Monday, September 11, 2006
Hi, I am 48 years old and am experiencing discomfort (about a 5 on a pain scale of 1 to 10) from the prostate area generally when I sit (but not always), it is particularly bad when I drive and I am fidgeting all the time…
I had similar discomfort about 15 years ago and as I urinate quite slowly (and I always have) and seem to have a low capacity bladder my doctor sent me for a cystoscopy. Nothing was found, and a few weeks later the discomfort went away. This time the discomfort has been around for about 6 weeks I guess. I have yet to see a doctor but guess I should but I had hoped that it would just go away again as it did before. Any ideas what this could be?
The discomfort that you are experiencing could likely be due to prostatitis. This is either an acute or chronic inflammation of the prostate. It is often associated with the perineal discomfort that you are describing. The slow urination that you are describing can be related to this, or possibly due to enlargement of the prostate, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Most cases of prostatitis will not be associated with abnormalities at the time of cystoscopy and urine cultures are often negative.
Simple measures such as the elimination of caffeine, spice and alcohol can result in improvement. Sexual activity is also recommended as is soaking in a warm bath tub and then immediately urinating. Treatment may also include the use of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and in severe cases steroids may even be used. Prostatic massage is also utilized in many cases to help alleviate symptoms. It seems that a visit to a urologist would be a wise choice.
Important: We hope you find this general medical and health information useful, but this Q&A is meant to support not replace the professional medical advice you receive from your doctor. For all personal medical and health matters, including decisions about diagnoses, medications and other treatment options, you should always consult your doctor. See full Disclaimer.
I had similar discomfort about 15 years ago and as I urinate quite slowly (and I always have) and seem to have a low capacity bladder my doctor sent me for a cystoscopy. Nothing was found, and a few weeks later the discomfort went away. This time the discomfort has been around for about 6 weeks I guess. I have yet to see a doctor but guess I should but I had hoped that it would just go away again as it did before. Any ideas what this could be?
The discomfort that you are experiencing could likely be due to prostatitis. This is either an acute or chronic inflammation of the prostate. It is often associated with the perineal discomfort that you are describing. The slow urination that you are describing can be related to this, or possibly due to enlargement of the prostate, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Most cases of prostatitis will not be associated with abnormalities at the time of cystoscopy and urine cultures are often negative.
Simple measures such as the elimination of caffeine, spice and alcohol can result in improvement. Sexual activity is also recommended as is soaking in a warm bath tub and then immediately urinating. Treatment may also include the use of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and in severe cases steroids may even be used. Prostatic massage is also utilized in many cases to help alleviate symptoms. It seems that a visit to a urologist would be a wise choice.
Important: We hope you find this general medical and health information useful, but this Q&A is meant to support not replace the professional medical advice you receive from your doctor. For all personal medical and health matters, including decisions about diagnoses, medications and other treatment options, you should always consult your doctor. See full Disclaimer.
