About a third of men of reproductive age - between the ages of 20 and 40 - have chronic prostatitis. Due to the disease, the quality of life of many patients is significantly reduced. Chronic prostatitis is difficult to treat, but it is possible to improve health, restore impaired functions, and get rid of painful symptoms in the long run. The main thing is to choose the right treatment regimen. Of course, this is the duty of the doctor, but in any case it is useful to know what drugs can be used in the treatment. Let's talk about what prostatitis medications exist and how they work.
Drugs for the treatment of prostatitis
Any disease - and prostatitis is no exception - has a cause, mechanism of development of the pathological process and clinical manifestations. Consistent with this, the directions of treatment also differ.
The question may arise: why is it not possible to confine yourself to the treatment of the cause, because after eliminating the cause, the development of the disease will stop, and the symptoms will disappear? In the case of chronic diseases, including prostatitis, not everything is so simple. First, it's not always possible to find and eliminate the cause. Second, when the pathological mechanism is already active, it is self-supporting, and even the elimination of the etiological factor does not guarantee recovery. So a universal cure for prostatitis has yet to be developed: today all the links in therapy are important.
Psychotropic drugs
The etiology of chronic prostatitis is still poorly understood. On the one hand, infection is considered the cause of the development of the inflammatory process. No bacteria were found in the tissues of a healthy prostate. On the other hand, the rate of bacterial prostatitis accounts for only about 10% of the overall structure of the disease rate, the remaining 90% of cases are bacterial. It is possible that the infection plays a role only at the early stages of the development of the disease, as a trigger for the pathological process in the prostate gland. In the future, the importance of the microflora decreases, and pathological changes in the tissues of the prostate gland (obstruction, impaired microcirculation, autoimmune mechanisms, etc. )more important. What drugs are used to treat prostatitis?
Treatment of the cause of bacterial prostatitis involves the appointment of antibiotics. With their choices too, not everything is as simple as you think. First, the microbiological spectrum is changing: if until recently E. coli was dominant among the causative agents of chronic prostatitis, now chlamydia, mycoplasmas, ureaplasmas, gardnerella, trichomonads are increasingly beingfind more. They are not sensitive to previously used antibiotics. Second, the resistance of bacteria to the action of antibacterial agents is increasing. Therefore, drugs for prostatitis should be prescribed only after determining the type of pathogen and its sensitivity to antibiotics.
Effective antibacterial drugs against prostatitis are considered to befluoroquinolones. They penetrate well into the tissues of the prostate gland and form concentrations in it high enough to kill bacteria. Another advantage of fluoroquinolones is their broad spectrum of action: many pathogenic bacteria are susceptible to them. This class of anti-prostatitis drugs includes active ingredients such as ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, lomefloxacin, and others.
When chlamydia and other intracellular organisms are detected,macrolideandtetracyclines. They are active against specific flora, but have an adverse effect on pathogens typical of chronic prostatitis - Escherichia coli, staphylococcus. The advantage of macrolides is their low toxicity.
Preparations of disease genetic therapy
Against the background of chronic inflammation in the tissues of the prostate gland, a complex of changes occurs. There is stagnation of secretion, poor venous outflow, disordered gland properties, gradual fibrosis (replacement of healthy connective tissue), impaired immunity. These interrelated pathological changes support inflammation and reduce the effectiveness of etiotropic therapy. Restoring the structure and function of the gland with the help of disease genetic therapy helps to break the vicious cycle. Because many factors are involved in the pathogenesis of chronic prostatitis, the drugs in this class are diverse.
- Immune conditioning. During a chronic inflammatory process, the work of all parts of the immune system is disrupted. Immunomodulators regulate defense mechanisms, helping to deal with inflammation and infection. This is a large group of drugs with different mechanisms of action.
- Antioxidants. One of the pathological mechanisms accompanying inflammation is oxidative stress. Prostate cells are damaged by free radicals, they are formed in large numbers due to a sharp increase in the white blood cell content in the secretion of the prostate gland. Oxidative stress exacerbates and perpetuates the inflammatory response. To prevent this process, antioxidants are prescribed for chronic prostatitis: zinc, selenium, copper preparations, vitamins A, C, E, folic acid, L-carnitine, glutathione, resveratroland other substances.
- Enzyme preparations. As a result of chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, lack of blood supply, healthy glandular tissue is replaced by connective tissue. Enzyme preparations (mainly based on hyaluronidase) slow down the development of fibrosis.
Note
Among prostatitis drugs, peptide bioregulators obtained from animal prostate gland deserve special attention. They have a selective effect on the prostate gland, in particular, improving blood flow and restoring microcirculation. As a result, swelling is reduced, the risk of blood clots is reduced, pain is reduced, urination is normal, and prostate function is restored. In some cases, these drugs can be used to prevent prostatitis.
Medicines for treatment
One of the main goals of the treatment of chronic prostatitis is to save the patient from the painful manifestations of the disease. Symptomatic agents do not affect the course of the inflammatory process, but alleviate the patient's condition. So what helps with prostatitis?
- alpha blockersblock nerve impulses from receptors located in the smooth muscles of the prostate, urethra, bladder. As a result, the contractions stop, the pain disappears, urination is normal. Action does not occur immediately, but after two weeks from the start of treatment.
- Antispasmodic drugsare prescribed for the same purpose as alpha blockers. They help relax smooth muscles. Due to the elimination of the spasm, the pain is reduced, the outflow of urine is restored.
- NSAIDsUsed to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. These drugs work quickly, but they cannot be used for long courses due to the risk of side effects.
The drug in the form of suppositories helps to restore the functions of the prostate gland, relieves pain and improves the process of urination.
How to choose medicine to treat prostatitis?
The urologist selects a treatment regimen and medication for prostatitis based on the diagnosis and analysis of the patient's complaints. Treatment of this disease must be comprehensive: this is the only way to achieve a stable and lasting effect. If tests reveal an infection, your doctor will most likely prescribe an antibiotic appropriate for the type of pathogen. In other cases, disease and symptom genetic therapy is used. The latter is selected based on popular complaints. For example, if the patient is concerned about the pain, an NSAID is prescribed. For urinary problems, alpha blockers are used.
Drugs for the treatment of prostatitis differ not only in composition, therapeutic mechanism of action, but also in the form of release. The main ones are tablets, capsules and suppositories rectally. Drugs in the form of injections are used less often.
Tablets and capsules are very convenient to take. However, suppositories, first of all, act faster: penetrating the wall of the rectum, where it comes into contact with the prostate gland, the active substance is immediately delivered by the lymph glands to the site of inflammation. Second, drugs in the form of suppositories have a greater bioavailability: unlike tablets, they are not metabolized in the liver and the concentration of the active substance is not reduced. Finally, suppositories are safer in terms of side effects: in particular, they have practically no negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract.
In modern regimens for the treatment of chronic prostatitis, all components of therapy are noticed: the etiology of the disease, its manifestations and symptoms. The drug should be selected by the doctor, focusing on the results of the tests and the patient's complaints. Integrated treatment methods and appropriate drug selection help restore impaired functions and forget the symptoms of prostatitis in the long run.
Suppositories for prostatitis
One of the drugs often prescribed by urologists to treat chronic prostatitis is the drug in the form of a suppository. This tool has been used in clinical practice for more than 30 years.
The active ingredient of the suppository is bovine prostate extract. It contains a complex of peptides that have a regulatory effect on prostate cells. The drug helps to improve microcirculation and outflow of the veins, thereby reducing inflammation and swelling, and reducing pain.
Indications for use - chronic bacterial prostatitis, conditions before and after prostate surgery, benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Suppositories have high bioavailability. Low molecular weight peptides readily penetrate biological barriers and are delivered to the focal point of inflammation. The high degree of purification minimizes the risk of allergies and other unwanted reactions.
Suppositories with bovine prostate extract are compatible with antibiotics and other drugs used in the complex treatment of chronic prostatitis. Means are applied according to a short course (from 10 days). However, it is affordable.