Don't rush to expensive drugs for an enlarged prostate

The drugs advertised on TV aren't the best options

Published: March 22, 2015 06:00 AM

If you're a man of a certain age and find yourself running to the bathroom often, there's a good chance you're suffering from benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH.

An enlarged prostate gland can lead to a weak or sputtering urine stream by pressing against the urethra or by triggering spasms in the muscle that surrounds it. But you don't always need a drug to solve the problem, because lifestyle changes can often help. And when you do need drugs, you probably don't need one of the expensive medications often pitched on TV ads. Our Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs recommendation is the generic drug doxazosin, which you can get for around $4 per month at CVS, Walgreens, and other chains. It often works just as well and is just as safe as more expensive medications, including tamsulosin (Flomax and generic).

See why we say you should skip saw palmetto for enlarged prostates.

Another advantage of doxazosin is that you can split higher-dose tablets in half, with the approval of your doctor or pharmacist, lowering your costs even more. Extended-release pills such as tamsulosin can't be split.

Before you turn to any drug, try these lifestyle changes first:

Cut back on drinks between dinner and bedtime, especially alcoholic and caffeinated beverages.
Limit the use of antihistamines and decongestants, which can prevent muscles around the bladder from relaxing.
If you take a diuretic for high blood pressure, ask your doctor about changing the time you take it, reducing the dose, or trying a different drug.
Wait a minute after urinating and then try again, pressing a finger behind the scrotum and pulling up to the base of the penis, to expel any remaining urine.

Editor's Note:

This article also appeared in the April 2015 issue of Consumer Reports on Health.