Essentials

Natrum muriaticum is one of the primary medicines for men with urethritis. The discharge is usually thin and clear, mucous, or milky in color. Sometimes a greenish discharge occurs. The discharge may appear clear when it is wet but then leaves yellow spots on the underwear. There may be cutting or burning pains at the urethral opening during or after urination or just as urination is finished.

Pulsatilla should help men with thick, yellow or green urethral discharge that is bland and causes little pain. The medicineís general symptoms may indicate its use more than the specific syrnptoms of the discharge.

Mercurius is indicated when thick mucus or pus is accompanied by inflammation and burning pain of the urethra. The discharge may be white, yellow, or green. Often the symptoms are worse at night. Sulphur should be considered for thin or mucous discharges when there is burning pain during ejaculation or when the general symptoms of the medicine are evident (see the materia medica section).

Nitric Acid is another alternative when the discharge is accompanied by burning pain during ejaculation. In this case, the discharge is more likely to be thick and greenish or yellowish. The urine may smell very strong and the patient is usually chilly in general (whereas the Sulphur patient is "warm-blooded").

Prostate Problems
The walnut-size prostate is located at the floor of the pelvis behind the base of the penis. During ejaculation the prostate contributes a milky alkaline fluid to the semen to enhance the fertility of the sperm. Several maladies involving the prostate are fairly common in men, including prostatitis (prostate infections), benign prostatic hypertrophy (prostate enlargement), and prostate cancer.

Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy
The prostate grows larger with age. Once a man reaches middle age, problems with urinating often result as swelling of the prostate gland constricts the urinary passage. This is called prostatic hypertrophy. There may be trouble getting the urinary stream started, or the stream may be weak or interrupted. Frequent urging to urinate, together with passing of only small amounts, is also common. These symptoms should be evaluated medically. Constitutional homeopathic treatment can be helpful during the early stage of prostatic hypertrophy. Conventional treatments include various recently-introduced medicines as well as surgical procedures.

Prostate Cancer
The treatment of cancer is beyond the scope of this book, but we do have a few words of advice: Since prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies in men, regular contact with your doctor after the age of forty is wise, even if you have no symptoms. Screening tests for cancer include physical exam of the prostate and a blood test, the prostate specific antigen (PSA). Although the value of screening for prostate cancer is controversial (the benefits of treating cancer detected by screening tests arenít clear) your practitioner will have some recommendations and can keep you informed of medical progress in this area. Prostate cancer is often very slow-growing and your doctor may recommend no specific treatment. Constitutional homeopathic care would be appropriate under these circumstances.