Good morning,
Thanks for allowing me to post.
I am 47, and had my first PSA test nearly 4 weeks ago with a score of 3.1. The GP said it should be below 2.7 (or 2.5).
My grand-dad had an enlarged prostate that he had shaved. He was never diagnosed with Prostate Cancer.
My dad also has an enlarged prostate that he has been on medication for since 2012 after urine retention. He's never been tested.
As a result, I am in the "low risk" group. Using the IPSS scoring chart - I get a 2. 1 because I occasionally pee within 2 hours of a previous pee (mostly when drinking water), and another because of two occasions in the last two weeks of weak flow in the first morning pee - probably about 75% as strong as the rest of the day.
The reason I went to the GP was, on Dec 26 and Dec 27 - for two mornings I had problems peeing. First morning I peed a little, went downstairs to make my son breakfast, then finished the pee about 5 minutes after starting the first. Second morning, I was able to pee by pressing the stomach.
Dec 28th I made a GP appointment for January 4th. Dec 28th I also had pain in my lower back followed by chills
Jan 4th I saw my GP who just said. "We will do a PSA test, kidney, water test and bone test". I had these tests on Jan 15th, and the receptionist told me all the results were satisfactory.
Jan 22nd, I was getting my DRE test - was told that the PSA was actually high for my age. Inflammation markers also up. He did the DRE which was normal, but the prostate was large for someone my age.
I have been stressing out about this ever since.
I have since read that infections may cause issues with PSA and a nurse I spoke to said it can possibly affect the PSA for weeks.
Following the DRE, I had discomfort in my perineum for a couple of weeks. I think I've always felt discomfort there, when sitting on certain chairs, but only started to take notice once in this alerted stage. The DRE was slightly painful.
However, I am highly stressed - and have barely slept. My appetite is not what it was, and I wake up 2:30 in a sweat.
I spoke to a GP about this, and was given promethazine hydrochloride - an anti-histamine - and last night was the first night I took it. I slept very well, woke up at 8am. I did wake up feeling a bit hot - but went back to sleep. I feel better for it.
I have taken the day off work to try to stay calm ahead of Monday's re-test. My hope is that the PSA score is below the limits set.
I spoke to my GP about my concerns, that the symptoms of night sweats are telling me this thing has spread. He said this is stress related, and that my PSA score is below 10 which is where things start to get even more serious.
Hello adyh1927 A warm welcome to the online Prostate Cancer Community.
You are in the right place for help and advice and with your family history you are right to have the tests . I can understand your anxiety and rest assured waiting for tests and results is the hardest part of any cancer journey.
As David2017 said above, your team are on your case so it's a case of waiting for results. As for your anxiety can I suggest you ring our helpline on 0808 808 00 00 (8am to 8pm 7 days) for that little bit of help with your worries.
I hope the above helps - try not to worry - if you want a statistic 98% of men with Prostate Cancer die WITH it not Of it.
Stick with us - we are all here for you.
Best wishes - Brian.
Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm
Strength, Courage, Faith, Hope, Defiance, VICTORY.
I am a Macmillan volunteer.
Hello Adyh. Sorry to hear about your concerns. I can imagine all sorts of bad thoughts streaming through your brain so perhaps I can add a bit of perspective for you?
AS you are aware, a PSA can be raised by all sorts of conditions (and, I hear certain activities such as cycling or sex) and not just prostate cancer. As others have said, your surgery is following standard practice in that they are taking your fears seriously and doing tests.
Prostate cancer in most cases is slow growing. We started having my husbands PSA monitored from the age of 55. He was advised to go back to urology when his spa reached 10 - which id did in the summer off 2022 when he was 75. That said, there are some quicker growing and aggressive cancers and so no raised PSA should be overlooked at any age.
PSA as an indicator of prostate cancer is said to be an unreliable test with false positives and false negatives and this is why routine screening is not advised in this country (although I and others think it should!). To achieve a diagnosis, two consecutive raised PSAs results in referral for MRI scan. If the scan result is suspicious, then a biopsy is offered. If the biopsy is positive then a bone scan and then , perhaps a PET or CT scan follows - depending on where you live and previous results.
Prostate and breast cancer can be genetically linked so in families where there is a high incidence, it is always worth regular check ups.
Prostate cancer in most cases is NOT the death sentence it once was. New and more sophisticated treatments are continually coming 'to the market'. Statistically of men aged 100, most will die with prostate cancer and not of it.
I hope the responses you receive here help you to relax over the weekend. I also very much hope that you will get peace of mind from your GP etc. Waiting for test results is a horrible time but you have certainly done the right thing in raising your concerns with your surgery 
Best of luck!
