Since the publication of the results of our clinical trial using Prosta-Q for chronic prostatitis, I have received many inquiries on how I now use the product in clinical practice (Quercetin in Men with Category III Chronic Prostatitis: A Preliminary Prospective, Double Blinded, Placebo Controlled Trial Shoskes DA, Zeitlin I, Shahed A, Rajfer J. Urology, 54(6):960-963, 1999). Below is a summary of answers to the most frequently asked questions.
Prosta-Q is an herbal supplement containing bioflavonoids and minerals that is manufactured by Farr Laboratories (http://www.prostaq.com). It is a proprietory formulation with patent pending. Please refer questions on its manufacture and composition to Farr Labs.
I use Prosta-Q in men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Synonyms for this condition include nonbacterial chronic prostatitis, prostatodynia, pelvic muscle myalgia and NIH category III prostatitis. I first perform localizing cultures of urine and expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) in all men prior to therapy. I treat and sterilize any infection that is found to localize to the prostate. In men with extensive inflammation of the EPS, I will often give a trial of antibiotics if the patient has not been so treated before. Men with no evidence of active infection and those who have failed treatment with antibiotics are ideal candidates for Prosta-Q.
I recommend 1 capsule taken three times a day with meals. If 3 times per day is successful, many patients can then manage longer term with 2 times or once per day. If the patient has no symptom improvement after 6-8 weeks, the product is unlikely to help them.
Some patients notice improvement after the first few doses. Others find that they must take it for at least 1 month to see any benefit.
There is a theoretical risk that use of Prosta-Q will interfere with the action of quinolone antibiotics (eg Cipro, Floxin, Levaquin). Therefore, don't take these antibiotics with Prosta-Q.
Some patients who take the product on an empty stomach report mild nausea. Some patients have report slight tingling in the extremities shortly after their first dose. One patient reported an unpleasant sensation in the gums that resolved when he stopped taking the product.
Some men find that Prosta-Q is more effective for their pain than for their urinary symptoms. I have found that combining Prosta-Q with an alpha blocker (eg Flomax, Uroxatral) is a helpful approach for these men.
I don't recommend it. There is no way of knowing how ingredients in other herbal supplements or treatments will interact with Prosta-Q. Even if the other therapy is considered "safe", it may interfere with the absorption of Prosta-Q, or block its actions in other ways. Furthermore, very high doses of antioxidants can lead to pro-oxidant effects. By combining high doses of multiple supplements, you may actually be producing the opposite and potentially harmful effect.
I recommend staying on a maintenance dose of 1 capsule per day for an additional 2-3 months. Some patients find they can stop the product without recurrence of symptoms. Some find they need to stay on the maintenance or even full dose. Some have utilized a "3 weeks on/1 week off" regimen with success.
Long term use of bioflavonoids has been associated with decreased mortality from heart disease and lower cholesterol. There is preliminary evidence that bioflavonoids may prevent and/or treat some forms of cancer.
Unfortunately, there are none other that I can recommed that have demonstrated the reliability and success that Prosta-Q has shown. Many brands do not have adequate batch to batch quality control such that one bottle works one month but another bottle doesn't work the next month. I have never seen this happen with Prosta-Q. Other brands commonly combine quercetin with vitamin C. The high doses of vitamin C delivered with the quercetin can severly acidify the urine, making symptoms worse in some men.
A new quercetin preparation called Q-Urol has the advantages of timed release quercetin combined with bee pollen. Bee pollen has shown beneficial effects for prostatitis in several European studies.
1. Hirsch IH. Integrative urology: a spectrum of complementary and alternative therapy. Urology 2000; 56 (2): 185.
2. Shoskes DA, Zeitlin SI, Shahed A, Rajfer J. Quercetin in men with category III chronic prostatitis: a preliminary prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Urology 1999; 54 (6): 960.
3. Shahed AR, Shoskes DA. Oxidative stress in prostatic fluid of patients with chronic pelvic pain syndrome: correlation with gram positive bacterial growth and treatment response. J Androl 2000; 21 (5): 669.
4. Shahed AR, Shoskes DA. Correlation of beta-endorphin and prostaglandin E2 levels in prostatic fluid of patients with chronic prostatitis with diagnosis and treatment response. J Urol 2001 Nov;166(5):1738-41