Urinary symptoms in men

As men age, their prostates enlarge. This is called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and can cause some frustrating symptoms, including:

Urinary frequency (needing to pee regularly)

Urgency (needing to go right away!)

Nocturia (needing to pee at night)

Straining

Incomplete emptying

Weak urinary stream.

Almost all men will develop some enlargement of the prostate as they grow older. By age 60, 50% of men will have some signs of BPH; by age 85, 90% of men will have signs of the condition. It often co-exists with erectile dysfunction. (ED)

A meta-analysis showed that tadalafil was superior to placebo for relieving LUTS/BPH and ED. Tadalafil has been shown to make symptoms less severe and reduce the chance that prostate surgery will be needed. It also helps with erectile dysfunction and can help reduce blood pressure in some people.

Another medication commonly used to treat BPH is Finesteride. However this commonly has significant and long lasting side effects resulting in worsening of ED.  The availability of this medication via online pharmacies as a treatment for hair loss is worrying as often people aren’t aware of the potentially permanent side effects.