Prostate Problems: When the Drugs Just Aren’t Enough.

When the drug you are given for your enlarged prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia, just isn’t doing the trick, your doctor has to add a second drug. Or does she?

This 6 month study of men with moderate-to-severe benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) added either a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor 320mg of saw palmetto berry extract to the drug they were already on: tamsulosin.

International Prostate Symptom Scores improved by 6.7 points in the saw palmetto group and by 7.7 points in the drug group. That difference was not significant, meaning adding the herb worked just as well as adding the drug.

But here’s the real difference: 26.5% of the drug group experienced an adverse event versus only 10.3% who added the herb. The most common side effects in the drug + drug group were erectile dysfunction, reduced libido and inability to ejaculate.

Saw palmetto berry extract is a well established treatment for BPH. This study adds the new use that saw palmetto is just as effective and safer as an add on to tamsulosin.

J Clin Med. June 22, 2022;11(13):3615.

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For much more on treating benign prostatic hyperplasia naturally, see our book The Family Naturopathic Encyclopedia.

For much more on saw palmetto berry, see our book Healthy Herbs: Your Everyday Guide to Medicinal Herbs and Their Use.

For comprehensive natural help with your health, including treating BPH, make an appointment to see Linda Woolven now. Linda’s clinic is now open for in person and virtual appointments.

The Natural Path is intended for educational purposes only and is in no way intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. For health problems, consult a qualified health practitioner for a comprehensive program.

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