I am a 49 year old. I have had BPH for a couple of years. It comes and goes, and until now I have not been able to figure out what causes it to get bad then good and bad again. Was it wine, or diet, or green tea, or sleep, etc. etc.
Now, after exhaustive deduction and elimination I think I have found it ... melatonin. Melatonin is a natural sleep aid that I took on and off, but for the past 2 months I have religiously taken 1 extra strength melatonin every night. And my daytime BPH prostate symptoms have almost disappeared. No slow urination, a good flow, not perfect but certainly not embarrassing like it was before.
I have no idea whether it's the actual melatonin (because I can find so little online about the link between BPH and melatonin) however there are plenty of places where the link between melatonin and prostate are discussed. So I may be onto something. Or it could be that a better night's sleep also helps during the day.
Anyway, melatonin is the only think that's worked for me so far, and there are no side effects.
Disclaimer: I am in no way connected to melatoni, I am just a sufferer! However you should always take medical advice and look into it yourself.
It makes kind of sence to me if you sleep well because ive read that its good for youre prostate if you stretch youre bladder. Because if you urinate if youre bladder isnt full and the bladder doent strech and shrink regularly, then it looses its flexibilaty and it becomes too firm. It pushes against the prostate and then the prostate push back and in the proses it becomes enlarged. Aparently you should wait till youre bladder is full before you urinate and when you urinate you should let it go. I hope Im clear and that was what they meant in what Ive read. If you sleep well then maybe your bladder stretch as you dont wake up too quickly and go to the toilet.
Thanks. It's a good point. Maybe it's not the melatonin chemical that's relieving the prostate, but instead because I am sleeping more soundly I am not agitating the prostate during the evening. I will continue to track this and let everyone know!
Before I was informed that I had chronic retention and needed TURP for BPH, I generally urinated only 3 or 4 times a day. When I had an allotment, with no nearby toilet facilities, I would work there after breakfast for at least 6 hours without drinking or eating (save the occasional raspberry or strawberry) and go to the toilet only after about 7 or eight hours. I would also sleep for about the same length of time at night without needing to urinate. Even in my heavy-drinking youth, I would down copious amounts of beer wthout having much recourse to the toilets. According to Wally's theory, my bladder therefore should be pretty flexible. Nevertheless, I, too, have read that there is a connection between prostate health and melatonin, and would not be averse to giving it a try - but where does one obtain it? Are you, like me, based in UK?
Just Google it and suppliers will come up.
I live in Canada and melatonin is widely available in every pharmacy and chemist store. When I was in the UK recently I was surprised that I couldn't see melatonin on the shelves of Boots or the supermarkets. However, as derek76 said, there are a lot of online suppliers of melatonin so order it online. I take 5mg per day which is labelled as extra strength.
Boots web site says that it is only available on prescription but others sell it without. Boots warn that it should not be taken for more than thirteen weeks.
That makes me wonder if there is a difference in the others being sold.
Melatonin is naturally produced by the human body and has very little side effects as this WebMD article nicely explains http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-940-melatonin.aspx?activeingredientid=940&activeingredientname=melatonin
However you should ask your doctor just in case. My doctor said melatonin is fine and the benefits outweigh any risks
Are you getting it on prescription?
No, over the counter.In Canada it's available in every pharmacy in the supplements aisle
What you wrote above is identical to my situation; I am 51, my BPH has been on and off, was it wine or tea or ... etc. Then I decuded today that it was melatonin. My PBH has decreased proportionally to the increase in melatonin use. I now take melatonin every night and just as you said, I can pee normally most of the time and it's hardly ever embarrassing. After years of trying to figure it all out, I do believe melatonin is the answer. And before anyone asks, I sleep really well whether or not I take melatonin so I don't beleive that "sleeping better" is the reason for reduced BPH (although that could be a factor). I think it's the melatonin which somehow relaxes or shrinks the prostate. Hey I am not a doctor! but i am happy with what I have found anyway.
I presume that you are not in the UK as Melaton is a prescription only drug here and we are told that it should not be taken for more that 60 days. Some people drink a certain type of cherry juice that is high in melatonin,