Journaling

[Patty Stillman]

I've decided to keep an online journal here of what's going on since I've really failed over the last year to keep track of everything. Today my husband called the urologist and asked if there was an appointment sooner than the 18th and there was. TODAY! They decided to fit him in this afternoon.  We get to the office and a panic attack sets in. A very real and physical panic attack complete with fainting, chills, shaking, and tingling sensations throughout his limbs. The same thing happened to him last week when he went to his GP's. I wasn't with him for the GP appointment and wasn't sure how serious he was about his symptoms of it. His GP claimed it was just anxiety, but today's episode was beyond an anxiety attack. I witnessed it for myself today and it was not normal. It was so bad I had to insist they let him in a waiting room where he could lay down. It took two of us holding him up helping him walk to a room to lay down. This is not my husband. In the past, whenever I heard of someone having a panic attack I always figured it was mostly in their mind and they were just being "babies" or over-dramatic, but I know my husband too well and he has far too much pride to draw attention to himself in a public place by being an over-dramatic baby. In fact, he was trying so hard to hide the physical symptoms of his attack.  No, he had a very real, physically debilitating, uncontrollable panic attack.  After I got him home and in bed I looked up the symptoms he felt during this attack and learned about panic disorder. So, let's just go ahead and add that to the list of things a 37 year old, seemingly healthy man should not be experiencing, but is. 

For my own self, I'm noting his current medications...
PROSTATE MEDS:
Doxazosin-He got these from his GP last week. He's been on them before, but I never documented it and lost track of how much and when. This new dose originally was supposed to be just 1 2mg tablet per day, but the urologist told me, today, to start giving him 4mg a day.
Finasteride-One 5mg tablet per day. This is new. He just started taking this today. This is common treatment for BPH to shrink his prostate. Side-effects we read about online, the one my husband is furious about, is possible, irreversible impotence. He quit taking rapaflow last year because it did cause him to lose his libido and gave him erectile dysfunction. He's certain the Finasteride will do the same. He is reluctantly taking this medicine.

ANTI-BIOTIC:
Cipro-Again. One 500mg tablet per day. He's been on this before. Offered no relief and did nothing to stop the symptoms. But he will take them again. He was given these by his GP on Wednesday the 6th. 
Doxycycline-He was given these also by the GP on Wednesday the 6th and today when the urologist saw that, he said he didn't need that AND the cipro, so today, the urologist told us to stop taking this.
PAIN & DISCOMFORT:

Naproxen-500mg tablets to take as needed for pain. This is an anti-inflammatory that the GP gave him on Wednesday and the urologist agrees with this being an effective pain relief because he believes the pain is solely caused by the inflammation of his prostate. I'm not so sure because no matter how many Paul takes, he is still in pain.

Temazepam-30mg. He takes one of these at night to get some sleep. I put it in the pain & discomfort category because right now it is THE ONLY thing that gives him any sort of relief. The drowsy euphoria he feels just before falling asleep is the only time I can actually talk to him. He is able to smile and talk about our day when he's on this. It helps him forget the pain for a little bit. Until he wakes up.

The urologist also ordered a CT scan for abdominal and pelvic with and without IV contrast with delayed images. I tried to get him in to the radiologist next door to the urologists and almost got him but he said he couldn't take it anymore and needed to go home immediately. I'll be calling and setting an appointment for this as he will need it before his next urology appointment on May 9th.
He also has to get a urine cytology as he had microscopic amounts of blood in his urine today. 

 

[jeffos]

I am 38 years old and I have been suffering this nightmare for 2 years...I have taken most of the medication you mentioned: antiflamatory drugs of all kind, all the antibiotics which can penetrate the prostate, Amypriptiline, alpha blockers...etc

Until one day I was in so much pain that i asked my urologist to do something this time and to give a very strong pain killer....he prescribed me Tramadol 50mg and it helps a lot. As I didn't see it in your list you might try it....it seems to be very effective for CP sufferer.

[Arnon Krongrad, MD]

Tramadol, which Jef cites below, has been also cited by others, including Charles and Jaime, but with uneven results.  Charles wound up with prostatectomy, which finally relieved the pain, and Jaime complained that tramadol did not control his pain. You can read their posts for more detail.

Tramadol is an opioid, which means it can be associated with potentially very serious side effects. Any patient considering the use of tramadol must first discuss it with his doctor(s).

 

Patty, please remember that Jef is not your husband's doctor and do not interpret what he wrote as a medical recommendation. Your husband needs to discuss his concerns and potential remedies with his doctor.