BPH

What medications are there for BPH?

There are a range of treatments available to help treat BPH, and the symptoms it causes.
5-alpha-reductase inhibitors like finasteride and dutasteride are examples. These work by stopping the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone and this helps to shrink the prostate so that it stops pressing on the urethra. They take a few months to become fully effective, but can shrink the prostate by up to a quarter after six to 12 months, and sometimes shrink it even more if taken for longer.

Diuretics can also help with an enlarged prostate. Usually taken in the form of water tablets during the afternoon, these speed up urine production, making it less likely that you will need to get up during the night.

Is there a ‘best’ treatment for BPH?

The best option for BPH depends on the severity of your symptoms. Some men manage to ease symptoms by making lifestyle changes. But sometimes medicines are needed if these don’t help.

Because the treatments work in different ways, it’s difficult to compare them directly. Some treat the root cause of the problem by reducing the size of the prostate, while others help to relax muscles around the bladder, and others help to speed up urine production.

So the best treatment really, is the one you and your doctor decide works best.

Does BPH always need treatment?

An enlarged prostate doesn’t always need treatment. Sometimes making lifestyle changes can help to ease symptoms. For example:

• Reducing how much coffee, alcohol, fizzy drinks and artificial sweeteners you have
• Drinking less fluids in the late afternoon and evening, so you don’t need to go to the toilet as much at night (and drinking more fluids in the morning instead)
• Go to the toilet before you leave the house
• Try not to strain when passing urine 
• Talking to your doctor about any medication you’re using
• Eating plenty of fibre so you don’t become constipated (being constipated can put pressure on the bladder)

There are absorbent pads you can use to help mop up leaks as well.

But if you try changing things yourself and it doesn’t make a difference, you should let a doctor know so they can go through treatment options with you.