How Effective Is Ciprofloxacin for Prostatitis?

Prostatitis is the inflammation of the prostate gland, commonly occurring in males and responsible for 8% of urologist visits in the United States. This ailment may cause extreme discomfort and originates from a number of sources, including bacterial infection. When infection is present, doctors often prescribe a course of antibiotics to help fend off bacteria and return the body to health. Ciprofloxacin is a commonly utilized antibiotic; however, due to its bacteria-specific effectiveness, ciprofloxacin for prostatitis may range from nominally to extremely successful.

Ciprofloxacin belongs to a class of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones. Drugs from this class act to interfere with DNA sequencing in undesirable bacteria, causing the cessation of bacterial reproduction and subsequently returning the body to baseline health. There are a number of bacterial strains that are susceptible to ciprofloxacin and a number that are resistant. For this reason, it is important that the specific type of bacteria responsible for infection be determined prior to using ciprofloxacin for prostatitis.

Medical professionals generally identify the organism causing the infection by acquiring a sample and allowing for cultivation under controlled conditions. The cultivated product renders visual information, which is then used to determine what type or types of bacteria are present. At this point, the overseeing professional may choose to prescribe an antibiotic or a number of antibiotics to help the body's natural fight against infection.

Prostatitis can be mild or severe, chronic or acute, and be caused from bacteria or other factors. The many variables make a specific diagnosis difficult to acquire without the proper tests. If such appropriate tests render positive for cipro-prone bacteria, then ciprofloxacin for prostatitis may be the answer. The prescribing provider takes a number of factors into account when deciding frequency, dose, and duration.

Some contributing factors in the specific prescription of ciprofloxacin for prostatitis are age, weight, and current medications and may also include medical history, severity of infection, and others. It is also important that the infection be treated as efficiently as possible in order to avoid the possibility of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance is the evolution of bacterial strains that can survive a plethora of antibiotic treatments.

Taking antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin for prostatitis, can sometimes cause a number of adverse reactions. These may range from the mild, such as a skin rash, to more severe issues, like an allergic reaction. The side effects may also be expensive, time-consuming, and life altering. It is important for a patient to consult a medical professional and weigh all factors before making the proper decision regarding the taking of antibiotics.