Lex's Journal

[lex_rooker]

Lex, is having your prostate microwaved the only option you have considered?

Over the years I've considered almost everything from homeopathic to full prostate removal surgery.  I've tried almost every alternative and homeopathic approach with little or nothing in the way of positive results.  I've pretty much run out of options other than more invasive medical procedures.  I'm well beyond "wait and see" or "let's try this".  At this point the longer I wait the more damage is occurring to the bladder.    With the image from the urologist's scope I was easily able to see the stretch marks in my bladder.  These are areas that can no longer contract efficiently -and maybe not at all.  My prostate has grown to about 4 times the size it was when I was 25.  It is pushing into the bladder reducing the bladder's volume and pinching off the flow of urine.

TUMT microwave therapy is the least invasive of the medical procedures and has a reasonable expected outcome with the fewest listed possible complications.  My current prostate size is almost at the upper limit for this procedure so if I don't do this fairly soon I will lose this option and be forced into more radical and invasive procedures.

The picture is not pretty and from what the urologist says, the early onset of my condition is probably mostly genetic.  My father and paternal grandfather both had significant prostate problems as has my uncle (my father's brother).  Based on the current size of my prostate, the urologist is amazed that I've had as few issues as I've had and that the drug therapy (doxasozin) has been effective for so long.  He says that the meds often only work for about 2 years.  They've worked for me for about 9 years.

Lex

[lex_rooker]

That does sound terrible lex and I hope and pray you can find a viable alternative. Thanks for your answers.

You're welcome.  I try to be as accurate as possible when discussing this stuff.  There are so many myths and so much nonsense out there, I do my best to be honest and straight forward.

Jess, (if I can call you that ) it was mag glycinate. But on the back it said mag oxide. So idk. I'm nervous about trying it again.

I'm taking the KAL brand of Magnesium Glycinate 400.  The back of the bottle says "Magnesium (as Magnesium Glycinate)" with no other form of magnesium listed.

Lex

[paper_clips43]

Ever tried or heard of the Rife machine?

[lex_rooker]

Ever tried or heard of the Rife machine?

Yes.  It doesn't work -  at least for me.  There are several Rife practitioners here in Los Angeles.  I went to two of them.  Total waste of time (and money).  Like I said in my previous post, lots of nonsense out there.

Lex

[PaleoPhil]

Hi Lex, Sorry about the enlarging prostate and bladder stones. Does that mean the kidney is continuing to produce stones?  Is the BG number fasting BG? The falling psa is encouraging.

[lex_rooker]

Hi Lex, Sorry about the enlarging prostate and bladder stones. Does that mean the kidney is continuing to produce stones?  Is the BG number fasting BG? The falling psa is encouraging.

Hi Phil,
From what the urologist told me, the stones in the bladder are not from the kidneys.  The bladder stones (at this point very small and easy to deal with, more like grit than stones) are formed directly in the bladder from retained urine.  Usually these small stones and grit are washed out when you urinate.  In my case, they can't wash away because the urethra is being pushed up into the bladder and the stones, being heavier than liquid, drop below the opening.  Over time the stones grow in size just as sugar and salt crystals grow from a saturated solution.  According to the urologist, we all make these stones/grit in our bladders, but for most of us the opening is at or near the lowest point of the bladder so they are continually washed away and we don't even notice them.

BG is fasting, but for me, BG tends to stay relatively steady most of the time because I eat so few carbs.  I'm almost always right around 100 plus or minus 10.  If BG is measured just before I eat my daily meal it is usually around 90 (as seen in these labs taken at 2:30pm).  If BG is taken 2 to 3 hours after my meal it can rise to 110 or 115.  The rest of the time it stays right around 100. 

Yes, I'm encouraged enough with the falling PSA to continue with the 100mg/day of iodine along with the supplements.  It will be interesting to see what happens over the next couple of years  -  will it continue to drop?  will it start to rise again?  will it hold steady?  - only time will tell.  I'm also interested in what effect the microwave therapy will have on PSA.  My expectation is that in the very short term it will rise because the prostate is under stress.  I see this every time I have a prostatitis attack. PSA rises 10 points or more.  Once things are back to normal - usually 6 to 8 weeks, PSA drops back down.  Will try to get PSA numbers at 2 weeks after treatment and then at some regular interval until it returns to normal or stops changing.  People on this forum might be interested in this stuff.

Lex   

[lex_rooker]

I know I’m rather blunt when it comes to the alternative treatments like Rife, Aroma Therapy, Reflexology, Magnetic Therapy, and a host of others.  Let me explain my general findings on 99.9% of the things I’ve personally investigated, and I've looked into dozens.  In fact, my change in diet is one such investigation which has had good results in most areas but alas no effect on BPH.

Most of the practitioners tout the wonderful benefits and what they call “cure rate” of their particular discipline.   I always ask pointed questions and request specifics both from the practitioners as well whatever patients are willing to talk with me.  Here’s what I’ve found:

In most cases the patients have no diagnosed pathology.  They have only vague symptoms and they credit the easing of these symptoms to whatever treatment they are currently pursuing.  Most of the time the patients I’ve talked to have tried many different treatments, each having a positive effect for the short term but the symptoms inevitably return and the patient seeks the next new  type of treatment.  In today’s vernacular this is often called the placebo effect.  Since in the vast majority of cases there is no organic pathology, there is no way to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of these treatments.

There are times when real pathology exists.  Again, many patients get immediate but temporary relief of symptoms(placebo effect), but there is no measurable or significant change to the good in the actual pathology.

On rare occasions when real pathology exists, there is a spontaneous remission of the pathology which is measurable.  This happens with any treatment protocol and at times with no treatment at all.  In my investigations of the alternative treatments I’ve looked into, the occurrence of spontaneous remission is at the same rate as for any other type of treatment or not treatment at all.

In many cases I’ve tried the alternative treatment myself but unlike most people, I have a real pathology and real indicators that I can measure to determine the effectiveness of the treatment.  Of all the things I’ve tried, the only one that has had any effect at all is the iodine protocol which has dropped my PSA by 0.6 points in 12 months.  Up to this point PSA had been climbing 0.5 points every 12 months for 5 years so the drop is encouraging, but based on the possibility of spontaneous remission (even though slight) is not conclusive.  An interesting point is that the decrease in PSA is not accompanied by a decrease in BPH symptoms.  If the iodine is doing anything, it might be affecting cancer cells, but it is not affecting the continued growth of the prostate.

Because I have gotten a long term positive result from the iodine protocol, I will continue with it to see how it plays out over the long term.  I’ll also continue to investigate other alternative treatments as I run across them but at this point I've pretty much researched what's out there.  If anything else shows promise, I’ll bring it up in this journal.

Lex

[TylerDurden]

Just a vague thought, but since you do sometimes eat cooked/rendered meats, what about going 100% raw  and unprocessed for 6 months to see if that works?  It's just that prostate enlargement appears to be inextricably linked to inflammation, and heat-created toxins like advanced glycation end products happen to be  heavily linked to inflammation.

I think I mentioned saw palmetto before, but there are other herbs...:-

http://nutritionreview.org/2013/04/advances-herbal-prostate-support/

Another point:- I've been told that women at an advanced age often get problems re their bladders due to not doing enough sport(re kegel(?) exercises and the like). Perhaps more sport might help, I have no idea....

[lex_rooker]

Just a vague thought, but since you do sometimes eat cooked/rendered meats, what about going 100% raw  and unprocessed for 6 months to see if that works?  It's just that prostate enlargement appears to be inextricably linked to inflammation, and heat-created toxins like advanced glycation end products happen to be  heavily linked to inflammation.

Not sure what more I can do.  I'd say I eat 95% raw and reserve the rendered fats for when on vacation.  I also eat a very rare steak as my meal once a month when dining out with a group of friends.  Other than that it is raw grass-fed beef and fat with some occasional raw grass-fed butter which I take with me when I do dine out.  If it is a dietary issue I don't believe it is due to eating cooked foods.

I think I mentioned saw palmetto before, but there are other herbs...:-

http://nutritionreview.org/2013/04/advances-herbal-prostate-support/

I have tried almost all the different oral supplements and formulations for prostate problems in general and BPH in particular.  Some have shown short term minor improvement but like the medical drugs, these supplements just address the symptoms and not the base pathology.  They work for a while but slowly decline in their effectiveness as the prostate continues to grow.  I've found no supplement that will actually shrink the prostate.  There are drugs that will shrink the prostate but these really upset the hormonal balance of the body and the side effects are terrible.

Another point:- I've been told that women at an advanced age often get problems re their bladders due to not doing enough sport(re kegel(?) exercises and the like). Perhaps more sport might help, I have no idea....

Many women have bladder leakage due to aging and unexercised muscles.  When men get bladder leakage it is usually due to a medical intervention gone wrong where the valves that control urine flow are damaged from radiation, surgery, or other invasive procedure.  My problem is not stopping urine flow, it is getting urine to flow at all and letting the bladder empty.  Actually, one of the side effects of the procedure that I'll be having is possible damage to the valves that control urine flow.  It is a much smaller risk (1%-2%) than for the more invasive procedures(20% or greater), but it is still a risk.  If you've ever been in the position where you just can't release urine at all and end up in the emergency room, you might understand why I consider the risk worth it.  Unless you've experienced this, no one can explain the panic and fear it creates.

Lex

[Alive]

When my dad had prostate problems he chose to be castrated, as reducing testosterone production helps slow the disease. He was happy with the result and as a side benefit his personality also softened.

[lex_rooker]

When my dad had prostate problems he chose to be castrated, as reducing testosterone production helps slow the disease. He was happy with the result and as a side benefit his personality also softened.

I'm beyond the point that this would help.  It might slow the disease, but in my case, the disease has already progressed to the point that intervention is necessary to stop further damage to the bladder.

Lex

[TylerDurden]

When my dad had prostate problems he chose to be castrated, as reducing testosterone production helps slow the disease. He was happy with the result and as a side benefit his personality also softened.

  A rather overly drastic solution, imo.  Well, I hope I'll be one of the 25% of men who never get prostate problems.

[lex_rooker]

Well, I hope I'll be one of the 25% of men who never get prostate problems.

I hope you and the others on this forum avoid prostate problems as well.  It is not the least bit fun and certainly tarnishes the "Golden Years".

My understanding is that all human male prostates grow as we age, however, not all of us experience severe Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS).  According to my urologist it is mostly a function of genetics and age.  Bad genetics LUTS occurs at an early age (some start to experience symptoms in their early 30s).  Good genetics and you may die before LUTS becomes a problem.

Diet may play a role as well, but I know of no studies in this area, and my dietary change did not significantly mitigate the problem.

Lex

[Johan August]

[

When my dad had prostate problems he chose to be castrated, as reducing testosterone production helps slow the disease.

The opposite view is now held; testosterone protects against prostate cancer. Low testosterone is the danger. See "Testosterone for life" by Abraham Morgentaler, associate professor of urology at Harvard Medical School. McGraw Hill 2009. At the age of almost 70 I don't personally have a prostate problem or any significant enlargement but I do take extra testosterone after suffering a severe decline in testosterone after suffering from fibromyalgia. So please be careful before going down the road of deliberately lowering your testosterone levels. There are several good reasons to maintain a normal testosterone level apart from the obvious one.

[lex_rooker]

The opposite view is now held; testosterone protects against prostate cancer. Low testosterone is the danger. See "Testosterone for life" by Abraham Morgentaler, associate professor of urology at Harvard Medical School. McGraw Hill 2009. At the age of almost 70 I don't personally have a prostate problem or any significant enlargement but I do take extra testosterone after suffering a severe decline in testosterone after suffering from fibromyalgia. So please be careful before going down the road of deliberately lowering your testosterone levels. There are several good reasons to maintain a normal testosterone level apart from the obvious one.

Johan,
You pin point the problem exactly.  I'm not sure anyone knows what appropriate testosterone levels should be.  The medical community says one thing one day and then reverse themselves the next.  Politics and competition for government research grants just muddy the waters even more.

At this point I'm of a mind that hormone levels fluctuate and most naturally decline with age.  I'm somewhat concerned about trying to maintain a specific hormone like testosterone at the level of a 25 year old when all the other hormones are declining in my 62 year old body.  This seems that it could create an imbalance that might lead to other problems.

I did ask the urologist about testosterone supplementation and he said that as long as my testosterone levels were within the "normal" range for my age he didn't recommend it.   He sited some studies that suggested that boosting testosterone levels too high might support beneficial metabolic changes (lower weight, greater muscle mass, etc), in older men, but that it often lead to a significant increase in prostate and other cancers.  He didn't think the trade-off was worth it.

For now I think I'll trust my body to decide what its testosterone level should be.  It seems to be doing fine with insulin, cholesterol, triglycerides, thyroid, vitamin D, and other hormones and metabolic markers.  I don't think I want to mess things up by artificially propping up a specific hormone when I have no evidence that it is out of line with everything else that my body is doing.  Yes, I have an enlarged prostate, but I have no objective evidence that it is caused by low testosterone, and medical opinions on the subject vary widely depending on the source.

There have been many books written by experts over the years that have turned out to be totally incorrect.  I fell prey to blindly following these experts for many years and the results were not as advertised.  I now take a more cautious approach before hitching my wagon to an expert's rising star.  I'll take a look at the book you recommend and also see what my urologist says about his approach.  That's the most I'm willing to do at this point.

Lex

[jessica]

have you read into or would you consider medical marijuana or mushrooms like reishi or any others touting anticancer benefits?  like topically or as an edible? 

[lex_rooker]

have you read into or would you consider medical marijuana or mushrooms like reishi or any others touting anticancer benefits?  like topically or as an edible? 

The answer is no,  I would not consider using any of these things.  I can't stand the feeling of being buzzed or drunk so I don't consume alcohol either.  I even refuse opioid pain meds when in the hospital unless the pain is almost unbearable.  I just don't like the way they make me feel.  I've been this way all my life.  I remember when I was 10 years old and had major surgery to remove a thyroid tumor.  After the surgery the doctor ordered morphine for the pain.  They gave me one shot and I floated off into lala land.  I hated the feeling and refused any further pain meds.  The nurses couldn't believe it.

Lex

[Alive]

If the marijuana is raw then it is not psychoactive, so you would feel fine. A variety high in CBD would have the best anticancer properties.

[jessica]

It's much different if you take it internally.  And the leafs, as opposed to the buds, have much different qualities chemically and physically, there is still a slight psychoactive feeling, but it is not one of lacking control or anything that would make you act out in ways you might feel uncomfortable. 

Like many therapies, I think it would be wise to understand that when you undergo taking Cannabis in any form, you set aside time for the therapy and the recovery. 

[van]

hi Lex,  here's my two cents worth.   I would think about using a mini or a full size trampoline.  You'd have to look into the effects of trampolining, but in short they massage every cell in your body, bringing blood to and from, draining lymph, and building muscle tissue everywhere.  Your crowded prostrate and bladder must be compromised with these regards.  Also having lived in SC for many years I'm aware of the water quality it has; some of the worlds hardest water.   I am one of those believers of continual and excessive inorganic minerals having the tendency to accumulate in your body.  I'd switch to either  or distilled water and add back an ionic or organic source of mins (if you were concerned about having mins in your drinking water).  And the last item is urine therapy.  I have used it since '78.  I think it does inform the body as to what needs healing.  And I know for sure it doesn't hurt a thing.  Call it quackery, maybe.  There is a world conference this fall in SD.  You might drive down for a day and check it out, should you have an interest.   And then I guess, there's the frozen food item.  I know that you've been doing that for so long, it might be hard to take a fresh look.   Personally I get such a strong inner voice screaming no when I do  it.  To be honest I can't tell if it's my unconscious belief or not, I just know that I don't care for it, and many have written how it fools the body in different ways. 

[LePatron7]

And then I guess, there's the frozen food item.  I know that you've been doing that for so long, it might be hard to take a fresh look.   Personally I get such a strong inner voice screaming no when I do  it.  To be honest I can't tell if it's my unconscious belief or not, I just know that I don't care for it, and many have written how it fools the body in different ways.

I actually was doing frozen food for a while. I had a rash on 2 of my fingers that I associated with detox, but after it didn't go away for a while I looked into various causes.

I start researching how freezing effects fat and protein (animal foods) and saw that some damage takes place. I actually ended up buying the book "Advances in Food Research, Vol. 26" which has a few chapters that go into detail on how freezing alters various parts of animal foods.

Since I've switched to fresh unfrozen everything the rash I got has virtually disappeared.

[lex_rooker]

@alive
@jessica
Not sure where the idea of cancer therapy has come from.  As far as I know I don't have cancer.  I'm also not interested in using Cannabis in any form for anything.  I'm also not interested in using any other recreational drug, alcohol, or tobacco in any form for anything.  I don't like the way they make me feel - mild or not.  To my knowledge, there are no peer reviewed studies showing these things to actually cure any pathology.  Most of the time they are used to mitigate the side effects of other more mainstream medical treatments like chemotherapy.  None of this has anything to do with me or the way I wish to live my life. 

If you wish to discuss stuff like this please do it on another thread.

Lex

[lex_rooker]

@van
I've not tried the trampoline but I do get a fair amount of physical exercise walking, jogging, running, and playing with the grandkids.  I expect that there is a fair amount of internal massaging going on during these activities.  It's not like I'm a couch potato or sitting at a desk all day.  I'm constantly moving.  The 25 year old kid next door has trouble keeping up with me and he just got out of the military and is in great shape.

If you've read my journal then you should know that I drink distilled or deionized water, and have for about 20 years.

I haven't done urine therapy and frankly it doesn't appeal to me.  Not sure I'd consider it paleo in origin.  It's been around for a long time and I was exposed to it during my "Natural Hygiene" days in the late 1960s and 1970s.  Made no sense to me and still doesn't so probably won't be trying it any time soon.

I suppose frozen food is not as good as fresh, but it is what I have available.  To me, frozen grass-fed meats are better than fresh grain-fed meats.  It's a compromise as is everything else in life.  You pays your money and you makes your choice.  My choice is frozen grass-fed meats.  It's the best compromise I can make.

I had the prostate problem developing long before I started paleo.  One of the reasons I started paleo was to try to solve the BPH problem.  Unfortunately it didn't happen.  There is no perfect diet or lifestyle.  No matter what I eat, drink, or do, my body will age and its various systems will breakdown and stop functioning effectively.  So it is with every living creature.

Lex

[Cosmo]

Lex,
Urine therapy does work and if your diet is absolutely wonderful, your urine is the best medicine for all of your health problem.
I'd try everything if I were you. I had the most awful experience with doctors and medication.
You might need to clean your colon, not sure if you've had it done before. I'd recommend it to everyone.
I felt as if I was born again after I had it done.
Im a not a doctor but I think prostate gland might suffer if the colon is not perfectly clean.
I hope that you will try it before going under the knife or anything else that your doctors will advise.
Good luck.
Cosmo

[van]

Lex, good to hear about your choice of drinking water..  And I understand about your feelings or no feelings about urine therapy.  It's obviously not for everyone.  You do bring up the point of it being paleo or not.  I couldn't see why it wouldn't be since we all 'since the beginning of time'
floated in it during the second half of our nine months in the womb.
      And I understand your reluctance in general to any alternative healing modalities, for we both over the years have tried so many, they tend to be a little bit of a tale tell sign of just how many snake oil products and salespeople there are in the world.    But then there's the other side to that coin.  That is, because we have exhausted our efforts from being disillusioned so many times, we then turn it over to the Medical establishment and give in to ideas like 'it's genetic' or something else.  Now this may be true, I have no idea, but I do know what it's like when we exhaust our own efforts with alternatives.  I'm sure this happens time after time when cancer patients fail with alternative therapies and then walk into cancer treating physicians office's and accept treatments they never would have accepted back at day one.    And I'm not saying I would do anything differently or that you should either.   But I do think the whole process is one that deserves inquiry, as we probably all at some time will face something similar.   
      I have a trampoline, and I run, and sprint.  There is a difference.  You can run till you're a world class marathon runner,  but then try jumping on a tramp for an extended period of time, and the next day feel abdominal muscles that because of the g forces, are sore from having had to resist gravity.  It builds every cell in your body.    I not looking to reverse your opinion,  but like many here, I like to offer things I know about.