Inability to Urinate (cont.)

Urinary Incontinence in Women Slideshow Pictures

Urinary Incontinence in Men Slideshow Pictures

Food & Drinks That Make You Gotta Go Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Siamak T. Nabili, MD, MPH

Dr. Nabili received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), majoring in chemistry and biochemistry. He then completed his graduate degree at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His graduate training included a specialized fellowship in public health where his research focused on environmental health and health-care delivery and management.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Medications

Two types of medications available for treating enlarged prostate in men are also generally used in the treatment of urinary retention.

The first class of medications (called alpha receptor blockers) work by relaxing the muscles at the neck of the bladder, thus reducing the obstruction to the flow of urine. The common medications in this class are terazosin (Hytrin), tamsulosin (Flomax), doxazosin (Cardura), and alfuzosin (Uroxatral). These medications are generally used for treating long-standing obstructive symptoms due to enlarged prostate, but they may have a role in treating acute obstruction. Some studies have suggested that early initiation of these medications may improve urinary problems upon the removal of a urinary catheter.

The second class of medications for the treatment of prostate enlargement (called 5-alpha reductase inhibitors) work by shrinking the size of the prostate gland. They inhibit locally (in the prostate) the conversion of testosterone to one of its metabolites which is thought to play a role in increasing prostate size. Finasteride (Proscar) and dutasteride (Avodart) are the two commonly used medications of this type. They are also primarily used to treat long-standing urinary problems due to prostate enlargement. Unlike the other drug class, they play no role in treating acute urinary obstruction because their action of reducing the prostate size may take weeks to months.