Medrogestone: a prospective study in the pharmaceutical management of benign prostatic hyperplasia

Medrogestone is a progestational agent that may reduce outflow obstruction secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia. Five of 8 patients taking 15 mg. oral medrogestone twice daily and 5 of 7 patients taking 7.5 mg. oral medrogestone twice daily experienced an increase in mean urine flow (averaging 55.8 and 30.1 per cent, respectively), while no change was noted in 4 untreated patients. Five of the 8 patients taking 15 mg. and 6 of the 7 patients taking 7.5 mg. experienced an increase in peak urine flow (averaging 60 and 37.6 per cent, respectively), while 2 of the 4 controls had an improvement of only 12.2 per cent. Repetitive residual urines and digital examination were inaccurate to assay sequential changes in prostatic size. Certain side effects, such as hypertension, abnormal glucose tolerance and impotence, were encountered in isolated patients but in no instance was the side effect hazardous to the health of the test subject and in each instance it could be reversed by withdrawal of the medication.