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- $Unique_ID{BRK01925}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Cold Medications and an Enlarged Prostate}
- $Subject{Cold medicate medication Medications enlarge Enlarged Prostate
- preparation preparations urinate urination antihistamine antihistamines
- decongestant decongestants chemical chemicals histamine histamines muscle
- muscles bladder blood vessel vessels tissue tissues nose neck urine}
- $Volume{}
- $Log{
- Benign Hypertrophy of the Prostate*0007602.scf}
-
- Copyright (c) 1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
-
-
- Cold Medications and an Enlarged Prostate
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-
- QUESTION: My friend, who is always complaining about his physical ailments,
- now tells me that his doctor won't let him take a simple cold pill because he
- has "prostate trouble". I let most of his stories go by without questioning,
- but this one seems a bit farfetched. Could you explain this or just debunk it
- if it proves to be foolish?
-
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-
- ANSWER: It does make sense and if you just check the label on some cold
- preparations, you will discover a warning concerning use by people with
- urination problems due to large prostates. Cold preparations often contain
- two different types of medications, antihistamines and decongestants.
- Antihistamines help to work against chemicals that result from an allergic
- reaction (histamines) but they also can relax the smooth muscles of the
- bladder, reducing their ability to empty the bladder. While decongestants
- help constrict the swollen blood vessels in the tissue lining the nose that
- result from a cold, these same chemicals act to tighten the muscles located at
- the exit of the bladder (bladder neck) that must open to allow the urine to
- pass out of the bladder.
- In the case of a man with an enlarged prostate, the speed of urine flow
- is reduced, as the prostate squeezes against the passage, reducing its size
- and capacity. The effects of the medication aggravate this condition. Men
- with prostate problems, however, may still use cold preparations by starting
- with a smaller dose, half the recommended dosage. If there is no worsening of
- symptoms, a full dose may be used for the few days necessary to relieve cold
- symptoms. If difficulty in urinating develops, the medication should be
- discontinued.
-
- ----------------
-
- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
-