New research on improved sexual function for men with enlarged prostate
Welcome news for men with an enlarged prostate (BPH) appears with the publication of new research on an effective way of treating both the BPH and the sexual dysfunction that often accompanies it.
Men are very likely to experience the symptoms of an enlarged prostate at some point in their life – it affects 50% of men by the time they reach 50, and almost 100% of men that reach 80. [1]
Enlargement of the prostate is hence very commonly encountered and is a different condition to prostate cancer. As the prostate enlarges, it impinges on the space available for urine to pass through on its way out from the bladder, and causes many unpleasant symptoms, such as:
- A feeble urinary stream
- Difficulty getting started when needing to urinate
- Stopping and starting rather than a steady stream
- Having to urinate frequently and urgently
- Having to get up frequently in the night to urinate
- Feeling that you can’t empty your bladder completely
- Recurrent urinary tract infections
It also increases the likelihood of sexual dysfunction.
What is sexual dysfunction?
Sexual dysfunction encompasses:
- Erectile dysfunction (impotence) – persistent inability to achieve and maintain an erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual performance
- Ejaculatory dysfunction – disturbance of the ejaculatory reflux, including loss of ejaculation with a decreased amount of semen, premature ejaculation, delayed ejaculation, and retrograde ejaculation (when semen enters the bladder instead of going out through the penis)
- Lack of drive/ lack of libido
The key factors predicting sexual dysfunction in elderly men are:
- Age
- Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (enlarged prostate or BPH)
- Disease such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels or pelvic surgery
Sexual dysfunction and BPH
Of these, the most significant factor and predictor for erectile dysfunction is BPH. Men with BPH symptoms are nearly 4 times more likely to develop erectile dysfunction during the 2-year period after the onset of BPH symptoms.
Men aged 30-80 have a 38% chance of having erectile dysfunction if they don’t have BPH, but 72% if they do. The more severe the symptoms, the more frequent and severe the occurrence of erectile and ejaculatory dysfunctions.
Conventional treatment of BPH does not help sexual dysfunction
Unfortunately standard synthetic medication for BPH also increases the likelihood of sexual dysfunction, with erectile dysfunction affecting up to 38% of men taking 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors such as finasteride, and up to 30% of long-term users of alpha-blockers such as tamsulosin experiencing abnormal or retrograde ejaculation.
The result of this dilemma has been the concomitant use of BPH medication and phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors such as Viagra, which is expensive and still associated with side effects. It remains the case that adverse sexual side effects are the main reason for men stopping their BPH treatment.
How can Saw Palmetto help?
There is a plethora of research on the benefits of Saw Palmetto for relieving symptoms of BPH. There are also records of Saw Palmetto’s traditional use for sexual problems such as loss of libido and impotence. One doctor’s account of a patient treated with Saw Palmetto for BPH and loss of libido ends with the patient not only restored to his normal vigour but also bemoaning the state of affairs that made it illegal for him to have more than one wife… [2]
The clinical evidence
In this pilot study, 69 men aged on average 57 years old with BPH and sexual dysfunction lasting more than 2 months, were treated with Saw Palmetto for 8 weeks to monitor the effects not only on the BPH but also on their sexual function. [3] Their symptoms had to be caused by the BPH rather than other diseases or mental health problems (such as depression), and they had to be free of other medication for BPH, or antidepressants or anti-inflammatory drugs.
The men’s BPH symptoms were assessed using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and over the 8-week study the symptoms went down by an impressive 51% from 14.4 to 6.9. This type of improvement has, however, been shown previously in Saw Palmetto research.
The men’s sexual function was assessed using both the Brief Sexual Function Inventory (covering sexual drive, erections, ejaculation, and overall satisfaction), and the Urolife BPH Quality of Life (QoL) questionnaire, which covers sexual desire, satisfaction with erections and satisfaction with sex life.
During the study, the men’s ability to get and keep an erection improved by 64%, and having problems with lack of drive and ejaculation each improved by 54%. Feeling sexual drive improved by 47%, and their ability to have an erection firm enough to have sexual intercourse improved by 42%, which brought it from less than ‘fairly often’ to ‘usually’. There was an improvement of 35% in the symptoms listed in the Urolife questionnaire.
Both the study participants and the investigators found Saw Palmetto to have a beneficial effect, with the investigators being particularly impressed by the safety associated with the remedy. When asked what Saw Palmetto had helped most during the study, 8% of the patients indicated erectile function, 26% libido, and 66% erectile dysfunction and libido together.
[1] Madersbacher S, Studer U E. Benige Prostatahyperplasie. Schweiz Med Forum. Nov 2002; 45: 1068-73
[2] Dr A. L Davidson, Mount Pleasant, Utah, 1896, Traditional Use of Saw Palmetto
[3] Suter A et al. Phytother Res. 2012 Apr 23. doi: 10.1002/ptr.4696
Something that even better than Saw Palmetto is super beta prostate supplement. The reason I’ve found it to be better after some amount of research is really quite simple. It contains more beta-sitosterol and other plant sterols than Saw Palmetto. While many people do benefit from Saw Palmetto, think how much better off they’d be with a more effective dosage which is available in super beta prostate.
on March 8, 2013 at 10:59 am Super Beta Prostate SupplementSome studies show that saw palmetto is as effective in treating symptoms as finasteride (Proscar) without side effects, such as loss of libido. Other studies suggest that saw palmetto may actually shrink the size of the prostate gland. Due to the short duration (usually less than 3 months) of these studies, it is not possible to say for sure whether saw palmetto is truly effective for preventing complications of BPH. In fact, a well-conducted study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that saw palmetto was no better than placebo in relieving the signs and symptoms of BPH.
on July 3, 2013 at 8:53 am Billy LietoHave you Dr. Rick Santee’s new book Prostate Relief Now!?
on November 26, 2013 at 1:49 pm Ron HaynesHe really makes some strong arguments.
This blog was… how do you say it? Relevant!! Finally I’ve found something which helped me. Kudos.
on January 14, 2014 at 4:25 pm Brendan WillegalI can relate to this problem because I’ve experienced this before having an enlarged prostate. It’s really hard for me dealing it before because I’m afraid to visit my doctor for a checkup of because I got all the symptoms and I don’t know what to do. So, I research through the internet to find out why I’m dealing these symptoms. I found out that it is prostate enlargement. I also research what natural supplements to treat my enlarged prostate and I found a supplement which is called a Proaxil prostate supplement. I bought it and used it for 5 months and fortunately, my prostate is getting back to normal again. I’m not actually promoting this product, I’m just sharing my story that this supplement helps me a lot.
on December 2, 2014 at 1:28 pm JonMy prostate is getting worse and meds are not working anymore. My current doctor is afraid of surgery because I have heart problems. The catheters do work but are very difficult to tolerate, especially when you do it yourself at home. I’m trying proaxil as I’ve seen great reviews on it,,hope it helps. This problem is life changing, really scary, makes me think that life may be not worth living anymore. Good luck to us all. Marty
on November 4, 2015 at 7:15 pm Marty siedererIt’s really a cool and useful piece of information. I’m happy that you
on April 19, 2016 at 1:08 pm bbwsimply shared this useful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this.
Thanks for sharing.
I would like to start useing sawpalmeto if it can help my enlarged prostate an ED.
on August 15, 2016 at 10:16 pm Edward Peytonawesome Information If You are facing enlarged prostate so Read This post. more Define what is issue
on April 12, 2018 at 11:13 am ProsmanHi… am Kamal raj and am 35 year old am run a company PROSMAN. Company work for those people they have a prostate and BPH problem. am telling some thing with you what is prostate enlargment and BPH. The prostate becomes enlarged, which is common in older men, it presses on the urethra and can block it. The most common cause of prostate enlargement is benign prostatic hypertrophy (often called BPH) prosman.in how to treat bph. Other causes of prostate enlargement include prostate cancer and prostate infection (prostatitis). An enlarged prostate is a non-malignant swelling in the size of the prostate. The medical term for an enlarged prostate is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)bph treatment remedies . Benign means non-cancerous Prostatic means ‘to do with the prostate’ Prostate enlargement or BPH is a non-malignant enlargement linked to hormonal changes.Best Natural Treatment Of Prostate With Food: Prostate enlargement is a big concern for every aging man.
on September 26, 2018 at 6:13 am kamal rajHere is a tip that has been a Godsend for me.
When you wake in the middle of the night and have a STRONG urge to urinate but can not, try this:
Walk as fast as you can with arms swinging for 30 seconds to a minute. Then use the toilet. Most men will then begin to urinate with no problem. You can do this a few times in a row to help you completely empty your bladder and then get a longer period of sleep.
on December 26, 2018 at 6:15 pm EmanGreat idea , thanks for sharing.Another thing I find that works is take a dry skin brush and brush around your stomach area just below your naval for 2-3 minutes fairly lightly in a clockwise motion. usually this allows me to void enough to go back to bed. Hope this helps someone.
on April 28, 2020 at 7:23 pm Johnthis bph driving me nuts.have to take Alfa blockers or big trouble peeing or a messy surgery.ed it causes and insomnia and low blood pressure.Have to eat no red meat or dairy products as it can inflame the prostate. Drink no beer or alcohol and coffee.well once in a wile I have to play the will it bug me or not game .have a hard time going places as I don’t venter to far.Who here has bph for a long time and have the same systems.
on August 26, 2019 at 9:39 pm tomI have the same issue, have to watch what I eat or it will make it worse. God forbid if I drink any alcohol or coffee that really stops me up. Have not had a decent nights sleep in a couple years. this has really killed my social and sex life.
on April 28, 2020 at 7:10 pm JohnI wish that BPH was front and center like prostate cancer as I could of prevented this from happening by prevention. I did all the thing to prevent prostate cancer by eating all the right foods and exercise. I had inflammation of the prostates for many years and took my prostate formula that worked well over the years that made my urinating bearable. Now I have BPH and feeling a shell of my old self and dumbfounded as how can I miss this. I would of changed the way I ate and drank and other things to not at DHT or ESTREGEN to make the prostate bigger. They say prostate cancer is the most dangerous and true but more men get BPH and a lot live horrible lives or can manage lives and a lot could of been prevented with up front info.
on September 20, 2019 at 2:14 am sean