Bph Treatment | Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy Treatment Part 1
Bph Treatment | Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy Treatment Part 2
Bph Treatment | Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy Treatment Part 3
Bph Treatment | Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy Treatment Part 4
What alpha-blocker drugs are available for BPH symptoms?
Over the past decade, an increasing number of alpha blockers have become available on the
Specific alpha blockers act primarily on the prostate with fewer systemic effects. Nonspecific alpha blockers act both systemically and on the prostate.
The patient and his doctor should choose which alpha blocker to use. This will depend on whether the patient has other illnesses, such as hypertension, that can be treated with alpha blockers as well. In addition, the use of some alpha blockers is relatively contraindicated when the patient is taking certain impotence medications.
JN: What other known medications might affect any of the medications a patient takes to treat BPH or prostate cancer?
KL: There are potential interactions between the alpha blockers and the oral impotence drugs such as Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis. A patient who is on an alpha blocker should check with his urologists before starting one of the impotence drugs.
JN: Can alpha blockers or any drug create an imbalance with other substances that the body produces such as proteins, amino acids, and enzymes that would alter the normal production of these substances, such as the wayaspirin affects the formation of platelets or the way Prilosec cuts down on stomach acids?
KL: No, alpa blockers do not create chemical imbalances in the body.
What are the side effects of alpha-blocker drugs?
The side effects of alpha-blocker drugs are due primarily to blockade of alpha receptor sites outside of the urinary tract. Commonly reported side effects of alpha-blocker drugs include dizziness, headache, asthenia (weakness), postural hypotension (decreased blood pressure with change of body position), rhinitis (inflammation of nasal mucous membranes), and ejaculatory dysfunction. These side effects occur in about 5% to 9% of patients taking the drugs and can be reversed by stopping the drugs.
Terms:
Impotence – the inability to achieve an erection or to maintain an erection until ejaculation.
Postural hypotension – a drop in blood pressure upon standing.
Rhinitis – an inflammation of the nasal passages
