High PSA Levels: What is the cause?

Posted by harley52 @harley52, May 26, 2021

I have been fighting raising psa levels for past two yrs now. My urologist has done several psa and testostrone test done for possible ED problem . My first test was like at 7 or 8 when it is suppose to be between 0 and 4. He checked prostate and found it is enlarged . So he keeps monitoring psa. Still having sexual problems refering to ED. Test again before next appt . On appt date test was 12 for psa testostrone was like 200. He recomeded biopsy to check for prostate cancer so he did a ultrasound biopsy. Results neg for cancer. Has me test again before next visit psa 14 testostrone 192. He then tries some testostrone injections to bring up testostrone levels to try to help sexual problem test before appt psa slightly elevated testostrone 406. Still sexual problems so he sends me in for MRI to verify for sure i Dont have prostate cancer. Results still neg . Got frustrated no answers doc will not give me any meds to bring down my numbers. So he put me on bi mix injections to help with ED. Tries it out on me first then sends me home to suffer with a 6 to 7 hr errection and had to go back for emergency drainage of blood to bring it back down . Now really having ED problems even with bi mix prescription . Went back for test again psa 18.1 testostrone 204. Now he still refuses to give me meds to bring numbers down . Mri results found no sign of cancer they just showed i had a enlarged prostate. Which we already knew. Is my numbers going to keep going up and still test neg for cancer? What can i expect can the numbers just be high due to prostate enlarged and never have cancer? Where do i go next? What do i do next to get answers

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maw12 | @maw12 | Sep 25 10:51am

"My first test was like at 7 or 8 when it is suppose to be between 0 and 4. He checked prostate and found it is enlarged . "

PSA around 10 for several years which my urologist says is normal because of my enlarged prostate (81 yrs). Two years ago (4/24) my PSA was 20 and a year later (4/25) PSA was only 4. Same urologist told me PSA goes down when older (now 81 yrs). Yet he had no concern when PSA had jumped from 10.4 to 20 from 7/23 test to 7/24 test.
Since then have been told that a PSA test is only as good as the clinic doing the test. So will go back to my former clinic when the PSA tests were around a PSA 10 year after year.

jenatsky | @jenatsky | Sep 1 7:10pm

Digital rectal exam is DRE
An MRI and an ultrasound are better choices to ascertain whether a surgical procedure is necessary.

johndavis60 | @johndavis60 | Sep 1 6:16pm

In reply to @danny5 "@jenatsky, WHAT IS THE DRE. I'VE NEVER HEARD OF IT. THANKS FOR YOUR REPLY." + (show)

Digital Rectal Exam where the Dr inserts his finger(s) into your anus to feel for lumps or irregularities on the posterior areas of your prostate.

danny67 | @danny5 | Sep 1 5:02pm

In reply to @jenatsky "@tonyinmi The DRE cannot detect cancer but it can detect abnormalities on the surface of the..." + (show)

@jenatsky, WHAT IS THE DRE. I'VE NEVER HEARD OF IT. THANKS FOR YOUR REPLY.

tonyinmi | @tonyinmi | Sep 1 4:05pm

In reply to @jenatsky "@tonyinmi The DRE cannot detect cancer but it can detect abnormalities on the surface of the..." + (show)

@jenatsky Thank you for this. What are your thoughts about an MRI? Can the MRI detect cancer? Seems that an MRI is less invasive and would not expose outside air (and a not so clean environment) into the prostate.

jenatsky | @jenatsky | Sep 1 12:03pm

@tonyinmi The DRE cannot detect cancer but it can detect abnormalities on the surface of the prostate. The reason for a biopsy is to determine what the abnormality is. A PSA is not considered a crude way to detect early prostate changes and is much better informationally for the prostate than DRE.

nathandavid | @nathandavid | Aug 26 10:39am

In reply to @tonyinmi "@nathandavid Please provide an update when the biopsy results are known. I realize that the PSA..." + (show)

DRE is useless unless large tumor.

nathandavid | @nathandavid | Aug 26 10:38am

In reply to @tonyinmi "@nathandavid Please provide an update when the biopsy results are known. I realize that the PSA..." + (show)

Had biopsy Feb 2024. Nothing positive including on the 2nd study that was sent to Pathology company for final analysis. Had biopsy done in Urologist office. Took 1mg Lorazepam prior and felt no pain at all. Had mild bleeding and clots on 2 nd day after mild pain snd it stopped on its own. Stayed on levofloxacin and Augmentin for 3 more days.