The effectiveness of doxycycline treatment of prostatitis

Every man who has ever faced such a disease as prostatitis knows how difficult it is and how long the treatment process is. In today’s pharmaceutical market there are a huge number of antibiotics that are so necessary in the treatment of urological pathologies. Doxycycline in prostatitis is considered one of the most effective antibacterial agents that allows promptly and with minimal toxicity to achieve recovery.

Pharmacological action

The drug doxycycline belongs to the tetracycline group of antibiotics and is produced in a semi-synthetic way. It comes in the form of gelatin capsules in the form of a cylinder. The composition includes the active substance doxycycline, auxiliary components: lactose monohydrate, potato starch and calcium stearate, glycerol, purified water, dyes E-104 and E-110.

Important! Doxycycline from prostatitis does not affect healthy cells and for this reason refers to the antibacterial agents sparing effect with minimal risk of adverse reactions.

The main reason for the development of inflammatory processes in the prostate is a pathogenic microflora that enters the body. Doxycycline acts on a large number of bacterial microorganisms. Treatment of prostatitis this drug is based on the following principle of action: the active ingredient penetrates the cell membrane barrier and penetrates the DNA of the pathogen. As a result, infectious microorganisms stop producing toxins and the inflammatory process gradually subsides. A distinctive feature of this antibacterial agent is that it is 95% absorbed into the intestinal wall and eliminated almost completely during emptying.

Effectiveness of the drug

The therapeutic course with doxycycline begins only after the true causative agent of inflammatory processes in the prostate. Doctors emphasize the importance of following the recommendations for a favorable outcome.

It is forbidden to interrupt treatment at the first improvements in a man’s condition because of the high probability that infectious microbes will adapt and become resistant to the influence of the active components of the antibiotic.

Such situations significantly complicate the therapeutic course and require further use of antibiotics of a more aggressive nature with a wide range of adverse reactions.

Proper regimen of doxycycline with properly chosen dosage contributes to recovery from the first days of therapy. At the same time, urological patients note the following changes

• Reduced swelling in the prostate tissues and as a consequence – regression of painful sensations;
• reduction of temperature to a normal level. This effect is more typical for prostatitis with acute bacteremia;
• restoration of erectile ability. Doxycycline does not directly affect the potency of the man, but destroys viral pathogens, which are the root causes of sexual dysfunction;
• The process of natural outflow of urine comes to normal: the frequency of urges, sensitivity during urination decreases;
• The general well-being of the urological patient improves, signs of depression and increased irritability disappear.

Treatment regimen

Doxycycline is available in different forms and, accordingly, can be used both orally and intravenously. Only a doctor can determine how to take the medication and with what frequency, based on the stage of prostatitis and the individual characteristics of the patient’s health. As a rule, the drug in the form of lyophilisate for the preparation of an injectable suspension is recommended to patients who have an acute form of urological pathologies. Intravenous injection of the drug, pre-mixed with saline, allows you to achieve a high concentration of the active substance and promptly stop the painful symptoms that significantly complicate the habitual lifestyle of a man.

When infectious causative agents of prostate inflammation are diagnosed, the doctor prescribes the following course: 1 capsule 2 times a day, then the dose is reduced to 1 daily dose. If the cause of prostatitis is non-bacterial in nature, urological patients should drink 1 capsule per day. The medicine should be taken after a meal with plenty of water to dissolve in the stomach and to prevent irritation of the mucosa.

In conjunction with doxycycline is prescribed antifungal drug of polyene series Nystatin, which prevents the development of male candidiasis. The average duration of the drug course is 7-8 days, but it can be extended up to 14 days by doctor’s prescription in severe neglected situations.

Advantages and disadvantages of doxycycline

Doxycycline from prostatitis is characterized by a rapid therapeutic effect on the foci of inflammation. Compared with other analogues of the group of tetracyclines, this drug has several advantages:

1. The permissible dose, which will have a beneficial effect on the inflamed prostate gland, is 10 times less than the standard one used in the treatment of other antibiotics.
2. Initial, acute, and chronic stages of prostatitis can be treated with this drug and show equally high long-term effects.
3. The drug slightly affects the natural function of the gastrointestinal tract, rarely causes dysbacteriosis.
4. It has the ability to inhibit intracellular pathogens.
5. Completely eliminated the drug in 20 hours, which directly affects the frequency of administration and is no more than 2 times a day.
6. The antibiotic does not have the ability to accumulate the active substances in the plasma and this allows its use in patients with such a concomitant disease as renal failure.

Such a large number of advantages of doxycycline does not exclude the presence of disadvantages. The main disadvantage of using this antibiotic is its bacteriostatic action, which lies in the fact that it does not completely destroy viral microorganisms, but “freezes”. If the prescriptions of the attending physician are not followed, there is a possibility of a relapse of prostatitis due to the habituation of pathogenic microflora to the action of the drug.

Rare adverse reactions are very uncomfortable for a man and disrupt his daily routine. Doctors have also found a decrease in the effectiveness of doxycycline antibiotic when used in conjunction with penicillins, which complicates the task of adjusting the therapeutic course.

Contraindications and possible adverse reactions

Before starting a therapeutic course with doxycycline, a number of contraindications should be carefully familiarized with. Doctors have identified the following factors, in the presence of which urological patients are prohibited from taking this antibacterial drug:

1. Individual intolerance to the active substance doxycycline.
2. Impaired liver function due to parenchymal damage (hepatic insufficiency).
3. Lactose intolerance.
4. Leukopenia, characterized by impaired formation of white blood cells (leukocytes).
5. Congenital increased level of porphyrin in plasma, provoking disorder of pigment metabolism in a patient.
6. While taking the drug, exposure to direct sunlight should be reduced, since doxycycline causes photosensitization.

Despite the fact that the composition of the drug doxycycline has minimal toxicity, there is a possibility of adverse reactions.

Organ system	Nature of manifestation
Nervous system	Toxic effects are manifested in the form of dizziness, loss of stability. Increased intracranial pressure accompanied by nausea, decreased appetite, headache
Hearing organs	Tinnitus
Cardiovascular system	Painful palpitations (tachycardia), decreased arterial pressure (hypotension), fluid accumulation in the pericardium, which disturbs the heart muscles and is fatal to the patient
Digestive system	Stool disorders (diarrhea, constipation), abdominal pain, nausea, gastritis, inflammation of the tongue (glossitis) and esophagus (esophagitis)
Allergic reactions	Skin itching, rashes, anaphylactic shock, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, urticaria, Quincke’s edema
Blood system	Hemolytic anemia, porphyria, thrombocytopenia

To avoid adverse effects from taking the drug, you should first consult with a specialist who will individually select a treatment regimen, taking into account the characteristics of the patient’s body. Adverse reactions can sometimes occur even with full compliance with the instructions. At the first signs of deterioration, urological patients should promptly contact the attending physician, who can make a decision – Adjusting the dosage of the drug or complete replacement with a similar antibiotic.

In conclusion

Through a number of scientific studies, doctors found that in 94% of cases of prostatitis doxycycline did not cause adverse reactions and did not aggravate the exacerbation of related diseases. 90% of patients had positive feedback after a week of use of this antibacterial nature, which consisted in the fact that the general well-being improved, the painful symptoms of prostatitis decreased, the process of urination normalized. Timely referral to a urologist can promptly begin a course of treatment with doxycycline in combination with other traditional techniques and achieve a positive outcome of prostate inflammation in men.