Update re: my case (chronic prostatitis, 6 months duration)
I am so relieved to be going to my former doctor once again. I think I've
resolved the insurance issue that held me hostage at another clinic prior to
this. This doctor is so knowledgable. In fact, I told him, today, that he is
the best doctor I've ever had (to which he replied, humbly, "that's something
that I have to earn every day.")
He says that he has successfully treated cases of prostatitis before. He told
me about one case that involved a staph organism that was found in a culture,
for which he did some research to find an effective treatment. He found an
article about a patient with a staph-infected prostate written by a doctor in
Italy. He followed the medical protocol laid out in the article and cured the
man.
The story about a staph infection in the prostate was of interest to me because
the physician I used to go to (who as it happens is a former student of my
internist, BTW), made the assumption that the staph was a contaminant in the
culture that was done on my prostatic secretions last July. Maybe it wasn't.
When I mentioned that my uro at the other clinic did not do a C & S, but said
there were "no bacteria" after simply looking at a sample under the microscope
he said something to the effect of "that's voodoo medicine."
So, he ordered some lab tests -- a {*filter*} panel, a UA, and a culture on my
ejaculate -- and suggested I try another stronger anti-inflammatory, because
I've gotten good results with quercetin (I was pain-free last week, but am
experiencing pain again today). He said some cases of prostatitis will respond
to anti-inflammatory meds, but the underlying infection will still be there,
and so when the anti-inflammatory is discontinued, the symptoms will return.
He also said there are some cases of nonbacterial prostatitis, as well, but
before he determines I have one of them, he wants to start from the bottom up
and look over all of my health indicators. He expressed some concern over all
the herbs I'm taking and said that he wants to look at how my liver is
responding to them.
He said the urethral irritation I've experienced is most likely from the toxins
from the prostatic infection or a higher pH in the urine because of the
infection. He also reminded me that I reported to him that I was having some
urinary symptoms in 1997 (frequent urination at night), during a physical,
which I've also alluded to in a written history of my current illness, as well.
Finally, he said all of the antibiotics I've taken to this point he considers
to be very ineffective against prostatitis (sulfa, geocillin, and doxycycline),
so, he said once he gets the results from the C & S, he would try Cipro at
higher doses than I took before, if a bug sensitive to it is found, or a
similar medication. I've read about people on this newsgroup having
side-effects to Cipro, so I am concerned about that. He said there is one
medicine that I can take just once a day (fluoxetine?). He also said if he
finds staph again, he'll dust off that Italian article and treat me
accordingly.
I imagine I'll get a call with results from the C & S within a few days, then I
will see him again in a few weeks.