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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffProstatitis treatments vary depending on the type of disease.
Acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis
Acute bacterial prostatitis is treated with antibiotics. If you have severe symptoms, you may be hospitalized to receive injections of the drug. After your condition has improved, you will continue with oral antibiotics. The total course of treatment is usually two to four weeks. You should take all of the prescribed drugs as directed even if you're feeling better.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis is also treated with antibiotics. The duration of treatment is often longer and may need to be repeated if infection occurs again.
Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain
Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain is difficult to treat effectively. Current therapies that may help manage symptoms include the following:
- Alpha blockers are medications that help relax the bladder neck and the muscle fibers where your prostate joins your bladder. This treatment may lessen symptoms, such as painful urination. Alpha blockers include alfuzosin (Uroxatral) and doxazosin (Cardura). Common side effects include headaches and a decrease in blood pressure.
- Pain relievers such as aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) may make you more comfortable. You should discuss with your doctor what doses you can safely take because overuse of pain medication can cause serious side effects including abdominal pain, intestinal bleeding or ulcers.
- Prostatic massage by your physician using a lubricated, gloved finger — a procedure similar to a digital rectal exam — may provide some symptom relief. Although this therapy has been used for many years, experts still disagree on the effectiveness of the treatment.
- Other treatments studied in small clinical trials show potential for improving symptoms of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain, but more research is needed to understand their benefits. These treatments include heat therapy with a microwave device and drugs based on certain plant extracts.
- Meyrier A, et al. Acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 20, 2009.
- Pontari MA. Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 20, 2009.
- Schaeffer AJ. Clinical practice. Chronic prostatitis and the chronic pelvic pain syndrome. New England Journal of Medicine. 2006;355:1690-1698.
- Prostatitis: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments. Linthicum, MD: American Urological Association Foundation; 2005.
- Nickel J. Inflammatory conditions of the male genitourinary tract: Prostatitis and related conditions, orchitis, and epididymitis. In: Wein A, et al., eds. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/117299121-3/794153691/1445/12.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-7216-0798-6..50011-X--cesec1_747. Accessed Jan. 21, 2009.
- Pontari MA. Etiologic theories of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Current Urology Reports. 2007;8:307-312.
