|
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.
|