7 replies to this topic

[Strelok]

I have a family member in his mid-60s who needs some help with his enlarged prostate, and inability to fully empty his bladder. 

 

He has seen a urologist several times, and has been prescribed several drugs that have worked only for the short term, until he reacts to them because of a sulfa-allergy.  The last drug they put him on, that supposedly doesn't have a sulfa molecule in it, has not been working..  Needless to say, he has to get up multiple times thru the night to urinate.

 

What are some potent herbal/supplemental options to address this issue?  I was thinking of sending him a bottle of Himplasia/Prostacare by Himalaya, if nothing else. 

 

Thanks.

[GoingPrimal]

Isn't nettle root (urtica diotica) the gold standard for prostate enlargement? Here are some studies.

[timar]

The most important herbal supplements/nutritional interventions for this condition are:

 

Pumpkin seeds (curcubina pepo semen): 1-2 Tblsp (10-20 g) daily

Saw palmetto fruit (serenoa repens fructus) extract: 300-400 mg daily

Stinging nettle root (urtica diotica radix) extract: 500-600 mg daily

 

The diet should be high in fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and low in refined carbohydrates and animal products (except yogurt and fish).

 

Were those drugs he took α-blockers or 5-reductase inhibitors? Only the latter (finasteride/dutasteride) actually have a disease-modifying effect, but it takes at least 3 months for it to show up (that's probably also true for those herbal supplements, btw.). If he has an elevated PSA, he should definitely keep taking them, even if they have some unpleasant side-effects.

Edited by timar, 15 February 2015 - 05:03 PM.

[Strelok]

Thanks for the replies.

 

 

Were those drugs he took α-blockers or 5-reductase inhibitors?

 

Yes, the first drug prescribed to him was finasteride, but because it contains a sulfa molecule, he eventually broke out in hives after a few months.  The hives resolved only after finasteride cessation.  That was replaced by another drug (less effective) that also had a sulfa molecule in it, and the hives came back.  The third drug hasn't been effective at all.  I don't know the names of the latter two drugs, but I could find out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Strelok, 15 February 2015 - 08:09 PM.

[hamishm00]

In addition to the above, I would start on:

 

Defined pollen extract (AOR's prostaphil)

Soy Isoflavones:

 

[Effects of soy bean isoflavone on inhibition of benign prostatic hyperplasia and the expressions of NO and NOS of rats].

[Article in Chinese]

Yang A¹, Ren G, Tang L, Jiang W.

Author information

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To explore the inhibitive effect of soybean isoflavone on the prostatic hyperplasia on the expressions of nitric oxid and nitric oxide synthase in the prostatic hyperplasia rats.

METHODS:

Subcutaneously injected testosterone propionate were to induce prostate hyperplasia in rats. The changes of prostate wet weight, prostatic index, liver index, the changes of some biochemical indexes in rat prostate tissue in the control and the treatment, the low, moderate, high dose groups of soybean isoflavone groups were observed.

RESULTS:

The prostate wet weight and prostatic index in all dose groups were merely lower than those in the treatment and the moderate groups were lowest in all dose group. There were no significant differences in liver index, urea nitrogen, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase of each group. Acid phosphatase, prostatic acid phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase in all dose groups were merely lower than those in the treatment group. Nitric oxide and nitric oxide synthase in all dose groups were merely higher than those in the treatment group.

CONCLUSION:

Soybean isoflavone could inhibit prostate hyperplasia and increase the expressions of nitric oxide and nitric oxide synthase in rats.

 

 

Also, a cheap remedy might include a combination of the amino acids glutamic acid, alanine, and glycine (390 mg capsules- 2 caps three times a day for two weeks, then 1 cap three times a day thereafter) was found to be effective in BPH treatment, with significant improvement in nocturia (56% treated patients, 15% placebo), urgency (66% treated, 11% placebo), frequency (43% treated, 15% placebo), and delayed micturition (50% treated, 0% placebo) in a double-blind, placebo- controlled study of 45 men.37 The mechanism for this improvement has not been elucidated.

http://www.thorne.co...text/1/1/18.pdf

(37) Dumrau F. Benign prostatic hyperplasia: amino acid therapy for symptomatic relief. Am J Geriatr 1962;10:426-430.

 

[albedo]

Strelok

 

There is an interesting article on Flower Pollen Extract against BPH in the LEF magazine:

 

Safely Reduce Annoying Prostate Symptoms

http://www.lef.org/M...ymptoms/Page-01

 

E.g. "...In men, pollen extracts appear to have similar effects on hormone (androgen) metabolism as prescription drugs such as
finasteride ...Pollen extracts inhibit the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase...that converts testosterone to DHT, which in turn
promotes prostate cell proliferation... And, in another mechanism similar to how a popular prescription drug works,
pollen extracts have shown the ability to influence the alpha-1 adrenergic receptors that keep smooth muscle tone elevated
in the prostate and bladder, thereby reducing the pain and discomfort those receptors produce when activated..."

 

Tamsulosin (generic for Flomax), which I think is the second drug they are referring too, is quite effective and relatively safe too!  However, attention in your case, as he might react to the sulphur content. What was the second drugs he was put on?

 

I am personally using since many years the LEF's Ultra Natural Prostate formulation (here) containing almost everything recommended here and considering potentiating the Flower Pollen Extract content with a recent separate formula they just put out (here).

[caruga]

Red maca can reduce prostate size.  Lycopene is considered good for general prostate health but I don't know if it addresses enlargement specifically.

[albedo]

Red maca can reduce prostate size.  Lycopene is considered good for general prostate health but I don't know if it addresses enlargement specifically.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....cles/PMC548136/

http://examine.com/s...nts/Maca/#ref12