Because the prostate is connected to the bladder, some men may be prescribed medicine to relax the prostate muscles or shrink the prostate. These medicines can help the bladder empty more easily, which may also reduce the number of times you wake up at night to urinate.

There are several types of prostate medicines. The most common are:

Alpha-blockers (tamsulosin, terazosin, silodosin, doxazosin, alfuzosin)
- These medicines relax the muscles in the prostate to help urine pass more easily.
- The most common side effect is dizziness, especially when standing up quickly, because they can lower blood pressure. Other possible side effects include headache, fast heartbeat, or swelling in the ankles and feet.
- Alpha-blockers usually do not affect sexual function such as sex drive or erections.
- They may cause retrograde ejaculation, which means semen goes backward into the bladder instead of out through the penis during orgasm. This is not harmful and usually goes back to normal if you stop the medicine.
5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (finasteride, dutasteride)
- These medicines shrink the prostate by 15–20% over time.
- They may sometimes cause erection problems or reduced sex drive. Some men may notice breast swelling or tenderness.
- These medicines can take several months to work, so don’t stop taking them if you don’t notice improvement right away.

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