I know there are probably many posts in here over the months and years with lots of views on the best way to reduce a large prostate. My partners is 70cc, not large compared to some I have read about but large enough to affect his daily life. He does not want to take medication due to the side effects, loss of libido etc. We also read that they often don't work! He has started taking pomegranate juice daily to help with any prostatitis that may be present and also high strength cranberry tablets. I was just wondering if anyone had success with any of these, or anything else? Surgery has not been suggested yet.
I haven't seen any science that suggests a non-drug / non-interventional success re reducing prostate size.
I also wanted to avoid medication and tolerated the symptoms of an enlarged prostate for around 10 years. I tried diatery supliments (not cranberry concentrate) but the symptoms gradually worsened until I finally needed to address the issue. My intention was to use 'self catheterisation' but my doctor strongly recommended that I try Tamusolin and assured me that I could stop with no lasting side affects. Within a couple of days my life returned to normal. Still taking one tablet a day after two years with no regrets. My libido has been affected but the symptoms of BPH were much worse. I imagine that I will need surgery at some stage in the future but wish I had taken medication sooner. I wish your partner all the best and think that he must follow what feels right for him.
He was on Tamsulosin at the beginning and was then taken off them by his urologist. He has never had problems with his flow which is probably unusual for someone with a larger than normal prostate. Just frequency at the beginning of his problems. He will try anything that helps but, being a pharmacist, he has first-hand experience of men coming to speak to him about the side effects of Contiflo etc! I'm possibly getting confused about the benefits of cranberry tablets in particular. They seem to get quite positive reviews regarding the general health of the prostate and preventing bacteria adhering to it in cases of prostatitis. Anyway, I guess they can't do any harm and he will give them a go for a month or so and see how he feels.
Hi Caz
Contrary too what Arlington below has said there are a lot of people all over the world who swear by Saw Palmetto and also Stinging Nettle Root Extract.
Both are available on Amazon and there have been a few small scale research projects carried out on Saw Palmetto.
Google it and make your own decision.
I take both and am convinced they make a difference, and my Urologist confirmed they are beneficial which is unusual for a Doctor!
Tamsulosin can also damage the eyes causing floppy iris syndrome making any cataract surgery more difficult.
Phyto chemicals have a mixed reputation. They seem to work for some and other not so much possibly indicating a placebo effect. After all this is all connected to the autonoic nervous system so mind over matter can work at times.
I did not want chemicals either as I am 61 and did not want to be on meds for 15, 20 or 30 years. I opted for an iTind implant. It is temporary, causes little trauma to surronding tissue, relatively pain free and very safe. It basically creats a wider area within th eprostate to allow uringe to flow. As soon as it was removed all of my iurgency issues vanished.I was going up to 18 times a day, 3,4 and 5 times at night, with immediate urgency sensation and feeling like I never really emptied my bladder.
The very first day it was removed I could empty my b;adder, control sensations of urgency, go 6-8 times a day and only get up once at night. No incntinence, no sexual disfunction, no erecticle disfunction, no retrograde ejaculation. Everything feels normal. Just a lot mor relaxed.
It is available in europe, Canada, Brazil etc. and is in trials in the USA where I am. The trial sponsor is Medi-tate and they took care of everything. Google it and look into it.
Good luck.
Does he have retention or just frequency? Any other symptons? To put things into perspective you mght want to google "IPSS" score and take the five minute test then report back. It's a common misconception that urinary tract symptons are only due to prostate size. It's much more complicated and there are men with very large prostates and hardly any symptons and men with small prostates and significant symptons. Cranberry tablets have mixed reviews for preventing UTI's, and should have nothing to do with prostate size although probably couldn't hurt with prostatitis symptons if that is what he has. I haven't seen any studies that still suppport Saw Palmetto, etc, but won't due any harm.
Jim
Hi Bobby, what sort of time benefit do you think it offers? Years ago I had 2 x DVIU procedures and over the years the problem returned. This sort of looks like a temporary stent that shapes the urethra inside the prostate, then is removed after the 7 days or so. Looks interesting. I thought they may leave the cage in place, though, I suppose, the risk of infection gets worse over time.
Geoff
DVIU is used to eliminate strictures and is kmnown to not be very effective because scar tissue develops again.
The iTind is less of a stent and more of an incision device. It incises the urethra through ischemic action by compressing the tissue and where it touches the tissue it dies off naturally and sloughs off like a scab. There is little trauma to surrounding tissue so no heavy scar tissue develops. The incisions do not heal because urine flows through them several time a day.
So far they have been used for 5 years with no repeats, but the system should be repeatable if necessary. Since it is placed under visualization they can avoid damaging the seminal ducts and various nerves so little chance of any side effect damage to sexual function. Only downside is that it works about 85%-90% of the time and nobody knows the ultimate duration of effect.
The procedure takes 5 mintues and you stay for an hour or two because of the sedation and you have to urinate before you go home. No overnight stay. Nocatheter and bag.
The implant duration is not painful, but you know it is in you. You are a bit tender but minimal bleeding, mostly very small blood clots. Just a lot of urgency so you have to stay home.
The removal did not require sedation, just a valium which helps relax your muscles. It took about 1 minute to remove and was uncomfortable for about 15 seconds; a 2.5 on a scale of 1-10. Within an hour of removal I felt relief. No urgency. Complete voiding. About 3-4 hours between bathroom visits. Heaven.
If I had to do this every 4 years I would do it in a heaartbeat. Better than being on meds with loss of libido or ED or retrograde ejaculatiion.
All procedures are somewhat temporary because the prostate keeps growing. Only a prostatecomy would "cure" that.
If you are in the USA reach out to Medi-tate and see if you qualoify. They will screen you carefully. Hope this helps.
Thanks Bobby, very interesting. I looked at a few of their videos...all looks very efficient. My stricture returned many years ago that may need some repairs? Last week I had a Cystoscopy and will see the urologist in February to work out what action, if any, is required. I live in Australia and it seems this procedure is not here yet. We are not know as a pioneering nation when it come to medical devices and procedures.
Geoff
Hi Jezzaman,
You may have misunderstood me. I'm not saying they don't have possible benefits but rather only that, with respect to shrinking the prostate size, there is no evidence. The message I was responding to was asking about shrinking the size of the prostate.
Respectfully,
Arlington
Hi Bobby,
When did you have the itind done?
Neal
I assume you were part of the study. Are you assuming based on sympton relief that you were not in the placebo arm or did they reveal it to you. If not, when is the reveal?
Jim
29 Nov 20165
Jim,
Yes I was part of the study in the USA.
Officially I do not know if I was in the sham arm or not but, actually, if you read the protocol of the study and do a little research it becomes pretty obvious if you are in the control arm or not.
That and the results are pretty dramatic.
Doctors in Germany actually do believe that Saw Palmetto helps. Here they just shake their heads. During the 9 years I took it my prostate went from 35 to 75grms but it did seem to help with other aspects.
The symptoms he has don't really seem to fit one particular condition. He has always a burning sensation, it's there even when he is not passing urine and seems to fade whilst he is actually peeing. He can feel something in the back passage that he describes as a poker sticking up there! other times he likens it to a small ball that has gotten stuck up there! It definitely does not sound pleasant. He no longer has frequency, this was way back in August when his symptoms sent him to his GP and all the rest then followed. He will go maybe 6 or 7 times in the daytime and some nights he doesn't wake up needing to go, he can hold until the early hours, say around 5.30/6am. A bladder scan a while ago showed retention of a couple of hundred mls but nothing was done about this. They just said a large prostate was probably the cause. he always feels like he hasn't quite emptied the bladder but I don't think he is retaining as much as he had been. Urologist doesn't seem to think he has prostatitis although I thought the burning sounded like it may be part of that. We will give it a few weeks with the cranberry and pomegranate and see if anything improves. Our local health food shop has Saw Palmetto so he may give that a try if the other things don't work.
Hi there. I have used Saw Palmetto and other plants for at least 10 years with no side effects, but I observed a strict diet too. Plus so called Ultimate Fast from time to time. This, and no other medicine supported my health during the first 10 years after my prostate cancer was discovered. The diet consists roughly of lots of vegetables, no processed food, less meat, no sugar, no diary products (except organic).
My bladder, though, contained usually 250-300 ml of urine even after voiding. Jimjames is right saying that the prostate is not the sole responsible for our problems. After 10 years I was put on Alfuzosine which helped some and had no real side effects. Gradually, though, things got worse, I almost had urine retention, so last year I had a Green Laser procedure. It didn't help. The prostate wasn't responsible for my syndroms, the bladder was. My cancer keeps quiet. I cannot void naturally now - or very little - so I am doing CIC (catheterization).
Mind you, I am now 76 and when my cancer was discovered I was 62.
The only medicine that shrinks the prostate is anti-hormonal treatment like Lupron - I had it because of my cancer, didn't really help with symptoms.
I do believe in what Jimjames advocates: CIC. Avoiding having more than 300 or 400 ml in the bladder. If your partner wish to try any surgical procedure, he should find a really good urologist. And ask about the condition of his bladder, this is very important before making the decision.
Meanwhile, I would strongly advise dieting and herbal supplements. Be well! Zdzislaw
Hi Bobby,
I may be wrong, but my understanding is that they do a rigid cystoscopy in the sham arm. That's somewhat invasive and therefore usually done under anathesia, therefore I don't see how it would be obvious just from the procedure itself if the patient is visually shielded both when the device is either really (or sham) introduced. And while it sounds like you got the real deal based on sympton relief, there may be some in the sham arm that are not sure, therefore wondering how long they have to wait to be told.
Jim
Jim