These stories are based on information gathered from health professionals and consumers. They may be helpful as you make important health decisions.

Jake, age 61: I've been having a lot of trouble getting a good night's sleep now that I have this enlarged prostate. I'm up 4 or 5 times a night to go to the bathroom, and then both my wife and I are tired all day. My doctor said these medications often help with that problem, so I'm going to try them. Even if I still had to get up a couple of times a night, I would get more rest and have more energy during the day.

Jim, age 65: When I started having problems urinating, my first thought was that it had to be cancer. My brother-in-law had similar symptoms, but he ignored them for a long time and eventually died of prostate cancer. I decided not to ignore them, so I went right to my doctor. He did a rectal exam and a PSA test and said that he was confident that my prostate was just enlarged and that it did not appear that I had cancer. He said if I wanted something to treat the symptoms, he could prescribe medication. But I was just happy that the problem wasn't due to cancer, so I decided to manage the symptoms on my own for now.

Michael, age 54: I've been taking medication to lower my blood pressure for several years now. Then a few months ago I started having to urinate often and feeling like I never really emptied my bladder. My doctor checked it out and said my prostate is enlarged and that it is most likely causing my problems. He said that if the symptoms bother me enough, there is a medication I can take that will also lower my blood pressure. So it wouldn't mean taking several different medications. I'm going to give it a try.

Carl, age 58: Several months ago, I started taking medication to treat my prostate symptoms. The doctor said that most men don't have serious side effects, but I guess I'm one of the few who do. Feeling dizzy, lightheaded, and tired was affecting me more than my prostate symptoms were, so I decided to stop taking the medication. I found that my symptoms actually got a little better by themselves. For now, I'm managing okay with home treatment. My doctor and I will keep talking about other options if my symptoms get worse and I decide I want to try something different.