It is really useful to know what the various options are when it comes to prostate therapy. Obviously you will be following your doctor's or urologist's advice but there may be a few things he has forgotten to tell you or simply will not tell you! While you will be following a "watchful waiting" programme for an enlarged prostate (BPH), backed up by annual tests and other screening, it is essential to know what you are taking and the benefits and disadvantages of the treatment your urologist has prescribed. You will be relieved that you do not have to have surgery which in many cases is hardly necessary and may lead to incontinence and impotence (in a very small percentage of cases).



The First Group: Alpha- Blockers

In this section I want to deal with the first type of drugs which are known as Alpha Blockers. I was prescribed Alpha blockers from early on and have taken them for a long time. They were originally developed as a high pressure blood drug so now my blood pressure is perfect ! This is one of the side effects and in many cases it is a boon . Only problem is that if your blood pressure is already on the low side, it may bring it down too much so it has to be watched.

Other advantages are that these drugs can kick in fairly quickly and give almost immediate relief for the symptoms of frequency of urination and blockage of the bladder. The chemical reactions released by these drugs ensure that all the muscles in the bladder and prostate area are relaxed, thus making urination a lot easier.

Negative Effects Of Alpha- Blockers

There are some negative side effects - for example you may suffer from dizziness and you can feel faint if you get up suddenly. You may find that if your blood pressure is low, then you may find it hard to get galvanised in the mornings and when it is very hot, you may feel washed out. A great solution is a few glasses of water before going out. These drugs also have an effect on the retina so if you are about to have eye surgery, it is not a good idea to be on these. These drugs are not going to reduce the size of your prostate but they will make life a lot easier especially in reducing the number of times you have to urinate. Flomax, Uroxatral and Hytrin are some of the better known medications in this group which have been approved by the FDA.

The second Group : Alpha -reducatase Inhibitors

The second group are called Alpha- reductase Inhibitors. These are usually prescribed for older less sexually active men as they reduce sex drive and men will produce smaller amounts of ejaculate. But as treatment advances these side effects will be less severe.The rest is all good news as these drugs are effective in reducing the size of the prostate when it is very large. It will take some time - say several months - for the drug to kick in. It can also help to reduce bleeding when this is one of the symptoms of BPH.

Recent Research By The National Cancer Institute

A recent study has shown that these drugs may actually lessen your chances of getting prostate cancer. 18,000 men were studied for seven years and they were given one of the most popular drugs in this category - Finasteride. This research was carried out by the National Cancer Institute and it demonstrated that 25% of the group were less likely to develop prostate cancer. Another positive effect of Finasteride is that it can reduce hair loss - the drug is sold under the name of Propecia for this purpose.

The most popular drugs in the alpha -reductase inhibitor category which are approved by the FDA are Finasteride, Proscar and Avodart.