MEDICATION
 One of the most interesting things that has occurred within the past ten years is the development of many kinds of drug interventions which have resulted in the, improvement of prostate symptoms without a change in lifestyle, There are two separate classes of drugs.
1 Groups that shrink the prostate. Proscar: Proscar is a medication that actually
blocks the chemical that causes the prostate to enlarge. As such, it causes,
shrinkage of the prostate. Men can tolerate this with minimal difficulty and in,
fact, it is now being touted as a treatment for hair loss (Propecia 1 mg). The
problem with this medication is it may take up to six months to see a change in
the urinary stream when one stops taking the medication
the symptoms may recur. Saw Palmetto: Saw palmetto is a naturally occurring
agent that works just like Proscar. It seems to help shrink the prostate It also
improves the urinary flow rate, and as such, can help improve the
symptoms that an individual feels. What is interesting is, this is not a medication but rather a
nutritional supplement or naturally occurring substance. As such, it is safer, has
fewer side effects, and is quite easy to tolerate.
2 Alpha Agents, There is a new class of drugs called alpha blocking agents which
have resulted in immediate resolution of troubling prostate symptoms. There are
three types of drugs, two of which were actually outgrowth treatment for
high blood pressure in the past. Cardura or Hytrin were originally used to treat men with high blood pressure. It was found that as the blood pressure came down the strength of urination went up. In addition, men noticed that they needed to urinate less often during the night, had a better flow, and a better sensation of emptying their bladder. The problem with these drugs is that they do have significant side effects in some men, including dizziness and fatigue. As such, it is found there is a much better drug called
Flomax. Flomax is what we call selective alpha blocker. As such, it does not do anything to the blood pressure
which works beautifully for men who have no problems with high blood pressure.This drug as investigated was found that to work quite well on the prostate. It blocked the
nerves of the prostate allowing it to open more widely with urination and, therefore, the
bladder was emptied more fully, removing the need to urinate at night. Flomax works
directly and only in the prostate, therefore, none of the side effects of the other agents are
noted. The treatment is one capsule a day medication and in fact, as said, it has very
minimal side effects except the positive one, and that is to lower one's cholesterol. It is
unusual to find a medicine such as Flomax that works in such a positive fashion.
Additionally, Flomax is not expensive. It is easy to use and long-term studies show no
development of tolerance to the drug requiring an increase in the
dosage.
The Prostatron System : TUMT
 All of these treatments are promising, but what happens if one needs to be off medication entirely? Does that mean that surgery is required? The answer is no. There are outpatient minimally invasive techniques to correct prostate enlargement. These are the following:
TUMT: The first one is called TUMT, or transurethral microwave therapy. This new technique is exciting and it requires no anesthesia whatsoever. The patient only need to lie on the table for approximately an hour at which time he can relax, listen to music, or read a book. A catheter is placed in the prostate entering through the penis and a microwave current is placed through the catheter into the prostate. What happens is the microwave heats up the prostate and as time goes on it causes it to shrink. As such, men are able to be off medication, require no surgery, or not need blood or blood products. They also do not run the risk of incontinence or impotence and are able to have their prostate reduced in size, if you will, just by lying there at rest. This technique is commonly used in Europe and has been used in the United States for over five years with excellent results.
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