Hoping a member might be able to comment on this please.
I had a TURP 11 weeks ago, after BPH diagnosed, with a probability it was causing chronic prostatitis which I had suffered from off and on for a year or so.
Initial recovery was fine, and as suggested on this forum, I ignored the Urologists view that recovery would only take about 6 weeks, and reckoned on somewhat longer.
After 11 weeks, I'm still in quite a lot of discomfort, sore in the prostate/lower abdominal area particularly in bed at night, or getting into or out of the car or chairs at home. It's very much like the prostatitis I had originally, but not 24/7 as that had been.
I still don't feel sufficiently recovered to return to work and a 15 minute walk
gives me soreness problems for the next 48 hours or so.
Has anyone else experienced something similar, or is this all part of the normal recovery cycle?
Welcome to the club - I too had the TURP and have chronic prostatitis and a touch of IC on top of that. It seems that the TURP makes the prostate inflammation even worse for a long period of time. You are on the right thinking pattern - it will take a lot longer to get over the surgery. If you followed any of my posts, you will see that 4 months is the normal period to recover from the TURP and if you have other issues like prostatitis and IC, even longer. I would follow an IC diet and keep things bland and avoid acidic foods. Look up IC diet and follow the guidelines for a while and see if there is any improvement. Most doctors only know what they are taught or told by their patients. I diagnosed most of my problems and told my urologist what I thought.
If you got prostatitis recently you will feel better quite fast, but if you had inflammation for a long period of time, it only makes you raw for a longer period of time. Valium helps big time with prostatitis - it relaxes the pelvic muscles and eases the pressure.
The discomfort and not being able to sit is normal. Purchase a donut for driving and sitting - it really helps and doing anything physical hurts, too. This is all normal and takes a while to subside. Try not to do anything too strenuous until you feel up to it.
How is your frequency and do you have any bladder issues?
Lenny
The Following User Says Thank You to LENNYI For This Useful Post: mchenlo (08-22-2011)
Thanks for your response Lenny and all of what you say makes good sense. I guess this may be a long haul.
I will watch my diet as you suggest, and maybe consider the Valium idea. Not sure what you mean by 'IC', could you explain please.
Frequency is generally ok (get up only once a night now), except when the prostatitis is really biting away at me, when I might be up 3-4 times a night.
I agree that my Doctor and Urologist seem to have a limited knowledge, but they readily admit there's just not enough known about the subject.
The idea that a TURP would cure the prostatitis seems optimistic now to me. Is that how you see it?
Peter.
Last edited by peteruk; 02-01-2009 at 02:59 AM.
Reason: Omission
IC is interstitial Cystitis - inflammation of the bladder. There are big similarities between IC, prostatitis and irritable bowl. I don't think you have any bladder issues if you don't have frequency and bladder pain. Prostatitis is a hard thing to deal with and no clear cut treatment. The best we can do is keep the pelvic muscles loose and not do anything to flair, which is pretty much everything. My urologist said he just doesn't know what to do with the prostatitis and wanted me to go to a prostatitis specialist, but that would mean travel and a big expense so I chose not to do it. I wish there was one good source for treatment, not those overnight cures that cost a fortune and do nothing. Good luck and hang in there! Keep posting what happens.
Just an update really, 5 weeks on from my last post.
Progress, if any, is frustratingly slow. Any physical activity (walking, driving etc) starts off the soreness in and around the prostate which is nasty and then takes a couple of days to reduce again.
It's now 4 months since the TURP, and I have today tried returning to work for half-days, (office based) but that causes lots of discomfort and soreness so I'm uncertain if I can keep it up. This is a really disappointing after all this time, but seems consistent with what others say when the TURP is undertaken on an already inflamed prostate.
Any other comments or ideas would be much appreciated.
All this is really familiar - I'm almost two years from my TURP and I still have discomfort after doing anything strenuous. I also have IC and chronic Prostatitis so this is probably normal for my condition. You might have chronic prostatitis, too. Did you get a Pathology Report from the TURP? Read it very carefully and see if there is any mention of inflammation in the samples. Sometimes you have to help diagnose these things. It sounds like you have chronic prostatitis, too. If you don't have bladder issues there probably isn't anything there to be concerned about. Try relaxing and not tensing up the stomach and pelvic muscles and see if that doesn't help. If it is prostatitis, Valium or any other drug to help relax the pelvic muscles will help. Like I said, everything you mentioned is what I feel.
Yes, as you suggested my Path report actually said 'inflamation due to chronic prostatitis'.
Very disappointed to hear you've suffered for 2 years post-Turp, you must be really fed up with it all by now.
My urologist reckons I need to just stick with it until the soreness subsides - it is a little better than 2 or 3 months back - but it's the inability to do anything physical like having a good long walk which is the depressing bit about this.
I had a suspicion that you had chronic Prostatitis. If you don't have bladder issues to go along with this, you will show improvement pretty quick. I couldn't cut the grass without suffering afterwords, but now I can do both the front and back and not have that inflammation pain. Another thing I noticed is that if I do any digging or work below the waist my symptoms are are a lot worse so I limit that type of work and do a little at a time. My main problem is the IC - that seems to be the driving force for my discomfort. Like I said, if your bladder is not inflamed, you will progress pretty quick. Check out diet and prostatitis and see if there is anything you are eating that is keeping your prostate inflamed. This is just a thought! It seems that if you let the prostatitis go too long before getting treatment, you suffer bladder problems due to the urine flow restriction. At that point, it takes years to get the bladder under control.
I just had a TURP done yesterday and they found a bunch of calcium, stones and pus pockets.I am in terrible pain. I heard the only way to end this nightmare is to get the whole prostate removed. There is a doctor in Florida who does this with success.
Steve
The following user gives a hug of support to Lebron: Flogvoleye (01-01-2012)
I had a TURP done 2 years ago - also have chronic Prostatitis and lots more. My doctor said flat out no to removing the prostate unless there is cancer present. I also had cancer found on the path report, but didn't show on the prostate biopsy performed after 3 months. He said the side effects are too much. Of course this is your decision, but you have a 4 month recovery ahead of you and way too soon to think about more surgery. Wait for the path report to come back and then discuss this with your doctor. Usually the TURP will help the Prostatitis, but the healing process is rather long. It takes forever for the area to heal and get back to some kind of numbness. Take the pain medication and try to relax for at least the initial 6 - 12 week healing process. You will be more able to make better decisions at that time.
I passed stones for a few weeks after my prostate biopsy and my doctor just shrugged off the stone issue - seems to be normal in anyone over 55. I would be more concerned with the path report first and then start thinking about these issues!
There is Dr. Krongrad who is doing a study on removing the prostate for chronic Prostatitis and they are pain free right away.(Krongard Institute in Florida)
The problem with a TURP is they may have left stones in the prostate and the pain and infections never go away.
What kind of pain medicine works?.I am taking Hydrocodone and the pain is still severe.
How long did you keep your foley in? How long does the pain last after surgery?
This consumes your life.
Thanks for the info.
The Foley usually stays in for 3 to 4 days. That helps the area heal or the bleeding to stop. You will have lots of discomfort sitting for a while - I still use a donut when sitting and it helps big time. You should give it some time to heal and the swelling to go down before making any judgments. I just don't know if it is better to have the prostate removed. It is best to get some feedback from those who had their prostates removed and see what they have to say. You still have a long way to go on this recovery so be patient.
Hope ou do not mind all the questions.
Did you have bleeding and for how long.
Every patient I talked to from Dr.krongard said when they removed the prostate they were pain free after one day and feel they have their life back.
Dr. Krongard is supposed to be one of the best at removing prostates because this is the only surgery he does now.
If you look at the Prostatitis Foundation web site they have a link to his study and patients.
I was told that the Turp may not get all the stones and infected area and the symptoms get worse. I have been in constant pain since the surgery.
Since I am in a wheelchair I am always sitting.
How long did you have sever pain after the surgery and what type of pain medicine did you take and did it work?
Thanks again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LENNYI
Lebron,
The Foley usually stays in for 3 to 4 days. That helps the area heal or the bleeding to stop. You will have lots of discomfort sitting for a while - I still use a donut when sitting and it helps big time. You should give it some time to heal and the swelling to go down before making any judgments. I just don't know if it is better to have the prostate removed. It is best to get some feedback from those who had their prostates removed and see what they have to say. You still have a long way to go on this recovery so be patient.
I did not have any bleeding after the Foley was removed, but did have bleeding while the Foley was in. That is normal and that is the reason they leave it in for 3 or 4 days - it helps heal the area they removed the tissue from. They do not remove any infected material - that is in the sacks. What it does do is allow more normal urine flow and stops the urine back flow which causes the stones to form. You have a big problem being in a wheel chair. Order a donut ASAP - it will take the pressure off the prostate area. I think that will help you big time. You are right about having the prostate removed is the only way to get rid of the stones and infected area. Sometimes a good dose of antibacterial medication will do the trick, but it doesn't last forever. You seem eager to have it removed. You have to do what makes you happy - everyone I know who had it re moved needs to wear depends. It is a personal decision - gather all your facts and weigh the good and bad points and go from there. I think the doctor will not perform the surgery unless you need it. It is still too soon to think about another procedure so heal a little and then make your decision. It is not an easy recovery and does take a lot longer than they will tell you. One of my friends just had his removed and said he felt good after they removed the catheter. They leave it in for about a week with the prostate removal - lots of healing needs to happen before they remove the catheter.
I have done more research to the point of nausea. The bottom line is that TURPS are a disaster and the only cure for Chronic prostatitis is full removal of the prostate.Only the patients that have done this are pain free.
I made a mistake and had a TURP done and the pain and infections became worse.
Nine days ago I had my prostate removed and other than some discomfort from the surgery I have never felt better in years. Right away the debilitating pain was gone.
People that are out there trying every treatment in vain for years need to decide if they want their life back and the only answer is removal.The TURP made it more dificult for the surgeon to remove the prostate.
There are approx seven to ten patients who have had their prostate removed and have no more pain.
By definition alone if you have no prostate you cannot get prostatitis.
I need to figure out what to do with all of my antibiotic and pain meds.
I am pretty sure I have prostatitis and have been talking to a urologist. His option if the cores come back negative is TURP. From what I read here the opinion is against the procedure because pain remains after TURP for an indefinite period of time. Can you point me at the sources you used in your research?
I understand how you feel! I had a TURP and the valve of my bladder muscle loosened on March 17th of this year and I thought the recovery would be quick. Sometimes the pain is so intense that the only thing that helps is a hot bath. I have had prostatitis for a long time and the urologist said there would be no guarantees of a total recovery. Some days I feel great and can let up on the pain medication and after having intercourse for the first time last week the pain returned with a vengeance. I have been uncomfortable for a week and am passing scabs. Once a scab passes the pain increases. I have to get up every two hours at night to urinate and it is an adventure to say the least. The pain with urination has started to ease up a bit but I thought I would be better by now. Does anyone have any advice?
I am a 40 y/o male, with a hx of prostatatis as per my urologist. it all started in 2005 and has been managable by herbs and acupuncture. i was still getting up 2-4 times a night, straining to urinate constatly and would occasionally get sharp bladder pains. In Feb, my uro put me on rapaflo for 1-2 months with minimal improvement and then a cystocopy reveal a narrowed bladder neck. After explaining the meds aren't working and I'm only 40 so I wouldn't want to take them the rest of my life especially with no relief, he recommended the TUIP. I had it done on 03-18-10 and I AM STILL RECOVERING!!! I have been on and of Motrin 800's for 1-2 weeks at a time for prostate pain and also discomfort in the shaft. Urinating has been much, much better (not straining, not getting up during the night) but the lingering side effects (prostate soreness/discomfort and shaft discomfort) are killing me. I feel run down and extremely concerned that this is not going to clear up. I did have 2 weeks or so 2 or 3 times that i felt really good and thought everything was subsiding, until the prostate starting acting up again and I go back on the Motrins. I saw my uro on 06-23-10 and he suggested to relax and continue on the motrins if it makes me feels better, but I can't help worrying that the uro screwed up down there or this to be expected. He did say he made some deep incisions in the prostate due to the amount of tightness was more than expected. I'm at the point where I should've just stayed with the symptoms I had and left well enough alone! Any further help you could offer would be greatly appreciated, I know our procedures were a bit different but in the same general area.
Thank you
Anthony
It sounds like you are describing me. You are fortunate that the motrin helps with your pain. I had the procedure one day before you and I am STILL RECOVERING! Some days it feel as though I am not feeling well and the symptoms return. I am constantly feeling weak and tired and it is hard to exercise without becoming winded pretty quick. I take Norco for the pain two to three times a day depending on the symptoms. I too had a tight neck on the bladder and the medication (Hytrin and Valium (low dose)) were not relieving the symptoms and so my uro and I decided on the TURP. After doing the research I am the one who requested the surgery and I am not unhappy that I did request it. After the surgery I had a period of time that I started to feel much better then my symptoms returned just like yours. The one difference is that I still get up at night at least two times. I went back to the uro on June 17th and he told me that there are no guarantees with this procedure and I knew that. To operate for pain and discomfort is not a guarantee as there is no way to tell if the treatment got rid of the cause as the nerve endings and muscles can throw symptoms of something that is not the problem as they are all in the same area. He suggested that I return to taking the hytrin and valium in a low dose to treat the symptoms. I still take the Norco and it helps! The uro indicated that if there is damage to the nerves it can take six months to start feeling relief. I asked him about other procedures and he said he would not consider removing any more of the prostate as it has ramifications of impotence if it is removed. I agree with this. I would have to say my symptoms that drove me to requesting the surgery to open the bladder neck and increase the flow and the prostate pain are gone. They have been replaced by a different pain which I am hoping will go away in time. The good news is that the pain can be controlled and the other symptoms were not controlled very well. So I guess something is better than nothing. It does no good looking back the only thing you can do is move forward. I don't think your uro made a mistake. Working on the prostate is not an exact science. Most uros tend to discount the symptoms as it is frustrating for them to deal with them and one that I saw over the years made me feel as if it was in my head. I have been dealing with this for over twenty years and I am glad that I am taking a positive position of not just accepting the pain. I feel that I will get better and so will you. Honestly, I have spoken to people who have had similar procedures and it has taken them a year to feel better. Hang in there and let me know if I can help!
Andy,
Thanks for your time and info, I know I had the TUIP and not the TURP so it should heal much faster, but It's hard to stay positive being a young guy and married the issue affects every aspect of my life to some degree and I know that some are worse offf than I so I should shut up. Anyway, I guess I'll have to keep praying and trusting that this will all continue to heal and eventually I wil look back and say it was all worth it. May that day come real soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hismessage board helps tremendously talking with patients and their symptoms as I don't believe many uro's have had these procedure done to them, at least not the way they describe and consider it a non-life alterring issue. I truly hope any and all of your issues correct themselves also and you benefit from your procedure.
Thanks again,
Anthony
