What Is the Best Medication for BPH?

Highlights  

• The best medication for BPH focuses on treating the roots of the problem rather than its symptoms.
• Before resorting to surgery, your doctor may prescribe you BPH medications that can stop the growth of your prostate or even reverse it.
• An improvement in symptoms can also lead to a significant improvement in your quality of life.
• Some of the best medications for BPH can cause erectile dysfunction in rare cases. 

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Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or enlarged prostate, causes a weak urine stream and frequent urination in sufferers. It can interfere with patients’ daily activities and destroy their quality of life. BPH affects the majority of the aging male population. Around half of men between the ages of 50 and 60 suffer from BPH. In the 60-69 age group, the condition affects 70% of men. 

Until recently, surgery was the only option to gain lasting relief from BPH. Now, we have medications that can reduce the frequency of symptoms and even shrink the prostate. 

The Best Medication for BPH

In the distant past, BPH sufferers had no choice but to rely on herbal products to address their symptoms. Many of these herbal solutions are still used today. In Europe, doctors regularly prescribe saw palmetto-based products for BPH. 

In addition to these OTC supplements, we now have a selection of potent drugs we can use to alleviate the symptoms of BPH. Some of these prescription-only, clinically proven medicines can even shrink the prostate. 

Wherever you are in the world, your doctor may prescribe you a drug from one of the following classes: 

• Alpha-blockers
• 5-Alpha reductase inhibitors
• Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors
• Drug combinations
• Herbal products and supplements 

Unlike medications in the other categories, herbal products are unregulated and lack FDA approval. 

Alpha-Blockers

Also called alpha-adrenergic antagonists, alpha-blockers are muscle relaxants. They relax the muscles of the bladder neck and prostate and allow the urine ducts to dilate. These drugs do not reduce the size of the prostate, but they do improve urine flow. They may even help with frequent urination issues. 

Alpha-blockers like doxazosin, tamsulosin, and alfuzosin also treat high blood pressure. They can fulfill a double role in patients who suffer from high blood pressure and BPH. Because they affect blood pressure, they can have unpleasant side effects in patients whose blood pressure is normal. 

Alpha-blockers act quickly and can relieve BPH symptoms almost immediately. These drugs are the first-line defense against BPH. Doctors may prescribe them for mild cases. 

Side Effects — Alpha Blockers

Never take alpha-blockers without a prescription or medical recommendation. These drugs can lower blood pressure and cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting. Doctors sometimes tell patients to take their alpha-blockers just before bedtime so they can sleep through the possible side effects. 

Tell your doctor if you have low blood pressure, kidney or liver disease, or a history of prostate cancer. Patients having any of these problems should avoid alpha-blockers. 

Other side effects of alpha-blockers include: 

• Long-lasting, painful erections
• Skin reactions like rashes that spread
• Burning of the eyes
• Swelling of the face, tongue, and throat 

Seek medical help immediately if you experience any of these severe side effects.

5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors

Unlike alpha blockers which focus on the symptoms of BPH, 5-AR inhibitors address one of the roots of the problem. 

You may know drugs like finasteride and dutasteride as drugs for male hair loss. The FDA has approved these medications for that purpose as well as for BPH. 

5-alpha reductase is a compound that “burns” testosterone into its more potent form, dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Doctors have noticed that high DHT levels lead to the enlargement of the prostate. DHT also clings to androgen receptors in hair follicles, leading to follicle miniaturization and hair loss. 

There are two types of 5-alpha reductase involved in the conversion of testosterone to DHT.

Finasteride reduces the levels of type 2 5-AR. By doing so, it can reduce the levels of DHT in the prostate by 85-90%. It also reduces serum DHT levels by around 70%, helping with male pattern hair loss. 

Dutasteride is a solution that inhibits type 1 and type 2 5-AR. Its dual action makes it a more potent DHT inhibitor than finasteride. 

5-AR inhibitors affect the biological process that leads to prostate growth. These medications can stop prostate enlargement. In some cases, they can even shrink the prostate. 

Doctors prescribe 5-AR inhibitors to patients with larger prostates. In addition to arresting prostate growth, the drugs can reduce bladder damage and the need for prostate surgery. 

Side Effects — 5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors

The body tolerates 5-AR inhibitors well, though the medications may cause some side effects. The side effects include: 

• Changes in libido
• Lower sex drive
• Erectile dysfunction (ED)
• Retrograde ejaculation, or “dry orgasm,” where semen flows backward into the bladder

5-AR inhibitors also reduce the levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Doctors use PSA to screen for prostate cancer. 5-AR inhibitors can interfere with this process, rendering PSA useless as a prostate cancer indicator. 

Based on their effects and side effects, 5-AR inhibitors are some of the best medications for BPH.  

Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors

Better known as ED meds, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors treat erectile dysfunction by facilitating the relaxation of the smooth muscles of the penis. Through that same effect, these drugs also relax the smooth muscles of the prostate and bladder, alleviating the symptoms of BPH. 

Like alpha-blockers, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors target the symptoms rather than the causes of BPH. Tadalafil may not be the best medication for BPH, but it doesn’t hurt erectile function as 5-AR inhibitors might. On the contrary, it improves it. 

The FDA has approved tadalafil (Cialis) for the treatment of BPH. Doctors prescribe tadalafil for mild cases of BPH or as part of a combination treatment. 

Side Effects — Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors

Although patients tolerate these medications well, in rare cases, they may cause side effects like: 

• Upset stomach
• Headaches
• Vision disturbances
• Back pains

Drug Combinations

By combining drugs that work against BPH, doctors hope to cumulate their effects and achieve better results. 

Tadalafil and Tamsulosin

Doctors have found that adding 0.5 milligram of tamsulosin to a 5 milligram tadalafil per day treatment reduces the symptoms of BPH better than either of the two drugs alone. The improvement it produces lasts after discontinuation of the treatment. 

Dutasteride and Tamsulosin

Combining 0.5 milligrams of dutasteride with 0.4 milligrams of tamsulosin produces better BPH improvement than either of the two drugs alone. 

Finasteride and Doxazosin

When they combined finasteride with doxazosin, researchers found that the combination therapy slowed the progression of the condition better than either drug alone in patients with medium to large prostates. 

Herbal Products and Supplements

The FDA has not approved any herbal supplements for the treatment of BPH. Scientific studies have yielded mixed results when attempting to determine the efficacy of herbal treatments. 

Herbal extracts tend to differ in quality and consistency, making it difficult for researchers to establish scientific facts.

In Europe, doctors often prescribe herbal solutions to patients with mild BPH. Some of the plants that may treat BPH are: 

• Saw palmetto
• Stinging nettle root
• Pumpkin seeds
• African cherry (Pygeum africanum)

If you’re struggling with BPH, it may make sense to take an ED drug like Cialis to protect your erectile function. Ask your doctor whether you can take Cialis in combination with the medication you’re using. 

eDrugstore Can Help

In addition to FDA-approved erectile dysfunction drugs like Cialis, we also offer consultation with U.S.-licensed doctors. Only healthcare providers can give you a prescription that allows you to buy drugs like Viagra and Cialis. 

Once you place your order, we deliver your medications quickly and discreetly. And when you order with eDrugstore, virtual health visits and shipping are always free.