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Health of the Prostate Gland after biopsy

Posts: 15
Joined: Mar 2018

Hey guys,

I was wondering if any of you knowledgeable folks can provide me with some info on the after care of the prostate gland once a biopsy has been done. How long does the gland take to heal fully? Is there anything one can take (food, supplements, exercise?) to help promote the healing of the gland? How long does the gland take to heal? 1 month? 3 months?

Has anyone experienced a I guess a tight discomfort or just a general discomfort after having a biopsy? What about intense testicular pain? Or varying levels of pain in the testes? Does anyone know why this would occur? 


Last queston, how soon can an MRI be done after a biopsy? Right away? Or should it wait after a month(s)? Why do I need to wait?


Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you all have a good day.

Posts: 519
Joined: Jun 2015

Hi Jess,

After my biopsy I had some discomfort in my colon area for a few days, some blood in my urine for the same amount of time. no testical pain or any infections.  I had my MRI before my biopsy so the Urologist could detemine where to take the biopsy samples from, otherwise you just taking random samples in my opinion.  You need to talk to your Urologist and see when he wants to schedule your MRI and ask him how long it takes the gland to heal after a biopsy.

Dave 3+4

RobLee's picture
Posts: 259
Joined: Feb 2017

Generally a urologist will make you wait eight weeks following a biopsy before proceeding with treatment, in order to allow the prostate to heal between procedures.  The actual medical reasoning is something I can only guess.  Like my broken leg, a tibia plateau fracture.  My orthopedic surgeon told me that my knee was "mush" for a couple weeks after the initial injury and he could not operate on it until the fluid was re-absorbed. Presumably the prostate is the same way.  After a biopsy the prostate is swollen as a result of the irritation and would be difficult to treat.  Most everyone I've spoken with says to allow 6-8 weeks for it to settle down.

Posts: 60
Joined: Nov 2017

My urologist told me they like to wait at least 4 months to do a PSA test after a biopsy, I assume to allow the gland to heal sufficiently so as not to affect the test results.

As far as pain, I've had two biopsys; both were painless during the procedure.  Had a "pins and needles" feeling in my rectum for 2-3 hours afterward, less so after the second biopsy.

Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3's picture
Max Former Hodg...
Posts: 3384
Joined: May 2012


My situation after biopsy was a bit different than what the other guys have described:  NO precautions, for any period of time.  All they told me to do was continue the antibiotics, and be aware of possible signs of infection.  They did not suggest recommending avoiding sex or anything else.

My doctor is part of a group of urologists (about a dozen).  Most are surgeons, a few are not.  And it is part of a teaching hospital. My own surgeon (well over 1,000 prostectomies now, and did Residency at MD Anderson/Houston) told me sex before a PSA test is irrelevant, or so close to irrelevant as to be treated as such.

My G.P. (Ivy-trained in the US, and then medical school in Switzerland) told me the same thing:  I asked if PSA draws after sex the night before would effect outcomes, and he said "absolutly not."

I know that these doctors' responses differ from the conventional wisdom at this site. Some guys even respond with a clinical study or two.  But it seems intuitive to me: Why WOULD sex impact PSA ?  And when is "waiting" going to be "waiting long enough ?"  It's like saying "We can't get a reading on his heart because it's beating" or "we can't study his upper G.I, because he's been swallowing saliva."

I never let sex effect when or how I had any prostate testing done, or when I had sex afterward, and saw no ill effects from such a policy.  As to waiting for an MRI: regarding that, I cannot advise, since I've never had a prostate-related MRI in my life (except to assit in Kegel training); it was never deemed clinically necessary in my case.

Regarding "diet": absolutely nothing in the human diet has clear, unambiguous effects on prostate health, short or long-term.  This is the conclusion of the American Cancer Society and the most authoratative agencies writing on the subject of foods and prostate cancer development or treatment.  Humanity  has sought miracle cures and diet relief since we broke off from Neandethals,and I guess we always will. Reefer is the most popular myth, but it is just that: a myth.  I eat healthy and recommend such to other men, but not becausde of the prostate itself:  Rather, because of other benefits, such as cardiac health and avoiding obesity.  A slim man with a strong heart can better fight PCa than a fat guy with coronaries, but only because a slim guy can better withstand any form of treatment for any illness, regardless of location.  When I was 30 I was run over by a car, crushed in-effect to death.  Two months in the hospital, and then a year of rehab.  My then-G.P. volunteered something to me a few years later, without me asking, during a discussion of me living through that, when most of my medical team said I would not survive:

He said, "Two things saved you. You were not fat, and you were not old.  If you had been either, you would have died."

Again, guys here will differ, and support some dietary study that suggests otherwise. Problem is, ten other studies suggest otherwise, and a food-PCa link has not been proven to the satisfaction of the leading authorities, and they conclude therefore that there is no established food-PSa link.

Vegans, monks, and sausage addicts get PCa at the same rates, with the same prognosis thereafter.


lighterwood67's picture
Posts: 246
Joined: Feb 2018

Well, after the biopsy I had some pain in my rectum; blood in my urine; blood in my semen.  Other than that I was fine.  This cleared up.

Posts: 42
Joined: Jan 2018

My husband had two MRI guided biopsies over the past two years, and the "big one" fall of 2017.   The MRI guided were easier to recover from.  His final biopsy was horrible.  He was uncomfortable for weeks/months.  He developed an infection about three weeks after.  Pain just wouldn't go away.  Started feeling bad, then started running a fever.  He started on antibiotics, and was better within a week.  He has said that he was uncomfortable for months after each biopsy.   So if you are having continual pain, I would get with your doctor. 

His surgeon/oncologist at MSK would not do surgery until he had 12 full weeks to recover from the biopsy.  His biopsy was 10/13, and his surgery was 1/30.  This gave the prostate and surrounding nerves time to heal from the trauma.  As his doctor said, he had one shot to make the surgery successful (nerve sparing), and no need to rush before everythign healed up. 


It seems the MRI should have been done prior to the biopsy.   All of my husbands were done before the biopsy.    I probably wouldn't have an MRI done until at least 12-14 weeks after - for the reasons shown above - time to heal from the trauma. 

hopeful and opt...
Posts: 2230
Joined: Apr 2009

high fat milk and dairy products 




Lifelong Transformation Through Lifestyle Medicine






Basically hearth healthy is prostate cancer healthy

Posts: 454
Joined: Mar 2017

Regarding the role of sexual activity and PSA levels, there is a wildcard variable that makes generalizations difficult. Prolactin is a mysterious hormone secreted by the pituitary gland in both men and women, but for diffetent purposes. And it is secreted at different levels among men.

Its purpose in men appears to be shutting down testosterone production and squelching sexual desire immediately after coitus.

If any of you ever watched How I Met Your Mother... though fictional, the Barney character was a classic high prolactin level type... As soon as coitus was over, it was "See you later I'm outahere, I'll call you (not!)" But Howard on Big Bang Theory was the low prolactin type. .. "All night long y'all!" 

Just a light hearted way to illustrate that guys with low prolactin levels will continue to produce testosterone continuously and stay horny all the time but guys with high levels can have their sex drive grind to a screeching halt.

I cant say for sure, but i am wondering, since the androgens in testosterone excite prostate cells, its possible the guys with high prolactin  levels will register no significant changes in their PSA levels after sex, but guys with low prolactin levels may be producing testosterone and androgens long after sexual activity and increased PSA levels. Not sure I can say that for sure, but it would account for the wide variation in opinion among urologists.

Here's a look into this bizarre hormone from the point of view of a male fetility site...

"Some hormones just don't tend to play well with your testosterone.  Cortisol and estrogen are examples.  Another hormone that can whack your testosterone and your sex life is prolactin. Prolactin is a fine hormone and great for sleep, but, unfortunately, it makes a lot of other important things go to sleep, including your testosterone and fertility if levels are high enough. It is, not too surprisingly, often devasting to erections due to decreased testosterone levels and because it antagonizes dopamine and leads to an increased refractory (recovery post-erection) period. [4]  Excessive prolactin is also associated with gynecomastia, i.e. "male boobs". [2] And probaby most dangerous of all in the long term, prolactin is probably an inflammatory cytokine (TNF alpha, IL-6, etc.) and has been linked to various inflammatory diseases, especially lupus. [7]"

That rascal hormone prolactin is what makes men want to turn over and go to sleep after sex, even when their  partner is a supermodel and wants multiple *******.  Extremely high prolactin levels are being looked at as a cause for ED now as well. And have you ever known guys who don't date and never seemed interested in a sexual relationship?... Everybody thinks "Low T levels" when it might be caused by high prolactin levels.

Dont know if it does account for the wide variation among men and their PSA levels after sex, but dont know if it doesn't, either.


Posts: 15
Joined: Mar 2018

Well no doctor suggested to us to do an MRI before a biopsy. Nor did any doctor tell us theres a waiting period. My dad is 7 weeks post biopsy with an mri this Thursday. The screwed up thing was that his doctor (MSK) said they could do the MRI yet on their website it tells you to wait at least three months. I had yet another doctor tell us to wait at least 2 months. It seems that optimal healing time is at least a month. So I'm guessing he'll be ok?

As for pain, the day after the biopsy he experienced intense testicular pain  He was down all day, high on advil...since then there hasnt been much pain. The occasional dull ache sometimes. Not sure why he experienced this. Maybe the tramua to the prostate made them sensitive? He experiences general discomfort as well as most men do which I'm sure is just healing. 

Thank you all for your replies and time .

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