
The goals of pharmacotherapy for benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) are to reduce morbidity and to prevent complications. The agents used include the following, alone or in combination:
What is the pharmacological treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)?
The pharmacological treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is indicated when men suffer from lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) but there are no absolute indications for prostate surgery or severe bladder outlet obstruction. Phytotherapy can be used in men with mild to moderate LUTS and al …
What is benign prostatic enlargement?
Other names: Benign Prostatic Enlargement; Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy; BPH; Enlarged prostate; Prostate, enlarged BPH is a condition where benign (non-cancerous) nodules enlarge the prostate gland (the gland that produces the liquid in which sperm are expelled from the penis).
What are the benefits of prostatic prostatitis drugs?
They prevent growth and in some cases even shrink it. This can improve your urine flow and ease other BPH symptoms as well. They seem to be most helpful to men with very large prostates. These drugs have two other benefits as well. They may:
What is the goal of BPH treatment?
BPH is the nonmalignant enlargement of the prostate gland and a common cause of voiding dysfunction in men. The primary goal of the treatment is not only to improve urinary flow and reduce symptoms scores, but also to prevent serious complications and improve quality of life.

What is the goal of a treatment for BPH?
The classic goals of therapy for BPH are to improve symptoms, arrest the disease process, and prevent some of the adverse outcomes associated with BPH, such as acute urinary retention and the need for surgery.
What is BPH in pharmacology?
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common benign disease of the prostate gland and is caused by benign hyperplasia of the smooth muscle cells and stromal cells in this important gland. BPH is also the most common disease underlying lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).
What is the best treatment for BPH?
The gold standard for the management of BPH is surgical treatment by transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). However, in older adults, medical therapy is preferred to surgical intervention when possible.
What pharmacological drugs are recommended in conservative therapy of BPH?
Examples of alpha blocker medications include: alfuzosin (Uroxatral), doxazosin (Cardura), tamsulosin (Flomax), and terazosin (Hytrin). 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs), which help shrink the prostate and prevent additional growth. Examples of 5 ARIs include: dutasteride (Avodart) and finasteride (Proscar).
Can BPH be treated with medication?
Medicine is now the most common way to treat men with mild to moderate BPH. Researchers are still learning about long-term effects and when drugs can be most helpful.
What is the first-line treatment for BPH?
Alpha blockers are recommended as first-line treatment for BPH, except for prazosin (Minipress) and phenoxybenzamine (Dibenzyline), which lack data to support their use and, therefore, are not recommended. The 5-alpha reductase inhibitors are only recommended in men with documented prostate enlargement.
What is the least invasive treatment for BPH?
The transurethral needle ablation (TUNA) is a minimally invasive procedure to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It uses radiofrequency waves to heat and destroy tissue of the enlarged prostate.
Which drug used in the treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy is most likely to cause postural hypotension?
APPROACHES TO BPH PHARMACOTHERAPY Terazosin is effective in the management of patients with BPH, but the combination of terazosin and other antihypertensive agents has been shown to cause clinically significant hypotension.
When should BPH be treated?
Symptoms related to BPH are present in about one in four men by age 55, and in half of 75-year-old men. However, treatment is only necessary if symptoms become bothersome. By age 80, some 20% to 30% of men experience BPH symptoms severe enough to require treatment.
What would be the most appropriate pharmacologic agent to treat hypertension for a patient with benign prostatic hypertrophy?
In the last decade, selective alpha blockers have become the mainstay of drug therapy for uncomplicated benign prostatic hypertrophy. In the absence of contraindications, the first-line therapy for all men is an alpha blocker.
What drugs are 5-alpha reductase inhibitors?
Drugs in the 5-ARI class are finasteride and dutasteride. These drugs are marketed under the brand-names Proscar, Propecia, Avodart, and Jalyn. Finasteride is available in two different strengths: Proscar 5 mg tablets and Propecia 1 mg tablets.
What is a side effect of BPH medications?
The Side Effects of β3-Adrenoceptor Agonists in BPH Treatment. The most common side effects induced by mirabegron treatment include headache, constipation, nasopharyngitis, hypertension, and urinary tract infection, with the latter three being the most common among these (Chapple et al., 2014).
What is medication Tamsulosin used for?
Tamsulosin belongs to a group of medicines called alpha-blockers. It's used to treat men with symptoms of an enlarged prostate (benign prostate enlargement). It's also occasionally taken to treat kidney stones. Tamsulosin is available on prescription and you can also buy it from pharmacies.
What is the mechanism of action of finasteride?
Finasteride blocks the action of an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase. This enzyme changes testosterone to another hormone that causes the prostate to grow or hair loss in males. It will increase testosterone levels in the body, which decreases prostate size and increases hair growth on the scalp.
What is the best treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia?
The pharmacological treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is indicated when men suffer from lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) but there are no absolute indications for prostate surgery or severe bladder outlet obstruction. Phytotherapy can be used in men with mild to moderate LUTS and alpha-blockers can quickly and effectively decrease the LUTS and symptomatic disease progression. Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5-I) are an alternative to alpha-blockers when men experience bothersome side effects from alpha-blockers or erectile dysfunction. If patients predominantly have bladder storage symptoms and a small prostate, muscarinic receptor antagonists are a viable treatment option. The combination of alpha-blocker plus muscarinic receptor antagonist is more efficacious in reducing LUTS than the single drugs alone. The 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors (5ARI) can significantly decrease LUTS and disease progression (e.g. acute urinary retention and need for prostate surgery) in men with larger prostates (> 30-40 ml). The combination of 5ARI plus alpha-blocker can reduce LUTS and disease progression more effectively than drug monotherapy. Combination therapy with PDE5-I (tadalafil) plus 5ARI (finasteride) reduces LUTS more substantially than 5ARI alone and, additionally, PDE5-Is reduce the sexual side effects during 5ARI treatment.
Can prostate surgery be done for benign prostatic hyperplasia?
The pharmacological treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is indicated when men suffer from lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) but there are no absolute indications for prostate surgery or severe bladder outlet obstruction. Phytotherapy can be used in men with mild to moderate LUTS and al …
What is the treatment for BPH?
Emptying and retention disorders can be treated by various pharmacological and surgical means. Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) has long been considered the gold standard for operative treatment. Transurethral enucleation procedures show a better risk profile in some uses, however, and have, above all, largely displaced suprapubic prostatectomy. Numerous innovative treatment options have been developed in recent years, but their long-term effects remain to be determined. These treatment techniques can nevertheless be used in individual cases after thorough discussion with the patient.
What is benign prostatic hyperplasia?
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is characterized by the occurrence of.disorders of urine storage and bladder emptying. Most men over the age of 60 years are affected to some degree.
What is BPO in prostate?
If a histological increase in volume of the prostate (BPH) leads to lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), the term “benign prostatic obstruction” (BPO) or “bladder outlet obstruction” (BOO) is used.
What is BPO in urology?
Strictly speaking, the definition of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) relates to a purely histological increase in volume of the prostate; only when there is an increase in bladder outlet resistance that affect urodynamics is the term “benign prostatic obstruction” (BPO) used, often also called “bladder outlet obstruction” (BOO) (1). In affected patients, BPO causes various lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) which in terms of the differential diagnosis can occur in various diseases, especially diseases of the bladder (e.g., overactive bladder, bladder carcinoma, cystitis), complicating identification of the symptoms and their cause.
How common is BPH in men?
Prevalence. On average, 50% of men over 60 and 80% of men over 80 have symptoms caused by BPH. Symptomatic BPH is therefore regarded as one of the most common disorders in men and, because it is widespread, one that has significant socioeconomic impact. For every patient with BPH a urinalysis should also be performed.
What is the most commonly used questionnaire for prostate cancer?
Special questionnaires are used for the patient history; the most commonly used is the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaire (also available in German) (table 1) (2).
What is BPO in LUTS?
In affected patients, BPO causes various lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) which in terms of the differential diagnosis can occur in various diseases, especially diseases of the bladder (e.g., overactive bladder, bladder carcinoma, cystitis), complicating identification of the symptoms and their cause.
What is BPH medication?
BPH Medication: Pharmaceutical Drugs For An Enlarged Prostate
What is the name of the pill that is used to treat bladder problems?
Dutasteride and tamsulosin -- this comes in a single pill ( Jalyn) Alpha blockers and antimuscarinics (drugs used to treat overactive bladder) While these combos can be more helpful than a single drug, they may also result in more side effects, since you’re taking two medications instead of one.
How many 5-alpha reductase inhibitors are there?
Names: There are two main 5-alpha reductase inhibitors:
Does BPH help with bladder damage?
They seem to be most helpful to men with very large prostates. These drugs have two other benefits as well. They may: Lower the odds that BPH will lead to other problems, such bladder damage. Make you less likely to need surgery.
Does Tadalafil help with BPH?
There are several kinds of phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, but the Food and Drug Administration has approved only Tadalafil ( Cialis) to treat BPH.
Is it bad to take a PSA test before taking 5-ARIs?
That isn’t harmful, but it may help to get a PSA test before starting these drugs. Also, the FDA now requires labels on 5-ARIs to include a warning that they may be linked to an increased chance of high-grade (or aggressive) prostate cancer. Names: There are two main 5-alpha reductase inhibitors:
Can you take alpha blockers for cataract surgery?
And you won’t have to wait long to see results; they usually work right away. If you have high blood pressure and BPH, alpha blockers may be a good option for you because they treat both conditions. If you are planning to have cataract surgery, it’s best to avoid them. They can lead to problems during the procedure.
Drugs used to treat Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
The following list of medications are in some way related to, or used in the treatment of this condition.
Alternative treatments for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
The following products are considered to be alternative treatments or natural remedies for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. Their efficacy may not have been scientifically tested to the same degree as the drugs listed in the table above.
Further information
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
Target Audience and Goal Statement
The target audience for this activity is physicians who evaluate and treat men with BPH.
Author (s)
Professor, Department of Urology, Queen's University, Staff Urologist, Department of Urology, Kingston General and Hotel Dieu Hospitals, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Accreditation Statements
This activity is sponsored by The Center for Health Care Education, Inc (CHCE). This activity has been planned and produced in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).
Instructions for Participation and Credit
There are no fees for participating in or receiving credit for this online educational activity.
Alpha-Adrenergic Receptor Blockers
The rationale for alpha-adrenergic receptor blockers in the management of BPH is rooted in research indicating that prostate smooth muscle mediates BOO via an alpha-adrenergic receptor-mediated mechanism, [33] the suggestion being that alpha-adrenergic receptor antagonists relax prostate smooth muscle, thereby improving LUTS associated with BPH.
How to treat prostate problems?
Avoid some over-the-counter medications. Take a pass on cold and sinus medicines that have decongestants or certain antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine ( Benadryl ), that can make a prostate problem worse. Read labels on these products before you buy them.
What are the three classes of drugs for enlarged prostate?
Each works differently in the body, and each has its own side effects. The three classes of drugs for an enlarged prostate are: Alpha blockers, which relax muscles ...
How to get better with mild BPH?
Some men with mild BPH symptoms find they get better without treatment. If you choose to monitor or observe there are a couple of things you can do to ease things: Make simple changes in your habits. Drinking fewer liquids before bedtime. Drink less caffeine and alcohol generally.
Does a prostate supplement help with urinary problems?
Some small studies have shown benefit. However, several large studies do not show that it reduces the size of the prostate or eases urinary symptoms. Talk to your doctor before you start any supplement. They may cause problems with prescription medicines, treatments, or tests you might need.
Can you take 5-ARIs with prostate cancer?
However, men taking both might also get hit with the side effects of both drugs. The FDA requires labels on the 5-ARIs to include a warning that they may be linked to an increased chance of high-grade (or aggressive) prostate cancer.
Is there a one size fits all approach to prostate surgery?
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when you have an enlarged prostateand you’re trying to decide what to do next.
Is Saw Palmetto a one size fits all prostate?
BPH and Saw Palmetto. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when you have an enlarged prostate and you’re trying to decide what to do next. People react in their own way to the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia ( BPH ), a common condition for men as they age. You can talk about your symptoms with your doctor, ...
