Johns Hopkins Health Alert
Beyond Antibiotics and Alpha-Blockers For Prostatitis
Not so long ago, your doctor likely wrote two prescriptions when your prostatitis symptoms recurred: the first for an antibiotic and the second for an alpha-blocker -- a class of drugs that helps alleviate symptoms such as a weak urinary stream and urinary frequency, urgency, and hesitancy.
But evidence shows that antibiotic therapy is not appropriate for all men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome CP/CPPS. And recent research from the Chronic Prostatitis Collaborative Research Network (CPCRN) suggests that doctors may need to rethink treatment with alpha-blockers as well.
If you are not a candidate for antibiotics or alpha-blockers or have not experienced prostatitis symptom relief from these medications, you may find one or more of the following options helpful:
- Acupuncture. Studies show that acupuncture may relieve symptoms of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) in men who have not obtained relief from other treatments.
- Anticonvulsants. Gabapentin (Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica) are anticonvulsants that show promise for treating nerve-related pain from prostatitis. Lyrica is under investigation for the treatment of CP/CPPS.
- Antidepressants. Medications like the tricyclic antidepressant amitryptyline can be helpful in breaking the cycle of pain and depression that often occurs in men with CP/CPPS.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy. This form of psychotherapy may also help break the depression-pain cycle.
- Finasteride (Proscar). This 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor is a treatment for BPH and may be helpful for men who have both BPH and CP/CPPS.
- Herbal therapies. Quercetin, saw palmetto, and the pollen extract Cernilton N have anti-inflammatory effects, and several small studies suggest they may help improve CP/CPPS symptoms.
- Neuromuscular therapy. In small studies, pelvic floor-directed physical therapy, acupuncture, and transrectal electrical stimulation have shown efficacy in relieving prostatitis symptoms.
Posted in Enlarged Prostate on August 17, 2010
Reviewed January 2011
Medical Disclaimer: This information is not intended to substitute for the advice of a physician. Click here for additional information: Johns Hopkins Health Alerts Disclaimer
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You have finally given a thumb's up to saw palmetto. About 10 years ago, when my neighbor Nick, 100 years old at the time, was told he would have to have surgery for an enlarged prostate, I rushed to give him a bottle of saw palmetto and told him to take it. After a few days he came to tell me he no longer had to get up at night to urinate. When he next visited his urologist he was told he no longer had an enlarged prostate. I asked him if he told him he was taking saw palmetto. He said, "No, I wasn't looking for a curled lip and a lecture." Nick never had prostate problems again. He died at age 106. All the older men in my large family take saw palmetto. Not a single one of them has prostate problems.
Posted by: allmymarbles | August 21, 2010 7:05 PM