Embarrassing Illnesses

Acute prostatitis

Acute prostatitis can be treated with antibiotics tablets (oral antibiotics). Most people will require a four week course of antibiotics. Your symptoms should pass within two weeks, but it is very important that you finish the course in order to prevent the infection returning.

Symptoms of pain can be treated using paracetamol and /or ibuprofen. If your symptoms of pain are particularly severe, you may be given codeine (a mild opiate-based painkiller).

Chronic bacterial prostatitis

Chronic bacterial prostatitis is also treated with a four week course of oral antibiotics. You may also be prescribed a type of medication that are known as alpha blockers.

Alpha blockers help relax the bladder muscles and therefore can improve problems with urination, such as problems passing urine.

The possible side effects of alpha-blockers include:

• dizziness,
• headaches,
• weakness, and
• a decrease, or total lack, of sperm when you ejaculate.

If you experience symptoms of dizziness, you should avoid driving, or operating heavy machinery, until the dizziness has passed.

Once you have completed your course of antibiotics, you will be given a urine test to check whether there is any bacteria left in, or near to, your prostate. If the test proves positive, a further course of antibiotics may be required.

As with acute prostatitis, paracetamol and /or ibuprofen can be used to help relieve any symptoms of pain.

Chronic non-bacterial prostatitis

Chronic non-bacterial prostatitis is also treated with alpha blockers, paracetamol, and ibuprofen.

A number of other medications have been used to treat chronic non-bacterial prostatitis, but there is only limited evidence that they are effective.

These medications include:

• finasteride - a medication that is usually used to treat prostate enlargement,
• fluoxetine - a medication that is usually used to treat depression (anti-depressant), and
• mepartricinm - a medication that is usually used to treat fungal infections.