prostatitis

[wicket]

Been diagnosed with prostatitis.

Any advice on saddles or the condition itself would be appreciated.

I've gone from loads of miles to zero miles

 

[Raging_Bulls]

Welcome to the club. I've been dealing with chronic prostatitis for 18 months now. Only been diagnosed last winter because they checked everything else first and found nothing.
I can't take medication due to stomach problems, so to me the most important thing is to keep the pain down to a reasonable level. However there is plenty of good medication out there, so it shouldn't be the end of the world for most people.


My first tip is to cut down on your ... ermmm ... R-rated activities (I need to censor myself a bit for the sake of any children who might read this). That includes those you would do on your own. Merely thinking about said activities can agitate the prostate, even if there's no "growing of a certain body part" involved.
It's generally advised to give the prostate at least 48 hours to recover from a climax, so try to give it twice that amount of time.
Also, don't drag it on too long. Keeping the prostate agitated for extended periods of time is never a good idea, but especially not when you're already dealing with prostatitis.
If you've got a partner, make sure she/he knows the problem and understands your new (hopefully temporary) limitations too.

I guess you've already figured out that the bladder is right above the prostate, and the pain will be worse as the bladder fills up. The simple solution is to empty your bladder more often.
Doesn't matter if you actually "have" to go, just go to the bathroom before you leave the house or plan on doing anything that can take a while.
Also avoid drinks that make you go to the toilet often (Cola, Red Bull, most sports drinks, any alcoholic beverages including beer, etc). Just drink water when you're thirsty. Don't even try to get to the recommended 1.5L/day unless you have medical reasons to drink a lot (kidney problems for instance).
When you do notice difficulties urinating, that may be because the swelling of the prostate is blocking the urinary tract. That would be a serious alarm signal.

Now, riding a bike ...

IMO saddles don't really help. There's a lot of talk about ergonomic saddles reducing the pressure on the soft spots, but the prostate gland is located a bit higher up and will carry the full pressure of your torso's weight no matter what saddle shape and padding you use.
Basically : A huge gel saddle will cause just as much pain as a Flite. At least in my case it does.
If the infection is worse and the pain is radiating to nearby parts (usually the testis and associated plumbing, but the urinary tract is also a likely candidate), a Flite will of course cause more pain than a Gel saddle. However in that case I'd advise against riding anyway.

Seating position doesn't help either, I suffer just as much on a cruiser bike than I do on my Sbike. A recumberant bike may be the solution, but I haven't tried that yet.
I noticed that I mostly suffer if I ride within the first 2-3 days after a climax. Do keep in mind that "ride" means "on the road" in my case. Off-road riding ... heh, forget about that for now.
All in all, get used to walking. It's healthier for the whole urogenital system anyway and it will actually relieve the pain a bit. Keep the bikes for the occasional trip to the shops, or use the forced break to restore them.

 

[drcarlos]

Just googled it, ow. You have my sympathy guys.

Carl.

 

[wicket]

Thanks for the replies.

I have had all the scans, all ok. Urologist told me its prostatitis.

Pain is ok ish, I just feel lifeless. Everyday tasks are fine, but strenuous exercise is no go. Baths are my best friend. Have also read that stress and anxiety can flare it up. I've had it now for 3 months Urologist said cycling doesn't help, and I have put in some miles over the years. I'm not bothered about fizzy drinks or alcohol, but I enjoy a coffee and a curry Its a real pain.