Asklepios Hospital Barmbek
Medication Therapy for BPH Treatment in Germany
Germany is one of the leading counties to provide medication therapy for enlarged prostate. In Germany, 1 out of 4 men, who treat their symptoms, use medicines according to information given by National Center for Biotechnological Information (NCBI). Specialists prescribed medication, when the symptoms are not bad enough for surgery, but have become inflammatory to be left untreated.
Alpha Blockers
For the benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment German specialists the most commonly prescribe alpha blockers. Such medications are used to relax the muscles around the bladder bottom for easier emptying of the bladder. The only contraindication for using alpha blockers is too low blood pressure.
Alpha blockers for the treatment of an enlarged prostate:
- alfuzosin (Uroxatral);
- doxazosin (Cardura);
- silodosin (Rapaflo);
- tamsulosin (Flomax);
- terazosin (Hytrin).
Tamsulosin is more often used in German clinics than any other ones. After the treatment course with the help of alpha blockers 6 out of every 10 men have noticed the improvement.
Alpha blockers can cause side effects such as:
- ejaculation problems;
- dizziness;
- exhaustion;
- low blood pressure;
- runny or blocked nose.
Usually, side effects after the taking of alpha blockers last for a short time. Only 1 out of 100 men stopped taking alpha blockers because of side effects.
Enzyme Inhibitors
Enzyme inhibitors or 5-alpha reductase inhibitors are the proteins for slowing down the metabolic processes and reducing the level of hormones, which cause the enlarging of the prostate. Enzyme inhibitors also reduce the PSA level in the blood. After taking of enzyme inhibitors the prostate becomes smaller again. Using of enzyme inhibitors lasts for 6 months to a year.
Specialists prescribe 2 main enzyme inhibitors for BPH treatment:
- dutasteride (Avodart);
- finasteride (Proscar).
In German clinics finasteride is the most commonly used. Taking finasteride can cause such side effects as erection problems, ejaculation problems, reduced libido (reduced sex drive) and tiredness. 2 out of 100 men have faced any of this problems.
Herbal Medical Products
The most common medicine prescribed by German urologists is called saw palmetto. “Saw palmetto” is an extract produced from one of two types of the fan palm, Serenoa repens and Sabal Serrulata. Both types of palms grow in the southern United States and parts of Europe.
The saw palmetto extract affect the producing of male sex hormones (androgens), which cause enlargement of the prostate.
80 % of men with benign prostate hyperplasia got significant improvement in symptoms after using saw palmetto extract. A German 3-year research found that saw palmetto reduced nighttime urination in 73% of patients, who took 160 mg of it twice a day.
Saw palmetto is effective on the 1 stage of prostate enlargement. On the 2 - 4 stages of BPH saw palmetto helps along with other types of the treatment. It’s quite ineffective by itself.
Taking the medicines doesn’t exclude any other type of the treatment. Moreover, medications can be prescribed only after comprehensive diagnosing by the specialist.