Stress and PSA

[RalphieJr64]

Can stress play a part in a PSA reading? The last few months have been very stressful for me. If I get a NO. Then I’ll stop stressing about my stress.

[Tall_Allen]

Hmm. If I say, "yes," you will continue to stress about your stress, which means you will stress more, raising PSA more... causing a positive feedback loop - your head will explode! So to avoid cleaning up brain matter, I'd better say "no."

[RalphieJr64 in reply to Tall_Allen]

That's not the No that I wanted to hear.

[tango65]

Perhaps this article could be of interest to you:

health.harvard.edu/newslett...

Take it easy. Best of luck!!

[RalphieJr64 in reply to tango65]

Thanks

[LearnAll]

There may be an indirect relationship between stress and PSA. Excessive stress leads to lowered immunity and that indirectly may promote cancer cell multiplication and this way more cancer cells produce more PSA...and that may show in your lab report....Just speculating !

[tom67inMA in reply to LearnAll]

The strange thing is that brief stress (particularly exercise, but mental stress as well) triggers release of NK cells into the bloodstream where they can find new cancer cells to kill. Neither continual stress nor continual relaxation seems to be optimum for the immune system. It's best to alternate between the two. So.. ride a roller coaster and then take a nap

[LearnAll in reply to tom67inMA]

Physical Exercise IMO is not stress or if it is ..it is good stress. I am on same path as you are about jogging everyday.

Weather in my state is cooling and now I am going in park for jogging .. .5 miles every day

Just like you I keep yelling "hamster power. .hamster power" and my wife keeps laughing at my silly, boyish style .

[tom67inMA in reply to LearnAll]

Sounds like you're running a bit more than me!

[RalphieJr64 in reply to tom67inMA]

Haha, so I'm damned also if I exercise.

[tom67inMA in reply to RalphieJr64]

No, actually exercise is the best thing you can do for your health whether or not you have cancer. Yes, it is "stressful", but the stress response is actually the body's way of making additional energy available which gets used up by the exercise. Exercise has an end, and afterwards the body naturally relaxes and the mind has a sense of well-being.

Compare that to "bad stress" like a bad day at the office. You get the stress response, your body makes extra energy available so you can win the fight with your coworker, but physical altercations are frowned upon in modern society. So the energy doesn't get used, and usually there is no satisfying resolution to the source of the stress. This may also explain why "Fight Club" was such an awesome movie

[RalphieJr64 in reply to LearnAll]

Thanks, I'm speculating too.

[Lynsi13]

I'm going to avoid the "yes/ no" part of the question altogether and tell you a story instead.

A few years ago my mom had a stroke. It caused incredible stress to us all, but mostly my dad who began suffering panic attacks shortly after. His PSA before the stroke was .11. A month after her stroke it jumped to. 23. A few months later when mom came home and things began to level out a bit, his PSA tested .08. Soooooo, you can interpret that however you want!

I'd be a fool to tell you not to stress. I'm getting ready to join my dad in cleveland today to get scan results. It would be easier for me to stop breathing than to stop stressing. So, I feel your burden.

Take care.

[RalphieJr64 in reply to Lynsi13]

Thanks and good results for your Dad.

[Ldb01]

I personally think it does but doctors have told us it doesnt. My hubbys PSA had gone from 48 to 2 with a combination of treatments. His bone mets were just about gone. We got back from a holiday and his daughter has given us a HUGE amount of stress (she is an addict). In 3 months his PSA regards se back to 48 and his bone mets made a massive reoccurence. So I believe stress is part of it, yes.

[RalphieJr64 in reply to Ldb01]

Thanks for your reply. Having this cancer is stressful enough. But I do believe added stress is not a benefactor. Sometimes it’s out of our control. I wish you both well.

[Ldb01 in reply to RalphieJr64]

Thank you and you

[NWLiving in reply to Ldb01]

Wow.

[JimVanHorn]

I had PCa for 11 years and staying cool is the way to go. My PSA did not change with stress but did change with lifestyle changes. I started going to church, and they prayed for me. I no longer have PCa and my PSA is stable at 0.06 . I met many new friends at the church and I am involved in other groups as well. Keeping busy helps me stop my pity bag. Life is wonderful and your PSA is just an indication all prostate cells that are multiplying (both cancerous and normal) anywhere in you body. So it is an indication but remember there are many types of PCa, in different areas of the prostate, different doctors, different therapies, and different stages of the disease. So let the doctor worry about the PSA and live a wonderful, happy life!

[RalphieJr64 in reply to JimVanHorn]

Trust me, we're all trying. Thanks for your reply.

[depotdoug]

Did you ever hear the answer: that no answer is an answer. But, saying that lightly I don't stress over my PSA's and now my "T" level measurements. In fact I enjoy anxiously waiting for my results. Like tomorrow it 6 weeks post Lupron Depot#1 inject so its PSA/T-Level labs, oh boy bring it on. Yeh, Im anticipating downward spiral of bot PSA and T Levels.

Baseline PSA 1st Sept was 8.566ng/mL & T read 294 up from 255 August. Those just stated PSA/T,levels were while on 30 days of Casodex.

So Anxiously anticipating a drop from 8.566 and a large drop from 294.

Should I be optimistic? Positively speaking I'm just wanting a drop any drop. I do not like the "NO" word either RalphieJr64.

[RalphieJr64 in reply to depotdoug]

I'm right with you.

[j-o-h-n]

Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you haven't fallen asleep yet.

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Wednesday 10/16/2019 7:07 PM DST

[elvismlv123]

There is no known evidence that stress raises PSA. We could be perfectly calm and still it might go up.Some forms of meditation have been discussed re: controlling PCa. No proof of it working.I went through many stressful events and my PSA remained very stable. It seems to rise on its own. Its a very slow rise. But hormone manipulation seems the only way to get it to go up or down. That is barring prostititis, DRE exam, injury, ejaculation.

[RalphieJr64 in reply to elvismlv123]

Thanks for your reply. It certainly is a nerve wrecking disease.