Your browser version may not work well with NCBI's Web applications. More information
here...
-
- Comment in:
-
Ann Intern Med. 2004 Oct 19;141(8):639-40.
- Summary for patients in:
-
Ann Intern Med. 2004 Oct 19;141(8):I8.
Ciprofloxacin or tamsulosin in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: a randomized, double-blind trial.
Alexander RB,
Propert KJ,
Schaeffer AJ,
Landis JR,
Nickel JC,
O'Leary MP,
Pontari MA,
McNaughton-Collins M,
Shoskes DA,
Comiter CV,
Datta NS,
Fowler JE Jr,
Nadler RB,
Zeitlin SI,
Knauss JS,
Wang Y,
Kusek JW,
Nyberg LM Jr,
Litwin MS;
Chronic Prostatitis Collaborative Research Network.
Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System and University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA. ralexander@smail.umaryland.edu
BACKGROUND: Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) in men is principally defined by pain in the pelvic region lasting more than 3 months. No cause of the disease has been established, and therapies are empirical and mostly untested. Antimicrobial agents and alpha-adrenergic receptor blockers are frequently used. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether 6-week therapy with ciprofloxacin or tamsulosin is more effective than placebo at improving symptoms in men with refractory, long-standing CP/CPPS. DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind trial with a 2 x 2 factorial design comparing 6 weeks of therapy with ciprofloxacin, tamsulosin, both drugs, or placebo. SETTING: Urology outpatient clinics at 10 tertiary care medical centers in North America. PATIENTS: Patients were identified from referral-based practices of urologists. One hundred ninety-six men with a National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) score of at least 15 and a mean of 6.2 years of symptoms were enrolled. Patients had received substantial previous treatment. MEASUREMENTS: The authors evaluated NIH-CPSI total score and subscores, patient-reported global response assessment, a generic measure of quality of life, and adverse events. Interventions: Ciprofloxacin, 500 mg twice daily; tamsulosin, 0.4 mg once daily; a combination of the 2 drugs; or placebo. RESULTS: The NIH-CPSI total score decreased modestly in all treatment groups. No statistically significant difference in the primary outcome was seen for ciprofloxacin versus no ciprofloxacin (P = 0.15) or tamsulosin versus no tamsulosin (P > 0.2). Treatments also did not differ significantly for any of the secondary outcomes. LIMITATIONS: Treatment lasting longer than 6 weeks was not tested. Patients who had received less pretreatment may have responded differently. CONCLUSION: Ciprofloxacin and tamsulosin did not substantially reduce symptoms in men with long-standing CP/CPPS who had at least moderate symptoms.
PMID: 15492337 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
Related Articles
-
Patient Drug Information
-
Ciprofloxacin (Cipro®, Cipro® XR , Proquin®XR)
Ciprofloxacin is an antibiotic used to treat or prevent certain infections caused by bacteria. Ciprofloxacin is also used to treat or prevent anthrax in people who may have been exposed to anthrax germs in the air. Cipr...
-
Tamsulosin (Flomax®)
Tamsulosin is used in men to treat the symptoms of an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH) which include difficulty urinating (hesitation, dribbling, weak stream, and incomplete bladder emptying), pain...