure is for my prostate. -

I’m 39 and a few weeks ago I was diagnosed with dysactasic bladder neck and bilobed prostate, obstructing the midline (shivers 1) after a cystoscopy.

My urologist said and showed me that I have some sort of strange anatomy in the bladder neck opening that I was probably born with, but didn’t start noticing any symptoms until the last 2-3 years with persistent infections that haven’t responded well to antibiotics, and also increasing urinary problems (urgency, frequency).

I was prescribed Alfuzosin and have been taking it for 8-9 days now, noticing a slight improvement at the moment and only minor side effects.
She mentioned that I would eventually be an ideal candidate for Rezum and I’ve been researching it.

I’m seeing so many horror stories about the procedure and not really any positive experiences, and it makes me very nervous.

I don’t see myself being on medication for the rest of my life or even long term, but at the same time I’m really scared about the procedure.

Are there any people on here with actual good experiences? What should I realistically expect? It feels like doctors downplay the risks and complications a lot, so I’m not sure what to do.

I (53M) am scheduled for HoLEP next month (about 7 weeks away) for my 180 gram prostate. I have a history of urinary retention with relatively frequent UTIs. I was hoping to make it to surgery before having a retention emergency requiring a cath. BUT a couple of weeks ago my luck ran out.

At the ER a bladder scan showed I had 880ml of urine, though I didn't have any sensation of fullness. A recent previous CT scan showed that my bladder is quite distended so this has been going on for a while. A previous MRI shows thickening of the bladder wall too, so again, apparently this has been a thing for a while.

They placed a foley cath, which I still have. My surgeon says I need to keep the cath until surgery. I've never had a cath before. And this is AWFUL. I really hate it. I've already had it for two weeks and can't imagine 7 weeks more. We've explored alternatives such as SPC, intermittent self-cath, various attachments, etc, all ruled out for different reasons.

So here's my question. Those of you who have had a cath before, what tips do you have to make it less unbearable? Less uncomfortable? Or just words of encouragement? This surgery can't come fast enough. I wish it was scheduled for yesterday.

TL;DR: Anticipating 7 more weeks of foley cath. Any tips for surviving this?

I am struggling with eye fatigue and general malaise with Alfuzosin 10mg slow release. For some reason I have periods when it’s not so bad and others when I feel I could sleep all day. I take it after dinner around 6pm every day.
I really don’t want any sexual side effects from any medication but need the Alpha blocker to urinate and void properly.
Does anyone have a similar experience and tips to help me, it’s so depressing feeling like crap every day and not knowing why sometimes it’s worse than others.

hi all, 30 yr old male, originally total psa back in 2025 was 0.69. in may of this year it jumped to 3.9. urologist thought prostate was infected, got on antibiotics, have tested twice since then, in june and july, went to 3.1 and now 2.82. but now is the first time i've had my free psa tested and it's at an 8.5%

i understand for my age the odds are extremely rare and that my total psa does not fall in the grey area with a free psa being so low, but for how low it is has me very worried.

any insight or personal experience would be greatly appreciated and help me calm my nerves

hi all, 30 yr old male, originally total psa back in 2025 was 0.69. in may of this year it jumped to 3.9. urologist thought prostate was infected, got on antibiotics, have tested twice since then, in june and july, went to 3.1 and now 2.82. but now is the first time i've had my free psa tested and it's at an 8.5%

i understand for my age the odds are extremely rare that i would have cancer and that my total psa does not fall in the grey area with a free psa being so low, but for how low it is has me very worried.

any insight or personal experience would be greatly appreciated and help me calm my nerves

I’m a 34M. Around 6 months ago I started having persistent irritation/redness/swelling  on the glans and corona area after using a Bathmate / Hydromax 7. Since then, the glans has looked more pink/red/purple than normal, especially around the corona. The corona sometimes looks slightly swollen/puffy, and the surface of the glans can look shiny/dry/irritated.

This has been ongoing for 6 months straight. It has not fully returned to normal.

I have already seen 3 urologists, but none of them gave me a clear diagnosis. I’m worried...

Can hydro pump overuse cause long-lasting glans/corona inflammation or edema?

What can I do?

Today early morning my father urination suddenly stops i take him to hospital nurse insert catheter tube, doctor check and do all reporta like kidney function , blood , everything ok but ultrasound his prostate enlarged 48cc doctor says do surgery my father don't accept surgery he say please give medicine for 5 days after 5 days i cant urinate lets decide doctor give FLOKIND-F capsule for 5 days i have a doubt he can urinate normally after 5 days normally Yesterday he can urinate normally. But yesterday he drink less amount water and overworked 10+ hours​​ so today urine stops

Apologies for the rambling...my BPH symptoms are progressing after years of medication. I have a PAE consult coming up soon, (and am having second thoughts)  and I want to understand whether PAE is a good option for me versus HoLEP, TURP, or another procedure. I wanted to explore PAE to minimize my risks for urinary incontinence, and sexual disfunction. I also want to be off the medications. Before I committed to a surgery, I asked my smaller-town urologist about PAE and he made the referral to the center I'm going to.

Here’s some questions I need answered maybe from your experiences, and by the Interventional Radiologist. This is sort of my questions outline for him, or my script so I don't get flustered in the 30 minutes I'll have with him for this first appointment. Please let me know if I’m missing something...

I am 68 years old in good health. Based on my anatomy, bladder function, and retention risk, how likely am I to get meaningful relief? My prostate volume is 136.4 with large (don’t have exact size) intravesical profusion. What size reduction might I anticipate? Assuming 30%, wouldn’t my new prostate size technically be considered to still have BPH?  (and the issues that go along with that) What is the chance I can reduce or stop my BPH medications afterward? (Long-term Alfuluzuzin and Finasteride)

Will this be done with moderate sedation or general anesthesia? How long is the procedure? Do you routinely treat both prostate arteries in one session when possible? Do you use radial or femoral access, and why for me? What is the blocking material, beads or glue?

Post surgery questions: I should also note regardless of my treatment options, all will require about 100 miles of travel each way. Can I safely ride in a car for two hours after a PAE?

How long does it usually take to notice improvement? What are the main risks, and what is the backup plan if it doesn't work?

Should I go directly to surgery? What else do I need to know?

Hi everyone,
I’m 31 years old and recently had a prostate evaluation (TRUS). The results showed a prostate volume of about 37 ml.
My PSA levels are within the normal range, and both digital rectal exam (DRE) and TRUS didn’t show any abnormalities or suspicious lesions.
However, I’m a bit worried because 37 ml seems slightly enlarged for my age. I’ve also had this value remain relatively stable over time.
Has anyone else experienced something similar at a younger age? Could this still be within normal variation, or should I be pushing for further diagnostics like MRI or biopsy despite normal PSA and imaging?
No pain or other symptoms .

Just an update. In my previous post my surgery went really well.

Shortly after that I had a setback. When they instruct you not to drive or overdo anything, stick to that. At about 10 days I decided to go for a drive. That was part of my instructions, "short drive". Well my definition of a short drive is different than what I should have.

Pressure inside built up and was very noticeable. Later I passed all the surgical "scabs" that aren't supposed to let go for 3 weeks. Then the bleeding began. Next day passed a blood clot approximately 1" 1/2 long, with a few other small walk ones. The rest of the day and the next, that pressure continued and the feeling of "really not feeling good " kept getting worse. Then my flow slowed down and got noticeably less and less.

I was ready to go to the emergency department for a catheter to clear the obvious blockage that was happening. But thankfully it let go.... Clots passed and the pressure started to go away. Spent the next week doing absolutely nothing.

Today I got the go ahead to go back to work but with limitations for another month.

When they instruct you to do little or nothing, listen to that and do exactly what they say. Do yourself a big favor and recover properly. Drink the massive amount of water they want.

Everything besides that setback has been good and relatively easy. FYI, try not to get aroused, it lets the blood flow to the prostate and since it's pretty raw there to start with, it becomes uncomfortable. To me it felt like warm/burning sensation around the taint area, which is where the prostate is, and that feeling sticks around for quite a while.

Surgery may not appeal to everyone, but I'm not regretting it. We all have a life to live and for me this will give me a quality of life that I want without medications. At least for the foreseeable future.

I have been authorized to undergo the TURP surgery, but the more I read about it, the more wary I get. The TURP would be given to me for no cost here in Uruguay, but the HOLEP would cost me about $7,000 usd. Does anyone know of a country where these costs could be lowered?