Treatment of advanced prostatitis - both chronic and acute - is a complex undertaking that requires the parallel use of a number of diverse medications.
Each specific case individually creates the necessary list of drugs, depending on the patient’s medical history, the course of the disease and a number of other important factors.
Types of drugs
The selection of inexpensive but effective drugs for prostatitis is based on an understanding of the causes of the disease and the characteristics of its manifestation, however, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs should be considered key aspects of any list of medications.Moreover, if the latter can be of a general nature, then it is advisable to prescribe antibiotic therapy taking into account counteraction to a specific type of pathogen identified as a result of tests.
Additionally, medications against prostatitis such as various types of antipyretics, painkillers, diuretics, alpha-blockers, antispasmodics, antiandrogens and laxatives can be used in therapy.
Modern drugs can be classified not only according to their intended purpose, but also according to the form of release:
- injections (shots):treatment of inflammation of the prostate gland with injections is justified, first of all, in the case of a serious patient’s condition requiring immediate stabilization.As a rule, concentrated drugs in ampoules are diluted to obtain a solution, after which they are prescribed for intramuscular or intravenous infusion;
- candles:Medicines in the form of suppositories are relevant during routine treatment of chronic prostatitis or as medications for the prevention of prostatitis.In some cases, suppositories are prescribed to increase potency, since the absorption of the substance by the intestinal mucosa ensures its better penetration into the prostate tissue;
- tablets and capsules:these medicinal forms are the most common in the standard treatment regimen for chronic or acute prostatitis.Tablets are easy to dose and convenient to take, so most antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and decongestants (alpha-blockers or 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors) are produced in this form;
- instillation:This is a treatment method not often practiced for prostatitis, the essence of which is to inject a medicinal solution into the urethra or bladder using a special syringe.The main goal of instillations is to restore damaged mucous membranes, destroy pathogenic microflora and suppress inflammatory processes;
- microenemas:small cold enemas reduce local swelling, inflammation and pain in the prostate gland, although at the same time they impair the transport of drugs into its tissue.At the final stages of therapy and after recovery, courses of microenemas with solutions based on herbal preparations can be carried out.When fluid is retained in the intestine for a sufficiently long time, its mucous membrane absorbs useful substances;
- plasters:Skin patches, like microenemas, are auxiliary measures in the treatment of the prostate, and rather have a supporting effect on the body, complementing full-fledged drug therapy.
When choosing a dosage form of a drug, you must also take into account, in addition to the patient’s condition, his own preferences.
Some patients have problems swallowing tablets, while others are contraindicated for rectal suppositories due to the presence of inflammatory diseases in the anorectal area.
Factors such as the availability and cost of drugs also play a significant role - it is not always possible to find a fast-acting and inexpensive medicine for prostatitis, which is why you have to take less effective analogues.
Antibiotics
The selection of antibiotics requires a selective approach, since it is important to choose a drug that suppresses a specific type (or types) of pathogenic agents of inflammatory prostatitis.Why do doctors study smears taken from the urethra, urine tests and samples of prostatic secretions?
It is highly desirable to use antibacterial antibiotics that have both bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects, so that the drug not only blocks the spread of infection, but also actively destroys dangerous microorganisms.
Beta-lactam antibiotics, like aminoglycosides, are less preferred, although they are cheap.Unlike fluoroquinolones and macrolides, they are characterized by a weak ability to penetrate into the tissue of the prostate gland and create the necessary concentrations of the active substance in it.
Fluoroquinolones are powerful bactericidal drugs, significantly superior to bacteriostatic agents in this parameter.
Alpha blockers
This group of drugs is actively used not only for prostatitis, but also for prostate adenoma, and their effectiveness is based on blocking alpha-adrenergic receptors in order to prevent their contact with norepinephrine and adrenergic agonists.As a result, the receptors in the vessels do not receive vasoconstrictor nerve signals, due to which their expansion is achieved with a subsequent improvement in blood circulation.
It should be noted that in urology, selective alpha1-adrenergic blockers are actively used, acting on receptors in the tissues of the bladder, prostate and urinary tract.
Reducing tissue swelling not only improves urodynamics, but also tones the entire male genitourinary system, helping to get rid of, among other things, impotence and decreased erection.
Anti-inflammatory drugs
Prostatitis in men is treated with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs/NSAIDs), which meet the requirements of effectiveness, but at the same time, are safe for the body.
The purpose of these drugs is to suppress the inflammatory process affecting the prostate and, possibly, the seminal vesicles, bladder neck and distal urinary tract.
Following a decrease in the clinical severity of prostate inflammation, normalization of the patient’s condition is noted, including a decrease in body temperature, a decrease in swelling of the prostate gland, elimination of urinary tract obstruction and suppression of pain in the anogenital area.
Hormonal drugs
The use of hormonal drugs in the treatment of prostatitis is allowed only in the case of an advanced chronic course of the disease, in which antibiotics, alpha-blockers and anti-inflammatory drugs are not able to normalize disturbed hormonal levels.
Depending on the goals, the patient may be prescribed both androgens, which increase the level of male hormones (testosterone) in the blood, and estrogens, which suppress the production of dihydrotestosterone, which provokes the proliferation of prostate tissue.
All hormonal medications are sold strictly by prescription and should be used exclusively as prescribed by the attending physician, since incorrect or untimely dosage can have a detrimental effect on the patient’s health.
Immunomodulators
The complicated course of acute prostatitis is aggravated by the development of immunosuppression, which can intensify under the influence of a number of antibiotics and other drugs.For this reason, there is a need to strengthen the body’s resistance to pathogenic microflora, which is carried out with the help of immunostimulants.
There are many different drugs of this type.
Do not forget that vitamins A, C and E also help strengthen the immune system, so experts recommend actively consuming foods containing these substances in large quantities.
Analgesics
Painkillers are usually needed in the early stages of therapy, when treatment has not yet had time to functionally improve the condition of the prostate, which is why the patient experiences pain during urination, defecation, sitting for a long time on a hard surface or physical activity.
Typically, moderate strength analgesics taken as prescribed one to three times daily are sufficient.
These products have many structural analogues (generics), and they are produced by many companies, but doctors advise not to overpay for the brand.
Muscle relaxants
From the class of muscle relaxants, in urology it is customary to prescribe antispasmodics - drugs that help relax smooth muscles that are in a state of spasm.This therapy is effective for acute prostatitis, which causes involuntary spasm of the prostate muscles and the entire pelvic floor.
Course use of antispasmodics is unnecessary: it is enough to take them in moderate doses during the first days or weeks of general therapy.Also, these drugs should not be abused in order to avoid the risk of dysfunction of the relevant organs and systems of the body.
Vegetable
Herbal medicines prescribed for prostatitis are most often dietary supplements, available in the form of rectal suppositories, capsules or tablets.
Among the popular extracts that form the basis of such preparations are the bark of the African plum, the fruits of the creeping (or dwarf) palm, and the herb of creeping Tribulus.Slightly less commonly used is an extract from the prostate gland of animals (cattle).
There is also a group of medications such as homeopathic medicines for the treatment of prostate inflammation.
For the prevention of prostatitis
Prevention of prostatitis requires, first of all, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including regular sexual activity.But to maintain tone, you can also use various drugs - as a rule, we are talking about dietary supplements of plant origin.
Since the manufacturers of these dietary supplements claim their ability to help with weakened libido, impotence, erectile dysfunction and other disorders in the male genitourinary system, they should be taken with caution as prophylactic agents for prostatitis.
It must be remembered that many of these capsules and tablets are aphrodisiacs, which are inappropriate in a number of situations.