The Side Effects of Prescription Drugs and Surgical Procedures for Prostate Enlargement

Prostate Enlargement (BPH) is common among men older than 40. Most males choose a prostate enlargement surgery to reduce inflammation and help combat BPH symptoms. And many naturopathic doctors prescribed natural remedies instead. Surgery, inhibitors and even alpha blockers can all help reduce symptoms of BPH. Each method has its side effects; each has its own advantages. Some may remain skeptical of certain methods, but each aims to help reduce the symptoms.


Transurethral surgery

With resectoscope inserted directly into the penis, doctors can examine, irrigate fluid, cut the tissues and seal blood vessels to reduce an enlarged prostate. The advantage: the procedure is quick and recovery speed takes about two weeks.
 
Transurethral surgery has a great success rate in remove prostate tissues, but for men that have repeated transurethral resections, the bladder can become scarred and lose its capacity to hold urine. Men with repeated transurethra resections suffer from frequent urination and the chance of incontinence. Retrograde or reverse ejaculation has also been reported in up to 80-90% of patients after surgery.


5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors

Alpha reductase inhibitors aim to stall the enzyme that convert testosterone into its active dihydrotestosterone (DHT) form. The advantage of these drugs is that they can effectively reduced Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms for BPH patients. ^{[1] [2] [3]}
 
Since DHT is also a major cause of male baldness, 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors are also applied to treat male-pattern baldness. For men who suffered both prostate enlargement and baldness, these type of drugs kill two birds with one stone. ^{[1] [3] [4]}
 
The main side effects from 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors include weakened erections, impotence, premature ejaculation, low sex drive and male breast enlargement. ^{[5] [6] [7] [8]}


Alpha-Adrenergic Blockers

This class of drug prevents adrenaline from interacting with adrenaline receptors in prostate tissue for prostate cell growth. Many patients taking these type of drugs experienced various degrees of ejaculation disorders, with the most noticeable side effect being a reduction of ejaculation volume or inability to ejaculate. ^[9] [10]
 
Both 5-Aplha Reductase Inhibitors and Alpha-Adrenergic Blockers act on both prostate cells and on normal cells in the body, therefore side effects, especially relating to sexual function are unavoidable. Natural approaches with naturopathic potent herbs should be considered along with change of diet & lifestyle to improve the chance of a full recovery.
 

Natural Approach

Many people have tried Prostate Massage as a way to drained prostate pus that might stimulate prostate’s own healing process. The results are way better if diet, life style, and consumption of healing herbs are also adopted. Use common sense and caution while practicing prostate massage and taking natural herbs. Please check back for further reading and additional information are constantly appended.