I recently got diagnosed with prostatitis and although I haven’t met with my urologist yet, my guess is they may tell me to lay-off the bike since there seems to be a correlation between the two from what I’ve read so far. I see staying off the bike as a last resort so I’m looking for options like a new saddle that may be more prostate friendly, etc. Any suggestions?
I have been using one of these since my episode with prostatitis and epididymitis five years back or so.
Actually the one I use is no longer made, it is most like the X2 model on the website. The X2 is very heavy actually. I’d try that one or the easy seat 2.
I know their website says they are not racing saddles, I have been using one of their seats in races for 5 years, tri position.
But for my totally unqualified medical opinion, you need to get off the bike for three months or whatever. I didn’t get any help until I stayed off the bike and out of the pool for the full three months. I didn’t like it but I did it.
When I came back I was OK, after fighting it for 5 months or so.
x2 on staying off the bike. took me about 3 months and a couple courses of antibiotics to get rid of it. I switched to a koobi saddle which seemed to help some but seemed to be a more time on the bike thing. As long as the long ride is under 3 hrs. no problems. Any longer(ironman/century buildup) it has a tendency to flare up.
I will have to disagree with OP’s to some extent. Prostatitis is still a bit of a mystery regarding etiology, therefore blaming biking as the primary causative agent may be a bit premature. Sure, relieving pressure (seat) and having a good fit will be essential to not exacerbate the issue, however, I would not say no biking entirely for months as a blanket statement. For some, maybe yes. Most M.D.'s, for better or worse, will shot gun the treatment approach with antibiotics, an anti-inflammatory and possibly an alpha-adrenergic blockers (flomax) depending on symptoms. You could have a stricture, infection, pelvic floor issue (muscle) among numerous other possibilities. See your urologist and get a workup and take it from there. Prostatitis can be a lot like low back pain, caused from multiple sources, can be really limiting and often goes away all by itself. However, if it sticks around it can be a major debilitator in many aspects of life.
My 2 cents for some general treatment ideas (not specific): Celebrex (most docs will balk due to cost and indication) and lots of brocco sprouts, flax oil and other natural anti-inflammatories. Antibiotics will likely be prescribed but I would be aware of the fluoroquinolones (Levaquin) if you are running and lifting a lot due to risk of musculotendon injury. Bactrin could be a nice alternative. Your urologist should make the ultimate decision with you and will be aware of all of the above.
Cheers!
Regardless of the cause of your prostatitis, you’ll spend some time off the bike if you want to heal it. If you have suddenly increased your biking and have numbness, etc after riding, there’s a good chance the bike is the culprit. There is not much blood flow to the prostate which is why the treatment of prostatitis with antibiotic and antiinflammatory is often prolonged. You can bike on a recumbent trainer or a recumbent bike. I actually trained for an ironman mostly on a recumbent bike as I had developed traumatic prostatitis from a poor fitting bike. As for saddles, everyone is different. Since I recovered from the episode, I’ve ridden a Specialized Toupe on my road bike and a Fizik Arione on my tri bike with no issues, specifically no recurrent prostatitis, numbness, etc. Good luck on your recovery.