Prostatitis/Doxycycline

Men's health
1

Good evening all,

I was hoping I could vent and get some advice on this nightmare which is chronic prostatitis.

I have suffered with pain at the tip of the penis/redness at the opening, slow urine flow/dribbling and scrotum pain for the last 14 months. In this time I have been given so many different creams which failed and likewise with Cipro and Doxycycline. All urine tests have been clear, bloods clear and all gum clinic checks carried out were clear. I have had 2 cytoscopys and everything was fine. A month ago I was diagnosed with chronic prostatitis.

It has been hell. I can't hold down employment and sex life has been non existent due to this. It has brought my life to a stop. I have 2 children under 2 and feel I am never positive when around them as this constant pain is bringing me down.

I was recently prescribed Cipro (1000mg a day for 4 weeks) and Doxycycline (2x 100mg a day for 2 weeks). I started both at the exact same time and within days the pain disapeared (very minimul), my mental health stabilised and I even started to have a sex life again with my partner. Two days after finishing the Doxycycline the pain has came back. It is exactly the same as it was before I started, bringing me back to square on.

What does this mean? It seems the Cipro isn't doing anything but the Doxy cleared me and returned when the doxy stopped? What can I do from here? Can I be on Doxy permanently or is there an alternative? Does this tell me what is causing my pain? I am pretty clueless to what doxy actually does....does this mean I have a serious infection that won't go or is it problems with muscles/nerves?

Sorry for the long post, I am just at the end of my tether.

Thanks in advance

Danny

2

Some people needed to take it for months. Hank

3

Hi Hank,

Thanks for the reply. I will head back to the docs and request a longer course of Doxy. It seems to be the only thing that has had some form of impact on this.

Thanks again

4

Actually from my knowledge, if you're on doxycycline, you have to abstain from sex until your dosage is complete. Most important is you have to treat your partner too since you have sex with her, it means she's infected also, which means even if you treat yourself, once you have sex with her, it comes back again. I recommend you take doxycycline injections as it works quicker but make sure to complete your dosage. I have had similar experience and it worked for me after we both completed our dosage and yes I don't feel or have that pain again and it's been 3 years. I hope I was able to help.

Cheers,

Wisdom.

5

Thanks Wisdom.

I am confused. I didn't think prostatitis could be passed sexually?

It is very assuring hearing your success story with doxy. Gives me a bit more confidence that this can be beat or atleast managed. I have just came back from doctors with another 2 week perscription of Doxy so fingers crossed.

Thanks again

Danny

6

You were not born with prostatitis and yes it can't be passed sexually. On the other hand, the bacteria causing it, if not treated, means you're all but wasting your time. Which is the reason I suggested you treat your partner provided she's the only one you have. Have you also checked to be sure its not gonorrhea or chlamydia? The symptoms are almost identical. All in all to be on the safe side, try treating your partner and I hope I get good news from you

7

Ah that makes sense. Yes I have been tested nunerous times for all sexual related infections and clear on all. After I was clear I was then passed on to the urology specialists who gave me urine flow tests and then cytoscopys. After everything was clear of everything I was given the diagnosis of chronic prostatitis.

Can I ask how long you were on Doxy before you cleared up?

Thank you

8

Hello Daniel, I was on Doxy for two weeks and it worked for me. I wish we could talk more at length so I can walk you through. If there's a way you can add me on facebook. Eze Wisdom is the name. I'm wearing a black face cap and I've got beards too. I hope I can help.

Cheers,

Wisdom.

9

I'm writing to ask if you have noticed any improvement?

Cheers,

Wisdom.

10

Hi wisdom,

No improvement at all. I am so disheartened. The pain is worse than it has been. This new course of Doxy is a different brand than my first course and don't know if that has anything to do with it. As mentioned in my original post, the first course of Doxy helped tremendously. There was a week gap before I started my second 2 week course (which I am taking at the moment, day 4 I believe) and the pain when urinating and red tip of penis is present again. It just feels like I will never beat this horrible condition.

I don't know what else the hospital can prescribe either. My next appointment with urologist is in 2 months. I guess I will just have to keep visiting my GP for further courses of Doxy in the meantime

Thanks for asking

Danny

11

Ah also....I have been told that I have an enlarged spleen also which is being investigated through more blood tests. They say the two issues are not linked but I don't know.

12

I'm sorry to know this. The reason I asked you to add me on Facebook is so we can be in constant communication so I can assist the best way I can but I guess you don't want that?

My guess is that the bacteria is resistant to Doxy and your body now has mastered the Doxy hence the reason you can't notice any change.

I will recommend you meet your GP and have him give you Ceftriaxone Injection. This should be done for at least four (4) days but you can take it for 14 days in the event you don't see improvement after the first day. I'm certain this would work for you and you won't have to see your urologist again.

I hope I was able to help and I do hope we can be in constant communication.

Regards,

Wisdom.

13

Thanks for the information Wisdom, it is much appreciated. I can't believe my body would build a barrier to doxy after just 2 weeks sad just never ending. I will have to discuss options with my doctor asap. This is just having such an impact on my life. I am struggling to hold down employment and with 2 children and a mortgage it is pretty grim. I feel the NHS have given up on me as every medication and procedure have failed so far.

I don't use social media as I find it too intrusive and with little kids I never have time to keep it updated!

14

It's okay Daniel and I feel your pain but rest assured, you'll be fine. I'm certain of it.

Let me know what your doctor tells you but the one thing I will tell you is not to panic or get yourself worried. I hope when you're fine, you can encourage others.

Write me personally at

Moderator comment: I have removed the email address as we do not publish these in the forums. If users wish to exchange contact details please use the Private Message service.

15

It's OK but you will be fine. What I don't want you to do is get yourself worried about it. I do hope to get positive response from you after you must've seen your doctor.

Cheers

16

Hi mate, im 33 also have 2 kids under 2 and know how you feel. I get constant flare ups i was givin a 2 week course of antibiotics by my doctor yesterday. Im currently in bed with the worst body aches, sweating, headache. When i get a bad flare up its horrible and very embarressing i feel like a bit of a dick because i struggle in work and moaning to my mrs that i dont feel well and need to rest in bed. Would love for this illness to dissapear. I would say though last summer i started jogging a few times a week and started taking multivitamins for men and i didnt have any prostate problems, but i stopped just before christmas and now its back again. So once ive finished this course of antibiotics ill be back to that and sticking to it.

17

It's a bad bad situation Jay. I have contacted my Urologist again yesterday and told him the 4 weeks of Cipro and Doxy just aren't working. This has been going on so long. The Urologist has now moved my appointment to 2 weeks time (it was 2 more months away) and they have said they will try a different approach but I just can't see me ever getting out of it.

I was heavy into my jogging before all of this started but the pains put a halt to that.

Time will tell I guess. I will have to keep you posted on what the next medication is they decide to put me on and fingers crossed it does some good this time.

18

Hey. How are you getting on? I’ve had this for yrs on and off and just been referred to my urologist again after 9 yrs. just been given Doxy for 4 weeks in the mean time. 

Any advice ice would be appreciated. 

Thanks. 

19

Hi Joey,

I have a meeting with my Urologist today at 4.30pm but not expecting much. I feel I am always more of a nuisance to them and they want to get me out of the room as quick as possible really. Today's appt is just a follow up to how I have been dealing with Prostatitis on my own for the past 3 months. The meeting usually concludes with them telling me to 'accept it' and that this is a life long condition. I get the impression that they have given up.

I used Doxy and Cipro for a long time and if anything I am worse off. My symptoms are a lot worse now than when I started seeing the urologist tbh. I'm not currently taking any medication. The side effects were really making it difficult for me to work and raise my kids. But the pains and discharge are now out of control.

I recently completed my assessment for PIP benefits, so waiting to hear back on this. I have just paid £140 for a further 2 sti tests from Harley Street (these sti are not checked for through the NHS). That is another thing really that has frustrated me. The NHS told me I was clear of all STI but failed to tell me that there are others that it could be which are not tested (Mycoplasma genitaliem and ureaplasma). Symptoms of these are discharge, penis pain, testicular pain etc. If I test positive for any of these it would mean I have been living with it for nearly 2 years without being addressed. Every GP, Urologist and gum specialist have told me that this is a NSU or Prostatitis and some have even told me it is anxiety/in my head!

Time will tell I guess. I am going to ask the Urologist today for any alternative method of easing my symptoms. Can I have antibiotics injected straight into the prostate? I am just fed up with the constant red tip of penis/redness of area/discharge. It really is getting to me.

I wish you luck with it. If you need any advice or further details just drop me a PM.

Cheers bud

20

I am on week 5 of Cipro and Doxy....just starting to feel normal again. My uro just did a prostate massage to help things along (bloody hell that was painful) and we are going to try a antibiotic called minocycline in a couple of weeks.

I was fortunate in that I did something very bad (BJ from a massage 'professional' with no condom so I knew it had to be an STI). I had a PCR test that identified Ureaplasma and Mycoplasma hominis early on but that still didn't help. The first two Uros I went to didn't prescribe the antibiotics long enough. So now the bacteria are antibiotic resistant and have gone into hiding in my prostate. (My 4th Uro did a prostate fluid culture which identified what antibiotics it is sensitive to.)

I've give up sex, coffee, alcohol and exercise for the time being (except for masturbation 2x a week as per doctor). I am on a supplement called "AlphaRise" and vitamin C and also probiotics (2 types). I am waiting for an order of Minocycline to be sent to me from Germany.

I am on urologist #4 who seems to be the most knowledgeable and experienced. I don't understand why so many Uros are ignorant of these STIs and prostatitis in general. I even had one doctor tell me I was making all of this up in my mind and I shouldn't try to become a urologist. Yeah, if I listened to that quack I'd probably have a kidney infection by now.

For me, I'm resigned to taking Antibiotics orally for a few months and then we will do another culture.