Should I be on Flowmax?

> Hi,
>
> I'm 48, have had a vasectomy, and just had a recurrence of prostatitis
> - an episode a year for about 5 years now - and was on Cipro for 14
> days and then Floxotine [or something close to that name] for 14 days
> with a 2 week break inbetween.
>
> I reported to my urologist that I didn't feel like I was fully
> relieving myself. I would go to bed at night and feel like I could
> urinate a bit more in the next 5 minutes and then again in maybe 10
> minutes. I never wake up in 8 hours of sleep having to relieve myself
> unless I have drank a bunch of wine or fluids at a party. If so I
> might have to. However, quite often I wake up after 8 hours and really
> have to go. I generally drink 32 oz of fluids in the last 4 hours that
> I am up. But I can always hold it in come morning if I decide to hit
> the snooze alarm 3 or 4 times. I might have to really work at it
> [mistake, I know] but I never have an involuntary release.
>
> The urologist had me drink a pint of fluids about an hour before my
> apointment and then I urinated on a seat with a funnel that went into
> a cup on a scale that was attached to a printer. He then took a
> sonogram and said that my bladder was normal sized and that I was
> fully relieved. I did not have to go again for about 45 minutes and
> could have held that in for 30 minutes if need be. I could have gone
> in about 15 minutes but it would have been just a little. I feel the
> urge to go but have very little urine to relieve.
>
> He said my prostate feels normal [it was soft before the antibiotics]
> and is not enlarged. He gave me a 2 month supply of .4 mg of Flomax to
> try as I rarely have a strong flow. But for a neurological problem I
> have I am on Klonapin [Clonazepine], Prozac, and Vicodin and another
> med is the last thing I want. My neurological problem involves
> dizziness at times on most days with it being severe 2-3 times a
> month. Redaing the side affects of dizziness have me thinking twice
> about this.
>
> Does this sound like something I should be taking Flomax for? I'm
> thinking of going to another urologist for a second opinion and trying
> saw palmetto instead. I picked up a brand called "Doctor's Best
> Comprehensive Prostate Formula" which contains 640 mg which contains
> Saw Palmetto Extract {Berry] and the instructions are for three a day.
> Does it generally take some time for saw palmetto results to be seen?
> If so, how long?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Mike