Urology
Medicines for Prostatitis
Inflammation or infection of the prostate gland that causes pelvic or perineal pain and urinary symptoms — ranging from a sudden, feverish bacterial illness that needs prompt antibiotics to a long-running, often non-infective pelvic pain that is managed with relaxant medicines and pain relief.
Education and reference only. This explains which medicines are used and why, in plain language — it deliberately contains no doses and is not a substitute for advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Always discuss your own treatment with a qualified clinician, and check the BNF and the product labelling for prescribing detail.
Quick answer
What is Prostatitis?
Prostatitis means the prostate, a small gland that sits below the bladder in men, has become inflamed, infected or painful. It shows up as discomfort or pain in the pelvis, the area between the scrotum and back passage, the lower tummy, the penis or testicles, often together with urinary symptoms such as needing to pass urine often or urgently, a poor or interrupted stream, stinging, or getting up at night.
- How it is treated: Treatment depends on which type of prostatitis is present, so the first step is to tell them apart.
- Self-care: Drinking enough fluids, cutting back on caffeine and alcohol, avoiding prolonged sitting where possible, warm baths, and gentle pelvic floor relaxation or physiotherapy can all ease symptoms, while managing stress and staying active help with long-running pelvic pain.
- When to seek help: See your GP if you have ongoing pelvic, perineal or genital pain, urinary symptoms that do not settle, or repeated flare-ups, as prostatitis can usually be assessed and managed in general practice.
What it is
Prostatitis means the prostate, a small gland that sits below the bladder in men, has become inflamed, infected or painful. It shows up as discomfort or pain in the pelvis, the area between the scrotum and back passage, the lower tummy, the penis or testicles, often together with urinary symptoms such as needing to pass urine often or urgently, a poor or interrupted stream, stinging, or getting up at night. There are two broad pictures. Acute bacterial prostatitis comes on quickly with a bacterial infection and can make a man very unwell, with fever, shivering, severe pain and difficulty passing urine. Chronic prostatitis, often called chronic pelvic pain syndrome, is far more common, lasts months or recurs, and is frequently not due to ongoing infection at all; it tends to wax and wane and can be frustrating because the cause is not always clear. Understanding which type is present matters, because the two are managed quite differently.
How it is treated
Treatment depends on which type of prostatitis is present, so the first step is to tell them apart. Acute bacterial prostatitis is treated promptly with antibiotics, and because the prostate is hard for many antibiotics to reach, a class that penetrates the gland well is often chosen; the course is usually a longer one to clear the infection thoroughly. Chronic prostatitis is approached differently and often needs a combination of measures over time rather than a single fix. Relaxant medicines that ease the muscle at the bladder outlet can help urinary symptoms, pain relief is used for the discomfort, and longer antibiotic courses are sometimes tried where infection is thought to play a part. Because chronic pelvic pain can affect mood, sleep and daily life, treatment also looks at the whole person, and physiotherapy, bladder advice and other supportive measures all have a place. Throughout, the aim is to relieve symptoms, restore comfort and prevent flare-ups, with treatment reviewed and adjusted as the picture becomes clearer.
For this condition, these medicines
Medicine classes used for Prostatitis
Each links to a full, dose-free guide — what it is, how it works, who can and cannot use it, side effects, interactions and FAQs.
Symptom checker
Symptoms that can point to Prostatitis
Prostatitis can be one cause of these symptoms. Each guide explains the other possible causes and the red-flag warning signs that mean you should get urgent help:
Beyond medication
Lifestyle and self-care
Drinking enough fluids, cutting back on caffeine and alcohol, avoiding prolonged sitting where possible, warm baths, and gentle pelvic floor relaxation or physiotherapy can all ease symptoms, while managing stress and staying active help with long-running pelvic pain.
When to get help
When to see a doctor
See your GP if you have ongoing pelvic, perineal or genital pain, urinary symptoms that do not settle, or repeated flare-ups, as prostatitis can usually be assessed and managed in general practice. Seek urgent medical help if you become feverish and unwell with severe pain, shivering or feeling generally very poorly, as acute bacterial prostatitis can develop quickly and sometimes lead to serious infection. Go to A&E or seek emergency care if you cannot pass urine at all and your bladder feels painfully full, or if you feel confused, faint or very unwell, as these can be signs of acute urinary retention or blood infection that need treating without delay.
Not sure how urgent it is? It is always OK to call NHS 111 for advice, day or night.
Answers
Prostatitis: frequently asked questions
What medicines are used for prostatitis?
It depends on the type. Acute bacterial prostatitis is treated with antibiotics, often a class that gets into prostate tissue well, given as a longer course to clear the infection properly. Chronic prostatitis, which is frequently not due to ongoing infection, is usually managed with a combination of measures: relaxant medicines that ease the muscle at the bladder outlet to improve urinary symptoms, pain relief for the discomfort, and sometimes a longer antibiotic trial where infection is thought to be involved. Because chronic pelvic pain varies from person to person, treatment is tailored and reviewed over time rather than fixed from the start, and a doctor will decide what suits your particular pattern.
What is the difference between acute and chronic prostatitis?
Acute prostatitis comes on suddenly with a bacterial infection and can make you very unwell, with fever, shivering, severe pelvic pain and trouble passing urine; it needs prompt antibiotic treatment. Chronic prostatitis, often called chronic pelvic pain syndrome, develops more slowly, lasts for months or keeps coming back, and is frequently not caused by an active infection at all. Because of this, the two are managed differently: acute infection focuses on antibiotics, while the chronic form usually needs a mix of relaxant medicines, pain relief and supportive measures over time. Telling them apart is an important first step in choosing the right treatment.
Is prostatitis the same as an enlarged prostate?
No, although they can cause some similar urinary symptoms. Prostatitis means the prostate is inflamed, infected or painful, and pain is usually a prominent feature. An enlarged prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia, is a gradual increase in the size of the gland with age that mainly causes urinary symptoms such as a weaker stream and getting up at night, without the pain or fever of prostatitis. The two are different conditions and are managed in different ways, so it is worth seeing your GP for an assessment rather than assuming which one is responsible for your symptoms.
Can chronic prostatitis be cured?
Chronic prostatitis, or chronic pelvic pain syndrome, can be difficult because it often has no single clear cause and tends to come and go. For many men it can be significantly improved, and sometimes settles altogether, but it may take time and a combination of approaches rather than one quick treatment. Relaxant medicines, pain relief, physiotherapy, bladder advice and attention to stress and wellbeing all play a part, and treatment is adjusted as your response becomes clear. Even where symptoms cannot be removed completely, the aim is to bring them under good control so that comfort and quality of life are restored, and your GP can guide this over the longer term.
Keep reading
Related articles
Sources
Where this is drawn from
- NICE CKS: Prostatitis (acute and chronic).
- NICE CKS: Prostatitis.
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