Q: I am 65 years old and I get up 3-4 times a night to urinate, is there anything I can use to help my enlarged  prostate?  Sleepless, in Reading

A: Non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate, medically known as benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH is a very common condition.  Common symptoms of BPH include: having to wait for the urine stream to start; poor urinary flow and a variable flow rate; frequent urination; difficulty postponing urination (urgency); dribbling of urine at the end of urination; and having to wake at night to urinate multiple times.

Numerous human trials report that saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) improves symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy such as nighttime urination and urinary flow.  The therapeutic dose for saw palmetto would be 320 mg standardized to contain 85-95 % of the fatty acids Beta-sitosterols.

Pygeum significantly reduces urinary hesitancy, urinary frequency, and the number of times men need to wake up at night to urinate, and pain with urination in men who experience mild-to-moderate symptoms.

Saga Pro (Angelica archangelica ) which is an Icelandic herb,  has been shown to reduce frequency of urination at night in men with prostate problems and in men and women with overactive bladder.