Antibiotic therapy is the mainstay of treatment for inflammation of the prostate. Antibiotics for prostatitis are divided into several groups. The choice of a drug depends on the nature of the inflammatory process and the characteristics of the course of the disease in the patient. Often, pathogenic microorganisms develop resistance to the active substance of the drug. In such cases, antibiotic therapy is selected taking into account the susceptibility of pathogens to certain active substances, and drugs are prescribed only after bacterial analysis of prostate juice.
Why are antibiotics needed?
With an exacerbation of prostatitis, the first priority is to stop the inflammatory process. For this, antibacterial therapy is indicated, since only antimicrobial drugs can quickly eliminate the pathogen that provokes the inflammatory process.
Symptomatic treatment without the use of antibacterial drugs is ineffective and gives only temporary results. Any anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic drugs for prostatitis are used only in addition to antibiotic treatment.
Elimination of pathogens allows:
- relieve pain syndrome;
- normalizes body temperature;
- improve urodynamics;
- to normalize the function of the prostate gland.
Therefore, antibiotics for prostatitis in men can not only eliminate the inflammatory process, but also reduce the symptoms. The improvement in well-being is due to the removal of the swelling of the inflamed organ. The inflamed organ always increases in size and puts pressure on the surrounding tissues, causing pain.
Antibiotics treat both the symptoms and the cause of the disease.
The main advantage of antimicrobials is their fast action and ease of use. Antibiotic treatment of prostatitis is done with pills, injections, or the use of suppositories.
For medications to work really quickly, you must choose them strictly according to your doctor's instructions. To determine the type of pathogenic microorganisms, you need to undergo a series of examinations, first of all, a bacterial study of the composition of the secretion of the prostate gland. Only the determination of the causative agent of the inflammatory process ensures the choice of optimal drugs that will quickly relieve the exacerbation.
It is important to note that antibiotics for prostatitis are indicated for the treatment of only the infectious form of the disease, both acute and chronic. With non-infectious inflammation, the development of which is due to age-related changes or a violation of the trophism of the prostate, the use of antimicrobial drugs is inappropriate, as well as with adenoma.
Types of medications
In the treatment of inflammation of the prostate, preference is given to broad-spectrum drugs that are active against a large number of pathogens. This choice is explained by the fact that, in some cases, prostatitis is caused by the simultaneous action of several types of pathogens at once.
The following medications are effective antibiotics for prostatitis:
- fluoroquinolones;
- cephalosporins;
- macrolides;
- tetracyclines;
- penicillins.
Each type of medicine is effective only for certain groups of bacteria.
Each of the antibiotics listed for prostatitis is active against certain microorganisms. Medicines of different groups are interchangeable, in the event that the inflammation is caused by opportunistic microorganisms, for example, E. coli.
Fluoroquinolones
Antimicrobial drugs from the group of fluoroquinolones are only conventionally called antibacterial drugs. In terms of their pharmacological action, these agents exhibit pronounced antibacterial activity, however, in terms of their composition, they are not antibiotics.
The main difference between fluoroquinolones and broad-spectrum antibiotics is their synthetic composition. Fluoroquinolones, unlike antibiotics from the penicillin or tetracycline group, do not have natural analogues. This is the main advantage of the drugs of this group: since there are no natural substitutes for the active substance, it means that pathogens cannot develop resistance, and the treatment of chronic prostatitis with a fluoroquinolone antibiotic will be more effective.
Medicines in this group are active against most bacteria, including sexually transmitted infections (Chlamydia, Trichomonas). Today, fluoroquinolone is the best drug for the treatment of indolent bacterial prostatitis. Subject to the correct dose and the correct choice of medication, fluoroquinolones show a rapid therapeutic effect and cause a minimum of adverse reactions compared to antibiotics. Medications in this group are toxic, so it is important to follow your doctor's recommended treatment regimen.
In chronic bacterial inflammation, drugs in this group are used for a long period of 3 to 4 weeks.
The list of drugs in the group of fluoroquinolones is quite extensive, therefore, to choose the optimal drug, you need to consult a specialist. According to the doctor's prescription, the regimen and duration of treatment can be adjusted.
Penicillins
In most cases, doctors prescribe penicillin for the first episode of prostatitis. Such an antibiotic for prostatitis is well tolerated by the body and has a pronounced therapeutic effect, suppressing the activity of various opportunistic bacteria that cause inflammation of the prostate.
Most people are resistant to this group of drugs. This is due to the fact that penicillins have been used to treat any bacterial inflammation for the past 50 years. To increase the therapeutic effect, the use of combined antibiotics for the treatment of prostatitis in men is practiced, which are drugs with penicillins and clavulanic acid.
The use of combined drugs allows you to quickly obtain a therapeutic effect. These drugs are well tolerated, have few side effects, and are affordable, making them popular. Among the forms of release are suppositories for prostatitis with antibiotics, tablets and capsules, solutions for intramuscular injections. Even though antibiotic injections can quickly stop inflammation, men prefer the tablet form of medications because of the ease of administration.
Doctors and patients speak highly of these products and point out:
- pronounced antibacterial effect;
- convenient release form;
- acceptable cost;
- minimal side effects.
Thanks to clavulone in its composition, the preparations penetrate well directly into the tissues of the prostate gland.
Drugs in this group are taken for three weeks. The maximum dose is 1 g of active ingredient per day, which is equivalent to 1-2 tablets, depending on the form of release.
These drugs often cause disturbances of the gastrointestinal tract, manifested by diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain. To minimize the negative effect on the mucous membranes, you should consult your doctor about the appointment of probiotics.
Tetracyclines
The use of tetracycline antibiotics for the treatment of prostatitis in men has decreased in recent years. This is due to the large number of side effects and insufficient intake of the active substance in the tissues of the inflamed prostate.
The advantage of drugs of this group is a pronounced activity against chlamydia and ureaplasma. The disadvantage is a negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract, a large number of cases of individual intolerance and negative reactions of the body.
Due to the risk of complications, you should not take this group of drugs on your own. The treatment regimen and duration of therapy are selected by the physician on an individual basis.
Macrolides
When wondering what antibiotics to take for prostatitis, many tend to prefer macrolides. Drugs of this group are quite common, they are prescribed especially often in cases of ineffectiveness of other drugs, which happens when pathogenic microorganisms develop resistance.
Unlike other antibiotics, macrolides have a small variety of uses. These medications are prescribed only for inflammation caused by chlamydia, ureaplasma, and gonococcal infection.
Although the mechanism of action of these drugs on an enlarged prostate is not precisely understood, the main advantage of these drugs is low toxicity and minimal side effects. Coupled with a fairly affordable cost, this makes the drug a popular remedy for prostatitis in men.
The course of treatment depends on the severity of the inflammatory process and takes about three weeks on average. Preparations from the group of macrolides are produced in the form of tablets, as well as solutions for injections, so the latter are not widely used among patients due to the inconvenience of their use.
Cephalosporins
Cephalosporin antibiotics are one of the most effective drugs for bacterial prostatitis. Medicines work quickly to relieve symptoms a few days after starting treatment. Due to the affordable cost, the course of drug treatment will be inexpensive and affordable for everyone. The drugs are well accepted by the body and have practically no side effects, however, they have a significant drawback - they are produced only in injectable solutions. At home, not everyone can inject themselves, therefore treatment with cephalosporins is mainly done in a hospital.
The treatment regimen for prostatitis with these drugs is selected by a doctor. Usually 1 injection of the drug is prescribed per day for 7-14 days.
The doctor decides which drug to choose after examining the patient. Drugs of this group are characterized by a wide spectrum of action, but they are inactive against chlamydia.
List of medications in tablets
It is more convenient to treat prostatitis at home with pills or capsules. Popular drug groups in this release form:
- penicillins;
- macrolides;
- fluoroquinolones;
- tetracyclines.
How to treat inflammation, as well as the duration of the course and the regimen of administration, depends on the dose of the drug and the form of the disease. Antibiotic therapy takes 10-12 days for acute inflammation and three weeks for chronic inflammation.
It is recommended to take the antibiotic tablets immediately after meals. It is advisable to drink the capsule at the same time every day. If the drug is used several times a day, the time intervals between doses should be the same.
Antibiotic suppositories
Another convenient form of home remedy is rectal antibiotic suppositories.
The duration of the treatment course is 7 to 21 days, depending on the severity of the symptoms. Often, to achieve the best therapeutic effect, doctors prescribe the simultaneous use of suppositories and the use of antibiotics in tablets, while drugs with different active ingredients are selected. This combination therapy allows you to stop the inflammatory process as soon as possible.
Candles are used once a day. They are inserted rectally at bedtime.
Precautions
Any antibacterial drug has a number of contraindications. This list should be read before you start taking the medicine. Absolute contraindications to taking antibiotics:
- individual intolerance;
- acute renal failure;
- acute liver failure;
- simultaneous intake with alcohol.
Most of the adverse reactions associated with antibiotic therapy come from the gastrointestinal tract. These include intestinal dysbiosis, diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea with vomiting.
If undesirable reactions of the body appear, it is allowed to replace the drug with a drug with another active ingredient in the composition. The prescription of fluoroquinolones to replace penicillin antibiotics with the development of side effects or intolerance to the latter is practiced quite frequently. However, analogues should be selected by a doctor, based on the characteristics of drug reactions.