Medication To Reduce Enlarged Prostate
Enlarged prostate refers to the state in which the prostate is enlarged but not cancerous.
Hormonal changes and cell growth resulting from the aging process may cause the prostate to swell, often impinging upon and compressing the urethra. This causes the bladder walls to become thicker and can prevent the bladder from emptying completely.
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.
How Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Treated
Patients who have mild symptoms may not require treatment other than continued observation to make sure their condition doesn’t get worse. This approach is sometimes called “watchful waiting” or surveillance. There are a number of treatment options available if your symptoms are severe.
Medications
Finasteride and dutasteride work by decreasing the production of the hormone dihydrotestosterone , which affects the growth of the prostate gland. These appear to be most beneficial for men with larger prostates.
Drugs that relax the muscle in the prostate are more commonly used. These include terazosin , doxazosin , tamsulosin , alfuzosin , and silodosin . The most common side effects are lightheadedness, weakness and retrograde ejaculation.
Medications are sometimes combined to help treat symptoms and improve the flow of urine. One such medication is dutasteride and tamsulosin .
Surgery
Several different types of surgery can be used to remove the prostate tissue that blocks the flow of urine, including:
Minimally invasive treatments
Minimally invasive treatments include:
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What Other Information Should I Know
Keep all appointments with your doctor. Your blood pressure should be checked regularly to determine your response to terazosin.
Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.
Do Prostate Medicines Make Penis Shrink
Q. Taking Avodart triggered the onset of both erectile dysfunction and reduced ejaculate for me. I took it for two years my prostate did not shrink, but my penis did.
These sexual side effects linger. Five years later, I still have ED and low ejaculate. The symptom of frequent nightly urination, however, has ceased to be a problem. Will the sexual side effects ever go away?
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What Should I Know About Storage And Disposal Of This Medication
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from light and excess heat and moisture .
It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location â one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach.
Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website for more information if you do not have access to a take-back program.
What Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
An enlarged prostate is also known as a benign prostatic hyperplasia . An enlarged prostate can cause bladder and urination difficulties. BPH does not raise the risk of developing . Treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia includes taking medications and surgery. Common drug classes used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia are 5-alpha reductase inhibitor / alpha blocker combinations, 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, alpha blockers, and PDE5 inhibitors.
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So Is There A Cure For Enlarged Prostate The Embarrassing Mens Problem
Yes, this can be effectively dealt with. While this gland enlargement does not actually pose a serious threat to the individuals health, if left untreated, it could possibly lead to problems with urination, infections in the urinary tract or urinary bladder, or even cause damage to the kidneys.
There are medicines and surgical options for one to choose from, and their effectiveness is largely dependent on the persons overall health status, age, symptoms, and how big the gland has enlarged.
My cousin had decided about not wanting to follow the regular treatment methods available for this though, because after consulting with many physicians, none were able to provide a clear indication of which method would work towards giving the most effective results for him.
Also, while researching, he read anecdotes about other sufferers who experienced adverse health issues after going through some of these remedial methods, and this had a major impact on his decision to follow natural methods instead.
Hence, he was on the lookout for natural remedies and ended up being successful in finding some. Some of these are
What Can You Do If You Don’t Want To Take Medicine
If you don’t want to take medicine, you can try watchful waiting while managing your symptoms at home.
Watchful waiting means you have regular checkups to be sure that your symptoms aren’t getting worse. And you try making these small changes to your lifestyle to control your symptoms:
- Don’t try to rush your urination. Try to relax while using the bathroom.
- Practice “double voiding.” Urinate as much as you can. Then relax for a few moments and try to go again.
- Don’t limit your fluid intake to avoid having to urinate. Drink fluids throughout the day. Limit fluids in the evening if you often wake up at night to urinate.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol. They make your body try to get rid of water and can make you urinate more often.
- If you can, avoid medicines that make your symptoms worse, such as nonprescription antihistamines, decongestants , and allergy pills. Talk to your doctor first.
Some men try dietary supplements for BPH, such as saw palmetto or beta-sitosterol. But scientific studies don’t show that saw palmetto helps with urinary problems or that beta-sitosterol is safe or helps over the long term.
About 4 out of 10 men find that their symptoms improve without treatment. This means that 6 out of 10 men need medicine or surgery to help their symptoms.footnote 1
Your doctor may recommend taking medicine for BPH if:
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How Does Hormone Therapy Work Against Prostate Cancer
Early in their development, prostate cancers need androgens to grow. Hormone therapies, which are treatments that decrease androgen levels or block androgen action, can inhibit the growth of such prostate cancers, which are therefore called castration sensitive, androgen dependent, or androgen sensitive.
Most prostate cancers eventually stop responding to hormone therapy and become castration resistant. That is, they continue to grow even when androgen levels in the body are extremely low or undetectable. In the past, these tumors were also called hormone resistant, androgen independent, or hormone refractory however, these terms are rarely used now because the tumors are not truly independent of androgens for their growth. In fact, some newer hormone therapies have become available that can be used to treat tumors that have become castration resistant.
What The Research Says
A recent study has also evaluated a possible connection. The authors explored the link between prostate enlargement and vitamin D. They did it through the hormone testosterone. Their results show that higher vitamin D levels in the blood reduce the PSA levels. They also hypothesize that testosterone levels and function depend on vitamin D status. If thats the case, low vitamin D levels would also have a hormonal consequence that explains BPH and BPH symptoms .
Other studies explored a more direct association between the prostate tissue and vitamin D. Interestingly the prostate epithelial cells can activate vitamin D. Moreover, these cells have a vitamin D receptor, even prostate cancer cells. Upon binding, vitamin D sends signals to control the proliferation of cells.
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Enlarged Prostate This Treatment Can Help You Avoid Sexual Side Effects
Benign prostatic hyperplasia , or enlarged prostate, is a common condition in men older than age 50. BPH occurs when the prostate gland becomes enlarged and begins to press on the urethra the tube that carries urine out of the body.
When the prostate continues to grow, it can lead to urinary symptoms that include:
- Leaking or dribbling of urine
- Frequent nighttime awakenings to urinate
- Urinary retention or urgency
- A weak urine stream
BPH is not prostate cancer and it doesnt lead to cancer. However, the two conditions may have similar symptoms in the early stages
So its important that men who experience these symptoms be evaluated by a mens health specialist to rule out cancer and determine the best treatment options to relieve their symptoms.
Without treatment, BPH can lead to serious complications in some men, including incontinence, kidney or bladder damage, urinary tract infections and bladder stones. In some extreme cases, BPH can cause a total inability to urinate and require emergency catheterization.
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How Effective Is Combining Drugs
Alpha blockers and 5-alpha reductase inhibitors are sometimes combined to try to relieve the symptoms as quickly as possible and at the same time prevent the prostate from growing further. This combination is considered for men who have severe symptoms and a very enlarged prostate gland. Their prostate gland is more likely to grow even larger.
Combining these drugs can lower the risk of the symptoms getting worse or complications arising. But these advantages only became apparent after one to two years of treatment, and only in men with very large prostate glands.
The disadvantage: Ejaculation problems and erection problems are more likely in people who use this combination than in people who only use alpha blockers.
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Who Should Buy A Prostate Supplement
Prostate supplements are specially formulated for older men who are having problems associated with their prostate, like poor urinary flow and frequent nighttime urination.
These problems become far more common among men who are over age 50, though they arent unheard of in younger men too. Still, older men are affected by far the most. Medication like Flomax and other so-called alpha blockers are commonly prescribed for benign prostate hyperplasia, but research on prostate supplements suggests that, in some cases, supplements like saw palmetto or beta sitosterol can be effective too.
If you are considering a prostate supplement, you should talk with your doctor about the potential benefits of using a supplement in addition to or instead of a prescription medication.
With any supplementation regimen, its always a good idea to talk with your doctor about potential prescription medication interactions and possible side effects, both from a supplement or from a medication. If the side effects from prescription medication for prostate problems is causing problems, youre a good candidate to talk to your doctor about whether a prostate supplement would be a good alternative.
What Is The Urolift Procedure
The UroLift procedure takes less than an hour and is performed in a urologists office under local anesthesia.
At the start of the procedure, the urologist inserts a special device into the patients urethra. When the device reaches the prostate, it releases multiple small implants. Each implant is made of a nickel-titanium capsular tab and a stainless steel urethral tab that are held together by a polyester suture.
These implants lift or push away prostate tissue that is blocking the urethra. As a result, the urethra is widened, allowing urine to pass easily out of the body.
A unique advantage of the UroLift procedure is that, unlike medications and other surgeries used to treat BPH, it does not cause sexual side effects such as erectile or ejaculatory problems.
A disadvantage of the UroLift procedure is that while the implants are intended to be permanent, some patients develop recurrent symptoms, requiring a repeat procedure or another type of prostate surgery.
Besides a UroLift procedure, other minimally invasive procedures used to treat the symptoms of BPH include:
- Water vapor thermal therapy : Uses energy stored in steam to remove prostate tissue
- Transurethral microwave thermotherapy: Uses heat to destroy prostate tissue
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Combination Therapy: Risk And Benefits
The benefits of combination therapy are clear however, side effects may be more likely. The potential interactions of both BPH medications with other health issues and medications are more complicated with combination therapy. Common side effects of combination therapy may include any of the issues from each drug class. These include, but are not limited to:
- Reduced sexual desire
- Headaches
New Chapter Prostate 5lx
New Chapter has a prostate supplement that provides a more focused dosage of a small number of proven ingredients
The only trace element present is selenium, but theres a bit more variety with the herbal supplements. Its an okay choice, but it would be nice to see a broader variety of trace elements included to shore up any potential deficits, which are common among older men.
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Enlarged Prostate Beware Of These Dangerous Drugs
If you walk into your doctors office with symptoms of an enlarged prostate, chances are youll walk out with a hormone-based drug.
These medications are a standard treatment. They include the drugs Avodart and Proscar. But a new study shows that when you take them, its likely youll only be trading one health problem for another.
The research shows the medications can lead to type 2 diabetes, high levels of bad cholesterol, liver disease, and worsening erectile dysfunction.1
Boston University School of Medicine scientists looked at 460 men treated for enlarged prostate.
Half were prescribed Avodart . It uses hormones to reduce the size of the prostate. This in turn improves urinary function.2
The other half were prescribed Flomax , a non-hormonal alpha blocker. It doesnt shrink the prostate. Instead, it works by causing the smooth muscle tissue of the gland to relax. This makes urination easier.3
After a follow-up of 36-42 months, the researchers performed blood tests and assessed prostate size and function. Compared to Flomax, they found that Avodart was associated with an ongoing rise in blood sugar levels, and an increase in LDL bad cholesterol levels. It also increased markers for liver disease.
Men on Flomax experienced smaller but still significant side effects. Their cholesterol also went up. But their good HDL levels went up along with their LDL.
The study appears in the journal Hormones Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigations.
How To Use Finasteride Oral
Read the Patient Information Leaflet provided by your pharmacist before you start taking finasteride and each time you get a refill. If you have any questions regarding the information, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Take this medication by mouth, with or without food, usually once a day, or as directed by your doctor.
If the tablet is crushed or broken, it should not be handled by a woman who is pregnant or by a woman who may become pregnant .
Use this medication regularly in order to get the most benefit from it. Remember to use it at the same time each day. Do not stop taking this medication without consulting your doctor.
It may take 6-12 months to notice a benefit.
Inform your doctor if your condition persists or worsens.
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Best Bph Medications For Enlarged Prostate Treatment
Not too long ago, men who were looking for relief from BPH had only one option which is surgery. In recent years, that has changed. Drugmakers have come out with a number of medicines which give you more choices to treat your problems.
BPH can cause problems like a weak urine stream or need to pee a lot. Some of the medicines ease these BPH symptoms by calming the muscles in the prostate and bladder. Medicine is the most common way to treat men with mild. So, here are the medicines which are helpful in treating BPH:
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How Can Diet Affect Bph
Similar to prostate cancer, BPH is a multifactorial disease. Many hormones and growth factors act in the prostate tissue to cause enlargement. But some epidemiologic studies have also identified dietary factors associated with BPH.
For example, a study in China showed that overeating animal proteins could increase the risk.
Another study from Japan showed that regular milk consumption has the same effect. Thats why a plant-based diet is recommended for preventing prostate enlargement and reducing the number of prostate cancer cells
According to other research, Asian men have a lower incidence of BPH. Such a lower incidence responds to a high-fiber diet compared to Western men . But why is diet so important?
The amount and proportion of nutrients we take influences the function of the body. Among many other things, they modulate hormone concentrations. They also modulate the role of the sympathetic nervous system, which acts directly in the urethra. Thats why changing your diet can improve your urinary tract symptoms if you have them .
In this article, we will discuss 3 foods that shrink prostate gland. The following foods, nutrients and diets are recommended to shrink the size of the prostate gland. You can always look for food sources or prostate supplements that include them in the list of ingredients.
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