Passion Rx supports and enhances healthy:

•      Libido and sexual thoughts
•      Erectile function
•      Orgasms and climaxes
•      Sensation and touch

Prostate enlargement
As a man ages, it is common for the prostate gland to enlarge. Doctors call this condition of enlarged prostate "benign prostatic hyperplasia" or BPH. As the prostate enlarges, the layer of tissue surrounding it stops it from expanding, causing the prostate gland to press inward against the urethra like a clamp on a garden hose, narrowing the space for urine to pass. In addition, the bladder wall becomes thicker and irritable. The bladder begins to contract even when it contains small amounts of urine, causing more frequent urination. Eventually, the bladder weakens and loses the ability to empty itself. Urine remains in the bladder. The narrowing of the urethra and partial emptying of the bladder cause many of the problems associated with an enlarged prostate. A doctor can tell an enlarged prostate during a finger prostate exam.

The symptoms of an enlarged prostate vary, but the most common ones involve changes or problems with urination, such as

• A hesitant, interrupted, weak stream.
• Urgency and leaking or dribbling.
• More frequent urination, especially at night. This is called nocturia.

Men who have symptoms of prostate obstruction are more likely to develop chronic kidney disease.

Prostate enlargement cause
This may be due to genetics and diet. Hormone changes as we get older also influences the growth of the prostate gland. Prostate gland development requires the conversion of testosterone into DHT with the help of an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. As aging occurs, the amount of DHT in the prostate gland remains high, even through the circulating testosterone level drops which could lead to an enlarged prostate gland. Prostate enlargement is not inevitable as men get older, but a significant majority of older men will have it.
   The prostate has only one function, namely to secrete fluid containing substances that are needed for reproduction. This requires an extremely high concentration of androgens in the tissues. Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) seems to be related to the long-term exposure of the prostate to the strong androgen 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and, possibly, to estrogens.

Prostate infection
Prostatitis is a general term for inflammation of the prostate gland. An inflamed or swollen gland can cause a variety of symptoms, including a frequent and urgent need to urinate and pain or burning when urinating, perhaps a discharge from the penis — often accompanied by pelvic, groin or low back pain. Prostate infections are relatively common and usually occur in men in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. The diagnosis is made by a rectal examination, urinalysis, and a check of the discharged fluid. The treatment involves antibiotics, soaking in a warm tub of water, and frequent ejaculation.

Prostate specific antigen test - PSA
There is controversy regarding the use of the PSA test. It has not been proved that older men would benefit from getting a prostate specific antigen test since prostate cancer is such a slow growing tumor. A prostate exam using a finger can give a strong clue of a potential cancer when done by an experienced doctor.
   The standard PSA test produces many false positives and false negatives — meaning some men who think they do not have cancer actually do, while others may undergo uncomfortable biopsies only to learn there is no tumor after all.

For many men, a routine PSA blood test has become an annual ritual. Now the developer of the test says it can't be relied on for this purpose, and has led to overly zealous treatment of men with prostate enlargement. Dr. Thomas A. Stamey at Stanford University first reported in 1987 that levels of PSA in the blood could be used as a marker of prostate cancer. "What we didn't know in the early years is that benign growth of the prostate is the most common cause of a PSA level between 1 and 10 ng/mL," Stamey notes in a university press release. Standard units of measurement of PSA are nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) of blood. Stamey's group found that the average size and invasiveness of prostate cancers have been dropping over the past two decades, to the point that the cancers being discovered may not be clinically meaningful.

Do you know if any of supplements have an affect on PSA readings
   We still are waiting for good studies on the relationship between saw palmetto, herbs and PSA and we don't have enough information to know for sure.

Emails
I read frequently that supplements that increase testosterone can result in unwanted prostate growth. If male testosterone levels naturally decline with age, why does supplementing to bring these levels up to their former values cause ill effects and make an enlarged prostate worse? Why don't 18 year old males have giant prostates?(!)
   Good question. It's difficult to know exactly what's going on in prostate tissue and how testosterone, in different age groups, has an effect. But, it may be that the biochemical system within prostate tissue is quite able to handle high androgen levels in the youth but is not able to handle these high androgen levels too well as the person gets older thus leading to prostate enlargement.

My husband is 60 years old and he is currently treated with Adovart for benign prostate enlargement. When he started the therapy (to improve urinary flow etc) the prostate size was slightly above the highest normal range and 3 months later it reduced by 30%. For the past 3 years his erectile function gradually worsened (he was not able to sustain it all the time or for a long period of time) but with the use of Adovart he experienced a dramatic decrease of libido and sexual activity with no erections at all. Of course this is a vicious cycle that led to depression and anxiety but the worse part is that after a Doppler we discovered that both his penile arteries have decreased blood flow (22,5 mmHg and 16 mmHg with the normal 30 mmHg) although he has no heart problems, increased blood pressure, diabetes etc.
   Please see the web page on impotence.

I came across a product called Prostate Miracle. It claims that it is 3,000 times more potent than saw palmetto. Prostate Miracle is claimed to be 95% effective for prostate enlargement and is a natural, highly effective treatment for BPH. What is your opinion? They also say Prostate Miracle is an excellent pre-emptive measure to prevent prostate cancer from developing.
   We have not tested Prostate Miracle and we therefore don't know if it works. The company promoting it is clearly violating FDA rules which say that a supplement cannot claim to treat a medical condition. The claims are so blatant that the integrity of this company cannot be trusted. We are not sure how the number 3,000 has been determined. Apparently Prostate Miracle has 300 mg of beta sitosterol, which can be easily purchased by itself. Long term risks and benefits of beta sitosterol supplement use are not known. Since the company selling this product has not shown that it prevents prostate cancer (it would take at least a 20 year study to find this out), they certainly have lost total credibility.