- Uses
- Side Effect
- Dosage
- Drug Interactions
- Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
- What Else to Know
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What is tamsulosin, and what is it used for?
Tamsulosin is an oral drug for the treatment of men who are having difficulty urinating because of enlarged prostates from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Although tamsulosin is an alpha-blocker, it is not approved for the treatment of high blood pressure.
- In men, the tube which carries urine from the bladder through the penis (called the urethra) passes through the prostate gland. As men get older, the prostate gland enlarges, and the muscle cells within the prostate gland and the neck of the bladder (which controls the flow of urine) tighten. The combination of enlargement and tightening of muscles compresses the urethra and obstructs the flow of urine. This results in difficulty urinating and retention of urine within the bladder. The tightening or contraction of the muscle cells is controlled by nerves. One type of nerve, the alpha adrenergic nerves, cause the muscle cells to tighten by releasing a chemical related to epinephrine (adrenalin). Tamsulosin blocks the effects of this chemical on the muscle cells and causes the muscles to relax. This results in a decrease in obstruction to the flow of urine.
- There are other drugs that block alpha adrenergic nerves throughout the body and which are used in treating diseases of the heart, blood vessels, and prostate for example, prazosin (Minipress), terazosin (Hytrin), doxazosin (Cardura), and alfuzosin (Uroxatral). Tamsulosin is more active against the alpha adrenergic nerves of the prostate and bladder neck than these other drugs and has a lesser effect on alpha adrenergic nerves elsewhere in the body. For this reason, tamsulosin causes fewer side effects, especially low blood pressure, than other alpha adrenergic blocking drugs. Moreover, tamsulosin therapy can be started at the optimum dose whereas other alpha adrenergic blocking drugs need to be started at low doses with the doses slowly increased over time in order to minimize the side effects.
What are the side effects of tamsulosin?
The most common adverse effects of tamsulosin are
- anemia (decreased red blood cells),
- decreased white blood cells,
- nausea,
- vomiting,
- abnormal taste,
- increased triglycerides, and
- weakness.
Other side effects include
- low blood pressure,
- dizziness,
- fainting,
- headache,
- abdominal pain,
- weight loss,
- muscle pain,
- abnormal ejaculation,
- upper respiratory tract infections, and
- rash.
More serious side effects of tamsulosin
The following have been observed in male patients during tamsulosin treatment:
- orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure when rising from sitting or lying down position),
- priapism (prolonged erection), and an eye problem called intraoperative floppy iris syndrome (IFIS).
What is the dosage for tamsulosin?
- The recommended starting dose is 0.4 once daily about 30 minutes after the same meal time each day.
- When taken on an empty stomach, more of the medication is absorbed.
- This could cause a greater effect and potentially a drop in blood pressure.
- The dose may be increased to 0.8 mg once daily after 2 to 4 weeks if the response is not adequate.
- The capsules should not be crushed, chewed or opened.
SLIDESHOW
See SlideshowWhat drugs interact with tamsulosin?
The elimination of tamsulosin from the body may be reduced by:
- erythromycin,
- ketoconazole (Nizoral, Extina, Xolegel, Kuric),
- paroxetine (Paxil),
- cimetidine (Tagamet),
- ritonavir (Norvir),
- lopinavir, and
- other drugs that reduce the elimination of drugs by liver enzymes.
Reduced elimination may lead to increased side effects of tamsulosin. PDE-5 inhibitors (for example, vardenafil [Levitra, Staxyn], Adcirca, sildenafil [Viagra, Revatio], tadalafil [Cialis]) add to the blood pressure lowering effects of Flomax and may result in severe blood pressure reduction.
Is tamsulosin safe to use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding?
- Tamsulosin is not prescribed for women.
- This medication is used only in men. It is not known if tamsulosin is secreted into human milk.
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What else should I know about tamsulosin?
What preparations of tamsulosin) are available?
- Capsules: 0.4 mg.
How should I keep tamsulosin stored?
- Capsules should be stored at room temperature, 15 C to 30 C (59 F to 86 F).
When was tamsulosin approved by the FDA?
- Tamsulosin was approved by the FDA in 1997.
Summary
Tamsulosin is a drug prescribed for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH, enlarged prostate). The most common adverse effects of tamsulosin are anemia (decreased red blood cells), decreased white blood cells, nausea, vomiting, abnormal taste, increased triglycerides, and weakness. Other side effects include low blood pressure, dizziness, fainting, headache, abdominal pain, weight loss, muscle pain, abnormal ejaculation, upper respiratory tract infections, and rash.
Multimedia: Slideshows, Images & Quizzes
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Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (Enlarged Prostate) Quiz
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Related Disease Conditions
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Is Drinking a Lot of Water Good for Your Prostate?
Doctors recommend drinking six to eight glasses of water (or 1.5 to 2 liters) daily. For prostate problems, limit water intake before going to bed at night. This will keep you from waking up at night to urinate repeatedly.
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How Quickly Does Prostate Cancer Spread?
Prostate cancer is a cancer that develops in the prostate gland in men and it is one of the most common types of cancer. In some cases, it can take up to eight years to spread from the prostate to other parts of the body (metastasis), typically the bones. In other cases, it may be more aggressive.
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Prostate Cancer
Read about prostate cancer symptoms, treatment, survival rates, stages, surgery, screening, causes and diagnosis. Learn lifestyle strategies to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
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How Does Prostate Cancer Kill You in the End?
Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate gland in men. Death from prostate cancer most often happens when cancer has spread (metastasized) to other organs in the body.
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What Happens If You Don't Treat Prostate Cancer?
If prostate cancer is left untreated, it may grow and possibly spread out of the prostate gland to the local tissues or distant sites such as liver and lungs.
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Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are solid masses of crystalline material that form in the kidneys. Symptoms and signs of kidney stones can include pain, nausea, vomiting, and even fever and chills. Kidney stones are diagnosed via CT scans and specialized X-rays. Treatment of kidney stones involves drinking lots of fluids and taking over-the-counter pain medications to medical intervention including prescription medications, lithotripsy, and sometimes even surgery.
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Life Expectancy of Metastatic Prostate Cancer
With advancements in medicine and care, the life expectancy of men with metastatic prostate cancer has increased to about 5-6 years.
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Prostatitis vs. BPH (Enlarged Prostate): What Is the Difference?
Prostatitis and BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia, enlarged prostate gland) are both conditions of the prostate gland. Check out the center below for more medical references on prostate gland conditions, including multimedia (slideshows, images, and quizzes), related disease conditions, treatment and diagnosis, medications, and prevention or wellness.
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Enlarged Prostate (BPH, Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia)
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH or enlarged prostate) is very common in men over 50 years of age. Half of all men over the age of 50 develop symptoms of BPH, but few need medical treatment. This noncancerous enlargement of the prostate can impede urine flow, slow the flow of urine, create the urge to urinate frequently and cause other symptoms like complete blockage of urine and urinary tract infections. More serious symptoms are urinary tract infections (UTIs) and complete blockage of the urethra, which may be a medical emergency. BPH is not cancer. Not all men with the condition need treatment, and usually is closely monitored if no symptoms are present. Treatment measures usually are reserved for men with significant symptoms, and can include medications, surgery, microwave therapy, and laser procedures. Men can prevent prostate problems by having regular medical checkups that include a prostate exam.
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How Do You Check for Prostate Cancer at Home?
Prostate cancer is highly treatable in its early stages. Thanks to the increase in cancer screening, cancer is also being diagnosed early.
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What Is Stage IV Prostate Cancer Life Expectancy?
The survival rate in most people with advanced prostate cancer is 30 percent at the fifth year of diagnosis. This means around 70 percent of the diagnosed men are not alive in the fifth year after diagnosis.
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Prostatitis (Inflammation of the Prostate Gland)
Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland. Signs and symptoms of prostatitis include painful or difficulty urinating; fever; chills; body aches; blood in the urine; pain in the rectum, groin, abdomen, or low back; and painful ejaculation or sexual dysfunction. Causes of prostatitis include STDs, bacteria from urinary tract infections, or E. coli. Treatment for prostatitis depends on if it is a bacterial infection or chronic inflammation of the prostate gland.
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Does an Enlarged Prostate Affect a Man Sexually?
An enlarged prostate can cause sexual problems in men. Sexual problems, such as erectile dysfunction or ejaculation problems, may occur in men with noncancerous enlargement of the prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH).
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What Foods Kill Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer refers to the uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate gland. There is no particular food or recipe that can directly kill prostate cancer cells. Some foods that may be helpful in prostate cancer recovery and relapse prevention include foods containing lycopene, beans, green tea, cruciferous vegetables and fruit like cranberries, strawberries, blueberries and pomegranates.
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What Are the First Signs of Prostate Problems?
The first signs and symptoms of prostate disorder usually include problems with urination. Please consult your doctor if you experience any of the signs and symptoms to avoid the worsening of the prostate problems.
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What Happens in the Final Stages of Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer is an abnormal growth of cells in the prostate gland. In the final stages of prostate cancer you may feel grief, get closer with family and friends, and have faith in a power greater than yourself.
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Can Prostate Cancer Be Completely Cured?
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men. Due to routine screening of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in the United States, nearly 90% of prostate cancers get detected in early stages. When found early, there are several treatment options available and prostate cancer has a high chance of getting cured.
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Can Prostate Cancer Kill You?
Yes. Like any other cancer, prostate cancer is a potential killer. However, this is true of the metastasized prostate cancer that has remained undiagnosed for a long time. The disease is vastly curable when diagnosed early.
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What Are the 5 Warning Signs of Prostate Cancer?
Prostate cancer rarely produces symptoms in the early stage; however, few signs can help in detecting prostate cancer.
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What Are the Five Stages of Prostate Cancer?
The Gleason grading system grades prostate cancer from 1 to 5. According to cells’ appearances under a microscope, this system grades the most common (primary) and second most common (secondary) patterns of cells in a tissue sample collected via biopsy.
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Can Smoking Affect the Prostate?
Cigarette smoking has been associated with an increased risk of fatal prostate cancer, with heavy smokers at a 24%-30% greater risk of death from prostate cancer than nonsmokers.
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Where Is the Prostate?
The prostate gland, commonly known as the prostate, is one of the male reproductive organs located just below the bladder, above the penis, and in front of the rectum. It is connected to the penis by a tube (urethra) that empties urine from the bladder. The size and shape of the prostate are similar to a walnut.
Treatment & Diagnosis
- Enlarged Prostate BPH FAQs
- Prostate Cancer FAQs
- Prostate Cancer - New Criteria
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- Indications for Drugs: Approved vs. Non-approved
- Drugs: Buying Prescription Drugs Online Safely
- Drugs: The Most Common Medication Errors
- Medication Disposal
- How Do You Develop Prostate Cancer?
- What Are the Early Signs of Prostate Cancer?
- Generic Drugs, Are They as Good as Brand-Names?
Medications & Supplements
- Flomax and Viagra for BPH Treatment
- tamsulosin capsule - oral, Flomax
- Drugs: Questions to Ask Your Doctor or Pharmacist about Your Drugs
- Drug Interactions
- Side Effects of Flomax (tamsulosin)
- doxazosin mesylate (Cardura)
- finasteride (Proscar)
- Jalyn (dutasteride and tamsulosin hydrochloride)
- alfuzosin (Uroxatral)
- terazosin
Prevention & Wellness
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