Advice please-gctid9494

@GGW
Re think the use of the Aneros - it's not a log!
Start with the SGX to get used to it. At this point size may not be important. It may take a while to feel the pressure on the Prostate. Take it easy, don't force. You may wish to douche to clean out a bit but not too much water. Generally we suggest an oil type lube rather than water based. Good old castor oil is good, coconut oil is good, olive oil stains. Unrefind Shea butter is very popular. But you may know all this.
My situation was similar but not drug induced. I won't go into details at this point.
I have not had the super Os that are craved but I truly believe my Prostate health has improved enormously. My PSA is good, so is my free testosterone. I have no idea of the size of my Prostate but it is not obvious now. After using the Aneros for quite a short time my youthful functions returned, for 76 I do good!
There are other wise users who will give good advice.

@GGW --- Since you are reasonably certain you have an enlarged Prostate, I recommend you go slow and easy as I've heard that once contact with the Prostate is made, the process of releasing the buildup can be a bit unexpected with the sensations. I've read that to some it's a popping feeling during the massage! If it's already enlarged, I would also expect tenderness of the Prostate afterwards. Best of luck to you and to your health!

TG

Thanks for the info y'all. I appreciate the affirmation a smaller SGX may be my best choice and great to know the Aneros has helped you similarly, isvara.

Although I still haven't found much info on the actual therapeutic use of the Aneros, it seems this is more of a medical device and designed as such. I like the idea of the device doing the work needed and that work being controlled by my body itself rather than arbitrary inputs and electrical power.

Seems like I've read a few 30-minute sessions per week should allow time for the Aneros to do the work needed for the rehab and do it at it's own proper speed.

GGW check out the High Island Health website to get some further information about the therapeutic use of the device

Thank you. I found this site early in my search for info. This must have been where I came up with my iteration of suggested use when I say above "a few 30-minute sessions per week"

The actual instructions on that site specify "2 to 3 times a week for 30 to 45 minutes".

Good stuff. Thank you for referring me back to the site.

As an update, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on an Aneros SGX.

GGW,

Welcome to the Aneros Forum and NO, you're not beyond the point of rewiring. I congratulate you for setting aside your reservations about these massagers and for taking a proactive holistic approach to dealing with your BPH symptoms. It is certainly possible the MGX model you are contemplating will help your urinary flow, I know it has helped mine. I, too, am 5'-8" so I know that model will fit you well and the fact that it is slightly less aggressive than other models will probably make its use more comfortable as well.

As @anlcomplsv noted, High Island Health LLC is the parent company & manufacturer of the Aneros ® brand of prostate massagers. This patented device was originally and is currently offered for sale as the Pro-State ® line of massagers on the High Island Health website. The HIH website is primarily oriented toward the health aspects and benefits of prostate massage in accord with Oriental medicine for prostate related issues. A forum for users to discuss practice with these devices also exists on that website, I encourage you to check out that site to learn more about the health benefits. You may also be interested in reading about the ongoing Columbia Medical School study using the Pro-State massagers. The High Island Health website also contains testimonials from users regarding their experiences using these wonderful little massagers. That website also provides links to additional information on prostate health, the Aneros® website, by contrast, is oriented toward the sensual, pleasure aspects of prostate massage.
Good Vibes to You !

Thanks rumel. I certainly do appreciate all the help from y'all. Also good to learn that one of my initial searches for information took me to the parent company. Then I came here for more info which now leads me back to where I began. Funny how that works.

I am a firm believer in traditional oriental medicine. In fact, my 16½ year old dog has been under a treatment regime of eastern philosophy for the past two months and this has made a world of difference in his health, happiness and general well-being..

@GGW, the benefits far out weigh the costs.
You simply can't go wrong with it for Prostate health. The Prostate is the pearl of great price buried in the floor of the beggars' hut. If only he had looked he would have found it. You have been "forced" to look (as I was) and you have found it. Now the challenge it what to do with it. You will find a huge amount of support on this site.
You may also have to work out how to reveal it to your partner. Mine was over joyed that I was going to be 'alive' longer in more ways than one!

Interesting you mention this. My wife knows of the problems I was having when I was sick. She noticed I was blowing up like a water balloon when I was drinking a lot of water and having so much difficulty peeing it out. She knows all about the special kind of hell I experienced last Monday when I couldn't squeeze out a drop until 4 PM. Still, I haven't told her I learned the cause of the difficulty and that being my prostate locked up solid.

@GGW, my pee problem paled against my Ej stress. My Prostate would lock and pull energy from my heart and I might just be able to Ej a bit. It put such a huge strain on my heart I could see how a man could have a heart attack during sex. My wife was aware and was worried but could also see the half life if I gave up doing sex. I could not successfully masturbate either. It looked very grey for us. That was three years ago. I was desperate and came across HIH and Aneros Forum. I purchased a SGX and a Helix. Within three months all that stress went away and I accidentally found using an old Fleshlight worked. I shared this with my partner and she said do "what ever works". However it was not cheap as she demanded I purchase a Lelo Lilly so she could play when I was playing with my toys. She is on the second one now!
I acknowledge I am fortunate in a partner who accepted and encouraged what was working for me. She could see beyond barriers to my healthy survival and that was paramount to her. Sadly many partners can't do this and don't allow themselves to see past their conditioning to the very " life" of their partner.
I would definitely work on the health and survival angle rather than it feel nice! There is a rather outdated study on the HIH website that can be helpful. But remember most females are not interested in the process, details, rather the outcome that affects them - your happiness and health.

Wow isvara, that is some serious business. I am so glad you were able to recover from all that.

The only serious issues I've had are the recent acute problems but I've known for a while something wasn't quite right. I've been able to rationalize it out by knowing I'm not a kid anymore. I haven't seen anything of the magnitude you experienced but I did have a few strange things happen between Christmas and when I got sick for New Years. Every time we had sex during that period I ended with a hell of a headache. I thought it must have been caused by me coming down with the flu that she had just gotten over. Now I wonder if it was maybe connected to the prostate thing coming on but it hasn't happened again post-flu.

I was gonna get my wife a Lelo Ina but we went with the Hitachi Magic Wand. That thing is awesome. We have a variety of accessories including the Hummingbird attachment for her to use on me. This wand is like an industrial duty automatic O machine for either one of us and it happens in a flash.

I guess I'm having a hard time with bringing her up to speed on the prostate problems and my chosen therapy because this isn't falling into the realm of toys and fun for me. It's more in the category of a bad problem and a tool to fix it. I know she'll be very supportive and I don't know why I'm having a hard time talking to her about it since we're very open with each other in all other areas.

Come to think of it though, maybe we're both like dogs and try to hide our aches and pains and problems. She does the same thing. When she has problems, getting the info out of her is like pulling teeth.

@GGW,
"It's more in the category of a bad problem and a tool to fix it."
I will most surprised if this "necessary tool" does not magnify your enjoyment with your partner.
All the best.

It will be ok. We had a good talk about it this evening.

I did get in trouble for not ordering the SGX with expedited shipping. She hopes it will arrive before the weekend.

Our experiences are remarkably similar. I'd like to offer some thoughts based on my personal ordeal.

1. Find a good Urologist. You may have to try a few to find one that is a good fit. You will not need to talk him/her into an exam - it's standard procedure. Every guy over 40 should have a urology exam yearly. It should not be thought of as optional. You now know how enjoyable a prostate can be, do your best to hang on to it.

2. A normal PSA on its own, is not a reliable indicator of the presence of cancer. Many men with "normal" PSAs have cancer, and those with very high PSAs don't. The only way to know is to back it up with other exams. What is frustrating is the results from different exams may conflict. That's where an experianced and trusted doctor comes in.

3. Your difficulty with urinating needs to be addressed, especially if you travel or are a long distance from medical help. At a minimum, a good Urologist will teach you how to self-catheter in an emergency. It sounds awful, but not being able to pee is much, much, worse and dangerous. You may not want to do this, but you probably don't want to scare your wife to death with an emergency either. I had a blockage once after a bad cold, and in just a few hours I thought I was going to die. The trip to the ER was horrible, especially answering all of the questions at the admittance desk. It was like "Lady, I'm going to explode here in your chair!"

4. Using an Aneros can help you live with the symptoms for awhile. It is not a cure and is unlikely to shrink a large prostate. The prostate is likely to continue growing.

5. I had problems with prostate medications as well. I'm pretty sensitive to medications in general and they all had undesirable side-effects even though they did shrink the size of my prostate. Having side-effects may not be true for you and the only way to know is to try the medications if your doctor recommends it. After years of fighting it, I eventually had a TURP and it worked with no ill effects.

6. I am close to your age and I would say you are deffinately not too old to rewire. You may be amazed at what you are about to discover. I'll bet you have no idea what pleasure lies hidden within. You have taken a really good first step in talking about it with your wife. She may find that it adds a new dimension to your sex life. You may develop sensitivity in areas that were undeveloped, and those areas will be lot of fun for her to play with. She may find that you are more sensitive to her orgasms since female orgasms and Super-Os are thought to be very similar. In the least, using a Aneros during sex can be a lot of fun!

Have fun and be healthy!

Xileh

Thanks Xileh. Good advice. My wife thinks I need to see a specialist about this too. I guess it's a smart thing to do. She goes to the gyno every year and has a pap smear, etc. so I should be able to man up and go see a urologist. Any suggestions on how to find a good one? I'm not much of a fan of doctors.

My day in hell when I couldn't pee was very frightening but that was a direct result of all the cold/flu meds I was taking. I know not to do that again. Trouble is, who knows what will lock up my prostate next time? My wife thinks that incident put me over the edge. Now I have to find my way back. As always, she'll be right there with me to help me find the way. I am so blessed to have this wonderful woman as my wife.

The Super O is a fascinating thing and looking forward to exploration here. I wish I could get off like my wife does. I can sometimes keep her "out there" for a very long time.

Edit: I just looked up TURP. Oh my!

Difficulty urinating is a very common side effect of antihistamines, especially with anyone with an enlarged prostate. Some newer med's have less of this effect. Talk to your Dr. You may have a benign situation and just need to avoid this kind of drug.

Thanks Gilman. Certain things, like the Flexaril muscle relaxer that I had to take 15 years ago, are known to give me problems while another like Skelaxin never has. Antihistamine like Rynatan never have. I think the main culprit here was the pseudofed but the magnitude of the difficulty really took me by surprise. Now I know so that's a good thing.

For now I'll proceed with the oriental philosophy but get a full hormone panel and the perspective of a doctor who operates under the western philosophy. Will take it from there but prostate pharmaceuticals will definitely be a choice of last resort.

The SGX arrived today. I am surprised how small it is. I imagined it would be much, much larger. When I mentioned "log up my ass" in my initial post, I obviously wasn't visualizing properly.

@GGW Your questions have been answered by some of the best of the "old timers" in the community. I speak as an Aneros user of the older middle age (!) group (mid-60's) who has already benefited from their sage advice and has come to really appreciate the change that using the Aneros devices has made in my day to day function as well as my intimate life (married 44 years next month!). Make sure you gather the other great tips and advice available in the "Wiki's" and other forums for new users. Wishing you success and enjoyment.

@GGW: I join @Xileh in urging you to get a referral to a board Urologist! Being able to (near completely) void your bladder is essential to avoid Kidney damage. Yes, anti-histamines can be a bad deal -- even a nasal spray or other inhaler can cause my prostate to react. Ask your doc or pharmacist for an alternative decongestant.
My own Uro and I have agreed on an interpretation of PSA that considers year-to-year change along with the absolute value. My insurance company only allows one test per year and my Uro knows I'm good for the bill if he wants a second test.
This therapy has arrested my prostate enlargement. And, using an Aneros or HIH Prostate on a regular basis has enabled my Uro to reduce my medication (an alfa-blocker) to reduce my tendency toward ultra-low blood pressure.
If you have favorable results from that SGX and would like to explore an alternative tool, consider the HIH Prostate #950, a new massager from the HIH website.

I've located a couple of the best urologists in my area and will make an appointment soon. Both of these guys have worked on my father. It took them a while but they cured his bladder cancer. He's been clear for six years now.

I think I will get another device. What I was initially envisioning as the size of a log may actually be too small. It is "milking" it out but I think something larger may be more effective.