Prostasan Capsules

BPH most commonly manifests with bladder symptoms such as frequent urination, a need to urinate at night, poor urine flow and dribbling. See our page enlarged prostate for more information on benign prostatic hypertrophy.

Prostasan contains an extract of Saw palmetto berries and is specifically indicated for the following symptoms associated with benign prostatic hypertrophy:

• discomfort or pain on passing urine
• difficulty in emptying the bladder
• urgent, frequent, difficult, and incomplete, daytime and night-time urination,
• poor urinary flow
• dribbling of urine
• prostate related sexual dysfunction (erectile and ejaculatory difficulties)
• Prostasan also has the added benefit in that unlike many existing standard pharmaceutical therapies for BPH symptoms like alpha-blocking agents or 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors which are known to cause further sexual dysfunction, such as erectile dysfunction or loss of libido, Prostasan not only improves the urinary symptoms but has also been shown in clinical research to reduce sexual dysfunction and improve libido.

Prostasan is a remedy for use in men over 18 years of age (including the elderly) who have been diagnosed by their doctors as having BPH (benign prostatic hypertrophy) also known as an enlarged prostate.

Dosage of Prostasan capsules is one capsule daily with food.

• 40% of men over the age of 50 show signs of prostate enlargement
• By the age of 70, about 80% of men have an enlarged prostate
• Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men and the second leading cause of death in men.
• One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.

• Sensations of not emptying your bladder completely after finishing urinating.
• Frequent urination (consistently in intervals of less than two hours).
• Difficulty in postponing urination.
• Weak or limited urinary stream.
• Pushing and straining required beginning urination.
• Burning during urination.
• Pain in the lower back.
• Reduced ability to gain and hold erections, weak ejaculation and dissatisfaction with sexual performance.
• Some pain during ejaculation.

Prostasan contains an extract of Saw palmetto berries rich in oil. These are harvested from Saw palmetto plants grown to the north of the Everglades in Florida without the use of artificial fertilisers, insecticides or fungicides.

Each Prostasan capsule contains 320mg of herbal extract (as soft extract) from Saw palmetto fruit (or berries).

Other ingredients include gelatin, glycerol, sorbitol, iron oxide (red, black and yellow) and purified water.

Like all Saw palmetto products, Prostasan capsules may cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

Minor side effects

The following minor side effects can occur when using this product. These are likely to affect less than 1 in every 1,000 people.

• Belching
• Stomach discomfort
• Allergic reactions such as skin rashes

If you are concerned about any side effect, if a side effect becomes serious or if you notice a side effect not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor, pharmacist or healthcare practitioner.

Remember to see your doctor if:

• Your symptoms of urinary discomfort worsen
• You have blood in your urine
• You have a fever

1. Who shouldn’t use Prostasan capsules?

Do not use Saw palmetto if you are under 18 years of age, if you have a known hypersensitivity to Saw palmetto berries (or herb) or any of the other ingredients used in Prostasan® Saw palmetto capsules.

2. Can Prostasan be taken with other medicines?

As with all Saw palmetto products, if you are already taking medication for an enlarged prostate, talk to your doctor before using Prostasan  capsules as it may not be suitable for you. You may use Saw palmetto products with other medicines. Contact us if in doubt.

3. Why is it in a gelatine capsule?

Prostasan contains an extract of Saw palmetto berries rich in oil. A vegetarian capsule would not be a suitable environment for preserving the Saw palmetto oil.

4. Why must I have a diagnosis of BPH confirmed by my doctor before starting treatment with Prostasan capsules?

Although prostate problems become increasingly common as a man gets older, symptoms of an enlarged prostate should always be checked by a doctor to confirm the diagnosis of Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH) and to exclude the possibility of a more serious condition. 

5. Can I take Prostasan capsules long term?

You may use Prostasan capsules as long as you need the treatment. However, as with other Saw palmetto products, seek medical advice if your symptoms worsen or are accompanied by fever or if you find blood in your urine.

6.  Has it been researched

Yes. 

1. Efficacy and tolerability of Prostasan, in patients with clearly defined BPH symptoms.
   In an 8 week multi-centre study using A. Vogel’s Prostasan capsules, a total of eighty five doctors treated 364 men with BPH who had not previously been treated using any form of medication. Patients were allocated to three groups based on the severity of symptoms as measured by the IPSS (International Prostate Symptom Score).
   The mildest symptom group improved by 42%, the medium symptom group by 38%, and those with severe symptoms, by 30%.
   Quality of life due to urinary problems scores also improved, with patients progressing from "somewhat dissatisfied" with their urinary problems to overwhelmingly "satisfied" after 8 weeks.
2. Saw palmetto reduces sexual dysfunctions in BPH patients
   The use of saw palmetto in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) improves not only urinary symptoms but also concomitant sexual dysfunctions, latest research shows.
   
   Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), the most frequent reason for urinary problems in elderly men is also the main reason to cause sexual dysfunctions in this patient group. A new study – published in the journal Phytotherapy Research -- showed for the first time that a treatment with a saw palmetto preparation (Prostasan®) lead to an improvement not only of urinary symptoms but also of sexual dysfunctions.
   Led by Dr. Eugen Riedi, MD, a urologist in Chur, Switzerland, the research team showed that after a treatment duration of 8 weeks the urinary symptoms improved by more than 50% and sexual problems like erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory problems, or lack of sexual drive by about 40%.
   Existing standard pharmaceutical therapies for BPH symptoms like alpha-blocking agents or 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors are known to cause further sexual dysfunctions. Thus, men seek therapies that improve BPH symptoms and occurring sexual problems as well.
   "This is one of the first therapies ever to show an improvement of BPH symptoms and of sexual dysfunctions at the same time. Furthermore the treatment was very well tolerated, cost effective and patient's compliance was excellent," notes Dr. Eugen Riedi.
   Commenting on the trial, Mark Blumenthal, Founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit American Botanical Council (ABC), an herb research and education organization said, “This preliminary research is highly interesting as it is the first clinical study suggesting that patients with BPH and corresponding sexual problems may benefit from both conditions by using saw palmetto. The positive urinary results are consistent with many previous clinical trials on saw palmetto preparations. The sexual results are promising and should be confirmed by future, larger studies using a controlled design.” (Bioforce AG recently received ABC’s Varro E. Tyler Commercial Investment in Phytomedicinal Research Award for its commitment to clinical research on its herbal preparations.)
   The authors of the study emphasize that with respect to the adverse side effects of the synthetic standard medications frequently prescribed to men with BPH, these are very promising results for patients seeking a well-tolerated, efficacious, and cost-effective treatment as shown in this trial for the clinically researched product, Prostasan.
   
   Study details
   
   A total of of 82 patients with at least moderate BPH symptoms (both obstructive and irritative) and sexual problems (like erectile dysfunctions or lack of libido) for at least two months were recruited from two urological and four general practices in Switzerland to participate in this trial.
   For eight weeks patients took one capsule daily containing 320mg of the saw palmetto berry extract (Prostasan®, producer A.Vogel Bioforce AG, Roggwil, Switzerland). At the beginning and end of the treatment BPH symptoms were assessed using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and sexual dysfunctions were evaluated with the brief Sexual Function Inventory (bSFI) and the Urolife BPH Quality of Life-9 questionnaire.
   In the end, the IPSS was reduced highly significantly by 51% and the bSFI which measured sexual drive, erectile function, ejaculatory function, problem assessment, and satisfactions improved by a total average of 40%. An improvement of 36% was observed with the Urolife Score which assesses sexual drive, erections, and sexual satisfactions.
   The saw palmetto preparation was shown to be quite safe and well tolerated. Both the patients and the clinical investigators assessed the saw palmetto treatment in the majority of men as very efficacious. The majority of the patients experienced the most beneficial effects on both libido and erectile function, and 90% of the patients stated that they would take the saw palmetto extract again.
   
   Source: Suter A, Saller R, Riedi E, Heinrich M. Improving BPH symptoms and sexual dysfunctions with a saw palmetto preparation? Results from a pilot trial. Phytother Res. 2012 Apr 23. doi: 10.1002/ptr.4696. [Published online ahead of print]

A.Vogel Prostasan Capsules PI