Recent findings show that treatment with a specific alpha blocker helps reduce symptoms and improve quality of life for men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). This alpha-blocker, called silodosin, works by selectively relaxing the muscles in the neck of the urinary bladder and prostate. It has been approved in Canada, the United States, the EU and Japan to treat symptoms of another prostate gland condition, benign prostatic hyperplasia, which is commonly referred to as an enlarged prostate.
Although CP/CPPS is the most common form of prostatitis, it is the most misunderstood and difficult to treat because the symptoms are very similar to other conditions and requires a significant amount of testing and screening to identify.
Curtis Nickel, a professor in the Department of Urology, practicing urologist at Kingston General Hospital and Canada Research Chair in Urologic Pain and Inflammation, emphasized that antibiotics are commonly used as a treatment, but they are not typically effective. This could be because CP/CPPS does not seem to be caused by a bacterial infection.
CP/CPPS is a debilitating condition; patients with this condition suffer from discomfort in the lower pelvic area including the bladder area, testicles, and penis. Symptoms may be severe and can include painful and frequent urination and difficult or painful ejaculation. The cause of CP/CPPS is not known.
In Dr. Nickel’s study, about 60 percent of men reported feeling better after treatment with silodosin as opposed to 30 percent of participants who were given a placebo. These results for patients feeling better is higher than a similar study he conducted several years ago that tested the effects of a different alpha blocker.