Monday, March 25, 2024

Cold Medicine For Enlarged Prostate

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Men With Prostate Trouble Should Avoid Some Cold Medicines

How to Treat An Enlarged Prostate (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia): 12 Natural Treatments

By Daniel Gaitan

4 Min Read

With cold and flu season in full swing, experts are warning men who have an enlarged prostate to avoid medicines containing antihistamines and decongestants.

Its very important that men with enlarged prostate avoid cold medicines with pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine. Those are ingredients in decongestants and they constrict the prostatic capsule and lead to urine retention, said Dr. Gregory T. Bales, a urologist at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Antihistamines arent quite as bad, because they work more on the bladder muscle, but they can cause bladder contractility.

Enlargement of the prostate, formally known as benign prostate hyperplasia , results from increased cell growth in and around the prostate gland. The increased growth can constrict the urethra and decrease urine flow. Men with the progressive disease often have difficulty urinating and the urge to go more frequently.

BPH is more common in older men, because as men age their prostate continues to grow. Nearly 80 percent of men age 50 and older will be diagnosed with some degree of the disease, said Dr. William Catalona, a urologist with Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

We dont know what causes benign prostatic enlargement, its one of the great mysteries, and we really wish we did because its such a prevalent condition, Catalona told Reuters Health. Sometimes men need to get up every hour at night.

What To Expect At Home

The prostate is a gland that produces the fluid that carries sperm during ejaculation. It surrounds the tube through which urine passes out of the body .

An enlarged prostate means the gland has grown bigger. As the gland grows, it can block the urethra and cause problems, such as:

  • Not being able to fully empty your bladder
  • Needing to urinate two or more times per night
  • Slowed or delayed start of the urinary stream and dribbling at the end
  • Straining to urinate and weak urine stream
  • Strong and sudden urge to urinate or a loss of urinary control

Tests Used To Check The Prostate

This first step lets your doctor hear and understand the “story” of your prostate concerns. You’ll be asked whether you have symptoms, how long you’ve had them, and how much they affect your lifestyle. Your personal medical history also includes any risk factors, pain, fever, or trouble passing urine. You may be asked to give a urine sample for testing.

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Transurethral Microwave Thermotherapy Of The Prostate

Because of the risks associated with transurethral prostatectomy, minimally invasive therapies have been developed as alternative strategies to ablate prostatic tissue.25 Of these strategies, radiofrequency and microwave energy have been the most extensively investigated. In general, these minimally invasive techniques are less effective than transurethral prostatectomy but are associated with fewer significant complications. However, a troublesome consequence of these minimally invasive therapies is postprocedure AUR.

The incidence of AUR following TUMT is related to the amount of energy delivered to the prostate. In a prospective randomized study reported by DAncona and colleagues,26 the length of catheterization was 4.1 days following transurethral prostatectomy versus 12.7 days with TUMT. Blute and colleagues27 reported that, following TUMT, 36% of men required catheterization for urinary retention. The rate of AUR following TUNA ranges from 13.3% to 41.6%.25

What If I Forget To Take It

Urinary Hesitancy

If you miss a dose of tamsulosin, and you remember within 6 hours, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it’s more than 6 hours, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time the next day.

Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.

If you forget doses often, it may help to set an alarm to remind you.

You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine.

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What Else Do You Need To Make Your Decision

Check the facts

  • You’re right. Typically, you don’t need medicine unless your symptoms bother you or you have other problems such as bladder infections or bladder stones.
  • Sorry, that’s wrong. Typically, you don’t need medicine unless your symptoms bother you or you have other problems such as bladder infections or bladder stones.
  • It may help to go back and read “Key points to remember.” Typically, you don’t need medicine unless your symptoms bother you or you have other problems such as bladder infections or bladder stones.
  • You’re right. About 4 out of 10 men find that their symptoms improve without treatment.
  • Sorry, that’s the wrong answer. About 4 out of 10 men find that their symptoms improve without treatment.
  • It may help to go back and read “Compare your options.” About 4 out of 10 men find that their symptoms improve without treatment.
  • Correct. The side effects of medicine may bother you more than your symptoms.
  • Sorry, that’s wrong. The side effects of medicine may bother you more than your symptoms.
  • It may help to go back and read “Get the Facts.” The side effects of medicine may bother you more than your symptoms.

How sure do you feel right now about your decision?

Use the following space to list questions, concerns, and next steps.

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Another type of prostate issue is chronic prostatitis, or chronic pelvic pain syndrome. This condition causes pain in the lower back and groin area, and may cause urinary retention. Symptoms include leaking and discomfort. In severe cases, a catheter may be required to relieve the symptoms. If the problem is unresponsive to other treatments, your doctor may suggest a surgical procedure. If these do not work, your symptoms could progress and become chronic.

An acute bacterial infection can cause a burning sensation. Inflammation of the prostate can affect the bladder and result in discomfort and other symptoms. This is the most common urinary tract problem in men under 50, and the third most common in men over 65. The symptoms of acute bacterial prostatitis are similar to those of CPPS. Patients may experience a fever or chills as a result of the infection.

A bacterial infection can also lead to prostate issues. Acute bacterial infections can be hard to treat. Some men with a bacterial infection may need to take antibiotics to prevent or treat symptoms. Symptoms of the disease include fever and chills, pain in the lower back and the tip of the penis. Some men may have blood in the urine, frequent urination, and blood in the urine. If you suffer from acute bacterial prostatitis, a medical professional should be able to prescribe you the appropriate treatments to prevent the disease.

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Talking With Your Doctor

Different kinds of doctors and other health care professionals manage prostate health. They can help you find the best care, answer your questions, and address your concerns. These health care professionals include:

  • Family doctors and internists
  • Physician assistants and nurse practitioners
  • Urologists, who are experts in diseases of the urinary tract system and the male reproductive system
  • Urologic oncologists, who are experts in treating cancers of the urinary system and the male reproductive system
  • Radiation oncologists, who use radiation therapy to treat cancer
  • Medical oncologists, who treat cancer with medications such as hormone treatments and chemotherapy
  • Pathologists, who identify diseases by studying cells and tissues under a microscope

View these professionals as your partnersâexpert advisors and helpers in your health care. Talking openly with your doctors can help you learn more about your prostate changes and the tests to expect.

Key Points To Remember

Medications to Avoid with Enlarged Prostate | Reduce Symptoms and Risk of Prostate Enlargement
  • Typically, you don’t need medicine for an enlarged prostate unless the symptoms bother you or you have other problems such as bladder infections or bladder stones.
  • About 4 out of 10 men find that their symptoms improve without treatment. That means that 6 out of 10 men need medicine or surgery to help their symptoms.footnote 1
  • The side effects of medicine may bother you more than your symptoms.
  • Taking medicine may help keep you from needing surgery in the future.footnote 2

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Talking To Your Doctor

Above all, if you have prostate gland enlargement, you need to be careful about the medications you use.

Avoid medicating yourself based on the information you find on forums and other similar platforms. The best thing to do is to talk to your doctor about medications you need to take.

Your healthcare provider will inform you about the most suitable prostate medicine you need to take. Or those less safe that you should avoid that may be bad for your prostate.

For some medications, its necessary to adjust the dosage. This is something only your doctor can .

If you feel like youre not getting better, express your concerns to a healthcare provider, and they may prescribe the most suitable medications for your condition.

Feel free to ask your doctor or dietitian for tips about the diet that is the best for you, the best foods to eat or drink to help you to feel better, and what to avoid.

Above all, regular checkups at the doctors office are important. The doctor may order aPSA test to evaluate for the presence of various problems ranging from prostate cancer to acute bacterial prostatitis.

What Medications Should I Avoid If I Have An Enlarged Prostate

Many popular nonprescription cold and allergy medications contain decongestants that can cause the bladder neck to contract. This restricts urine flow and can lead to the complete closure of the bladder opening and cause acute urinary retention. For this reason, these cold and allergy medications are labeled with warnings against their use if a person has benign prostatic hyperplasia — enlarged prostate. While short-term use of these medicines is unlikely to be a significant problem, chronic use should be avoided. Antihistamines also can cause problems because they may interfere with the ability of the bladder to contract. If you think you need medications for allergies, talk to your primary healthcare practitioner about prescription medications that do not cause urinary symptoms.

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Medications To Use For A Cold If You Have Prostate Problems

If you have an enlarged prostate or other prostate or urinary tract problems such as prostate cancer, what can you take to get relief from that stuffy, runny nose?

It may be best to stay away from pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, and phenylephrine products. Even topicals such as Afrin can be problematic for the prostate. If you read carefully through the active ingredients in cold and flu medications you will find these compounds listed often. One study found that 6 percent of men aged 50 to 69 had experienced an aggravation of an enlarged prostate due to taking cold medications. Not surprisingly, visits to the emergency room with urinary retention are more common during the winter months.

Options which won’t cause prostate problems include:

  • Putting eucalyptus and camphor products under your nose and on your chest. This doesn’t work physicallyit doesn’t reduce congestionbut it may trick your brain into thinking you are breathing better. This is especially true for those who used these treatments as a child.
  • Hot baths are an easy option and are readily available.
  • Steam humidifiers are cumbersome but can also provide symptomatic relief without interfering with the prostate.

Alternate Treatments That Wont Affect The Prostate

Cold Medicine For Enlarged Prostate

Vapor rubs using topical preparations containing camphor, menthol, eucalyptus and other aromatic oils may be applied to the neck and chest at bedtime or vaporized in a machine during sleeping hours. There is some evidence that the use of aroma therapy can help relieve symptoms of the common cold. Vapor therapy does not cause urinary difficulties.

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Real Men Real Results

Awards and honors are great, but no one does a better job of saying how well ProstaGenix works than our actual customers. Here is what just a few of our many 5 star reviews have to say:

âTo whom it may concern, I would like to say that ProstaGenix is a great product. Before taking this product I would need to use the restroom every hour. Also getting up at least a couple of times at night. After only using three thirds ofa bottle I no longer have to go during the night. On a recent four hour road trip to Branson Missouri we didn’t have to stop for a restroom break. It is much more effective that the prescription my doctor had me taking for the same problem.A very satisfied and pleasantly surprised customer.âCurt Brought, Platte City Mo.

âHave been taking Prostagenix for almost 2 months and noticed the effects within 10 days. Was getting up 4-5 times a night for bathroom use and my romance life was no good. Now 1 maybe 2 times for bathroom use in a night and myromance life has improved greatly. Wife of 55 yrs is happy again. Went to my urologist 4 weeks after I started taking Prostagenix and my numbers greatly improved. He said to keep doing whatever I am going. SOO. It works. Thank you forgiving my life back.âRobert Smith

Does it Work? Here’s why we average 4.8 stars…

How To Take It

Swallow your tamsulosin capsules or tablets whole with a glass of water.

Do not break, chew or crush them.

If you can, take tamsulosin in the morning, after breakfast or the first meal or snack of the day. This is so the highest levels of medicine are in your body during the day and gives you the most benefit when you are most likely trying to pee.

It’s best to take it at about the same time each day.

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Questions You May Want To Consider Asking Your Doctor Include:

  • What type of prostate problem do I have?
  • Is more testing needed and what will it tell me?
  • If I decide on watchful waiting, what changes in my symptoms should I look for and how often should I be tested?
  • What type of treatment do you recommend for my prostate problem?
  • For men like me, has this treatment worked?
  • How soon would I need to start treatment and how long would it last?
  • Do I need medicine and how long would I need to take it before seeing improvement in my symptoms?
  • What are the side effects of the medicine?
  • Are there other medicines that could interfere with this medication?
  • If I need surgery, what are the benefits and risks?
  • Would I have any side effects from surgery that could affect my quality of life?
  • Are these side effects temporary or permanent?
  • How long is recovery time after surgery?
  • Will I be able to fully return to normal?
  • How will this affect my sex life?
  • How often should I visit the doctor to monitor my condition?
Related Resources

Foods And Other Things That Can Worsen Symptoms

Beverages to Avoid with Enlarged Prostate | Reduce Symptoms of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Medications arent the only triggers of BPH symptoms.

Be careful about how much fluid you consume. The more you drink, the more youll feel the urge to urinate.

Stop drinking water and other fluids a few hours before you go to bed. Youll have less chance of being awakened in the middle of the night by an urgent need to use the restroom.

Diuretics cause your body to release more urine. Avoid drinks that may have a diuretic effect. These include:

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Surgical procedures to remove the diseased prostate are usually necessary. Surgical procedures are not always necessary. If the disease is caused by bacterial infections, a doctor can treat the symptoms using alpha-blockers or surgery. Physical therapy, relaxation exercises, and warm baths are all recommended. A physician may also prescribe antibiotics to cure the infection. A bacterial infection can also cause a recurrence of the condition.

An enlarged prostate can be uncomfortable for both men and women. Some of the symptoms of an enlarged male reproductive organ include a weakened urine stream, urgent need to urinate, and urinary tract infections. BPH can also cause damage to the kidneys. A sudden inability to urinate can be life-threatening, as it can lead to bladder and kidney damage. Unfortunately, most men with enlarged prostrates put up with the symptoms for years before they seek treatment. However, many of the men with symptoms finally decide to go to a doctor for proper gynecological evaluation and to begin enlarged prostatic therapy.

Cold Prevention Measures That Wont Affect Your Bph

After recovering from a cold, your immune system may be weakened and this will make you more susceptible to a cold in the near future. It is of the utmost importance that you take preventative measures to reduce the risks of a recurring cold. Follow my top ten tips to stay healthy and avoid colds and flu this winter.

Do you suffer from BPH? What are your tips to help protect your prostate whilst nursing a cold? Share them in the comment section below.

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When To See A Doctor

If you don’t see a reduction in symptoms or if your symptoms worsen, you may need to undergo a different treatment plan.

Prescription Medications

The first higher-level treatment is to begin taking prescription drugs for an enlarged prostate. One class of medication is an alpha blocker. These medications, such as Flomax, Rapaflo, and Cardura, work by relaxing the affected muscles around the prostate to encourage urine flow.

Another type of medication is a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor. Examples of these medications include Proscar and Avodart, which are long-term medications that help to block the production of dihydrotestosterone and shrink the size of the prostate.

Surgery and Minimally Invasive Procedures

For moderate to severe BPH, you may need a medical procedure to relieve your symptoms. There are a variety of procedures, including laser therapy, microwave heat, or prostate tissue compression. Partial prostate removal and full removal are more invasive but may be necessary for extremely large prostate glands.

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