Posted 4/26/2016 10:20 PM (GMT -5)
Well it took a while but finally side effects have subsided and things are fairly close to normal.
The main problem after the four easy CK treatments was difficulty urinating, especially at night. The RO put me on Flomax, first one, then two tablets in the morning when I started to have trouble after 2 treatments. Then I added 400mg Ibuprofen every four hours, and it was still difficult. Had to stand and wait, or sit for a long time to even partially empty my bladder. In the weeks that followed I went on Medrol (prednisone) twice for five-day series, and each time symptoms improved considerably, then reverted once the series was finished. The trouble with the steroids though is that you can't use them too much, or you risk reducing the natural output of the adrenals.
By week 4 I was quite discouraged indeed and switched to Rapaflo (fighting with the insurance since it is a brand name). That was lots better for a few hours after the morning pill, then way worse in the afternoon and evening. After a long consult with the RO I switched back to the Flomax.
Even though most symptoms resolve within 2-3 weeks the doctors said he had seen some cases where it took longer, so was not terribly concerned. He said that usually there's just a point at which things get better quite quickly. And that's what happened. between weeks 5 and 6, the difficulty peeing, and frequent night visits, improved a lot.
Now things are almost back to normal. I'm still exercising a lot, long outdoor hikes with lots of steep uphills and 2-3 times a week at the gym. Sometimes heavy exercise
Return visit with the doc is not till June (3 months) but I'll have the PSA test mid May and will see the results.