# prostate shrinker

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prostate-shrinker/51313>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 22, 2001, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prostate-shrinker/51313 "2001-01-22T20:51:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![justinh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@justinh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justinh)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prostate-shrinker/51313/1 "2001-01-22T20:51:39Z")

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is there anybody that experience with things that shrink a prostate? non drug? Also, what are the characteristics of a swollen one , before it gets bad enough to affect urine flow?

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prostate-shrinker/51313/2 "2001-01-22T21:12:54Z")

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You can find out lots of cool stuff by searching [http://www.google.com](http://www.google.com)

Put in the words “shrink prostate” and you’ll get stuff like this.

[Faster Way to Shrink Prostate](http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/living/DailyNews/prostate_reduction990517.html)

Try searching under “prostate health”, too.

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**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prostate-shrinker/51313/3 "2001-01-22T23:20:45Z")

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For a quick answer, saw palmetto berries are the herbal answer. Touted to reduce enlarged prostates - benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Studies in Europe show that it is effective for BPH symptoms, but can cause GI upset and nausea in some people. Saw palmetto berries contain phytosterols, plant compounds that may curb the production of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a male hormone that stimulates prostate growth. A prescription drug, finasteride (Proscar) targets the same pathway. Finasteride is also one of the two drugs used to combat alopecia (baldness), by curbing the production of DHT. Saw palmetto may have that benefit also.

I have BPH but did not know it until I got a UTI and because of an elevated PSA, had an ultrasound and biopsy. The ultrasound disclosed the BPH. I take saw palmetto but also an alpha blocker, Flowmax, since they work thru different mechanisms. Alpha blockers don’t actually shrink the prostate but relax the muscles.

First signs of BPH are difficulty urinating and diminished flow, along with frequent need to urinate (without much flow). I did, and do, have the frequent urge, but did not think much of it. Also, dribbling after urinating is another sign.

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**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prostate-shrinker/51313/4 "2001-01-23T00:39:57Z")

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Try [http://www.webmd.com](http://www.webmd.com) they have a lot of nice friendly information.

It’s a perplexing question you propose too.