I have heard recently that the incidence of prostate cancer in active gay men is much lower than in heterosexual or abstinent men, and the reason is that they are routinely having their prostate glands massaged. I wonder if there is any truth to this. I went online to find a device that would massage my prostate, and found a variety of sex toys. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not prudish, nor am I gay, but my motive for perhaps trying one of these devices on a regular basis would be prostate health.

Other possible routes of prostate massage are, of course, self digital massage, and with a (gay or otherwise) sexual partner.

Any comments?

PS: Thanks to the Realtor1, I live in Connecticut and the Doctor he mentions, Dr Michael Flanagan of Waterbury, is the *only* uro in Connecticut performing the PVP. My former uro in Connecticut told me some months ago that his group would be starting with it... and then the Medicare reimbursement rules changed. I'm not eligible for Medicare -yet- but apparently most who would use it are, and now they won't be able to pay for the device, so the Hospital where he practices cancelled their order to obtain the equipment necessary to perform the procedure.

I saw Dr Flanagan about a month ago, he changed me from Hytrin to Flomax, saying Flomax was better, it had a higher affinity for the receptors of the drug than did Hytrin. It didn't matter, in fact, I had a urinary retention episode (= ER visit, with catheter) 2 weeks later. I see him again this week, we are going to decide whether or not to do the PVP. We'll see, we'll see...

I'm 54, been on Hytrin for 5+ years, had 3 UREs now, counting the one a few weeks ago. It's time.

I've also been on Avodart for about 2 years, My prostate has reduced down from a high of 75g to about 50g, I guess normal is about 30g. My breasts have gotten bigger, but not noticeably so, except to me.

And I've lost some wieght, from about 235 to about 215, that helps.

Keep in touch! -John-

John, my heart is with you. We have similar age and BPH condition, having BPH medicines 6 years including Proscar 1 year, size 100g, flow rate was as low as 5 cc/s with urgency, dribbling..., PSA 5, then 7 , then 5, 3 biopsy all negative, TUMT, useless. Fortunately I found this NG and decide to have PVP on last August. I am so satisfied with the outcome. My peak flow is 30+ cc/s withour any medicine. Talk with your uro about the pvp. Good luck.

They probably die from AIDS or other infection long before the cancer becomes deadly.

Bill
-- Ferme le Bush

John, I forgot to reply you about the gland massage. I am pro massage but it's not easy to do it. Six years ago when my BPH was getting serious and my first uro told me I have to take medicine, Cardura, for the rest of my life till one day when I was qualified for TURP. I was astonished with the term of "the rest of my life" but followed his order. He also asked me to visit him every three month. Every time I visited him, he renewed the prescription and did DRE on me. At the beging, I wondered that he only want to make more money from my every visit, so I switched to other uro two year later. But later on, I understood that he was doing the massage. I ever asked my wife do it twice only. I am very satisfied with my pvp now. But I still think if I have a way to massage my prostate, I would like to do it. Hope some body can share their opinions on this.

]Pat...I believe prostate massages are mainly intended for bacterial prostatitis, not BPH (the vast majority of prostatitis is non bacterial and chronic, and then you get into terms like prostatodynia and CPPS - you can search these). Massages are intended to be done on a regular basis (several times a week, or at least once a week, or two weeks max, and certainly not every three months as you indicated from your quarterly visits to the uro).

I don't believe I have bacterial prostatitis, but I have massages anyway and I really don't think they help, but its like a last resort thing (there is a theory that they can also make you worse and cause infection to spread via your bloodstream). It is also supposed to be good to ejaculate on a regular basis to clean out the prostate (so to speak) since the prostate injects its own fluids into the semen. I have read that this can also be a double edged sword, but I believe the majority of the doctors and patients say it is good, and it makes sense to me, especially if you have bacterial prostatitis. And if it is bacterial you certainly need to protect your partner (or you can masturbate).

If you have BPH and not prostatitis (either bacterial or non bacterial), then I am not sure what good the massages would do for you, unless you just want to try and "clean it out". I have read about the devices that you can purchase to do self massages and do not choose to go that route, and you have to be almost double jointed to massage yourself. You can also have your partner do it, but I have been married twice, and live with my two cats now, and don't have anyone - lol .

Here are a couple sites you may want to read about self massages -

https://www.prostatitis.org/doityourself.html

https://www.prostatitis.org/selfdrainage.html

I am not a doctor, and I do not like doctors, but I have been studying medicine and all my ailments for almost 15 years now. Like I told "Spread" in this group, all the experts on prostatitis used to be in the Philippines (IMO). I do not believe that American doctors know how to recognize it or treat it (if they can identify a bacteria, it is obviously much simpler, and hopefully anti's would solve the problem, but it could take a long time - it's hard for the anti's to get to the little acini's). It is a difficult task at best, and if you think you have prostatitis it really may be something else, and you end up spinning your wheels. Hope the two sites I gave you help...Pete

Pete, I learn a lot from reading your and Spread_deMocracy's recent posts in different threads. Appreciated!! I only have BPH but not prostatitis. After my pvp done three months ago, I am so satisfied. I have no any symptoms of BPH now but retro, although I know my prostate is still growing. As you said, I though massage is supposed to be good to ejaculation because the enlargement have obtused the contraction of the prostate. I will wait and see if I will massage my prostate in the near future but thank you very much for your valuable input.

About a year ago I bought a prostate massager from the internet. The first time I used it I had a massive ejaculation, never seen so much, it must have cleared out my prostate completely , after that I found it so much easier to pee, since then I use it on a regular basis with good results.

What and where did you make the purchase. Sounds like it works !
Thx
Z

https://www.highisland.com/

FWIW, I began having symptoms of BPH in my early 50s -- difficulty urinating, slow, dribbling afterward, frequent urges -- and also feelings of pressure in the prostate area so uncomfortable I couldn't sleep.

I began taking Hytrin for the pressure, which took care of that problem. I began taking Saw Palmetto for the others, which helped.

I came to realize, when I stopped taking Zocor, a statin, recently, that the prostate problems had begun about the same time I started taking Zocor.

Since I've been off Zocor, I've been able to discontinue both Hytrin and Saw Palmetto.

I am now 62, and take L-Arginine and DHEA daily, and have normal urinary function as well as better erectile and ejaculatory functions than I've had in many years.

Don't overlook some of your physical problems as possibly unnoticed side effects of medications, particularly as you get older.

I also feel about 15 years younger, as the Zocor was causing joint and muscle aches, and severe episodic back pains. ALL GONE NOW ---it's like magic.