Flomax

[HadEnuff]

Saw the urologist yesterday to check out my prostate issues: rising PSA and urine retention/ increasing difficulty urinating at all..

Good news is although enlarged somewhat, not bad for my age, and no "nodules" which would indicate a need for a biopsy. He suggested, and wrote an Rx for Flomax for my other issues.

I found articles online listing the side-effects which sound sucky enough, but could not find any information on the % of incidence of the side-effects.

Share your Flomax stories with me, if you don't mind. Did it work? And what, if any, side-effects did you have?

Thanks,

 

[razztazz]

I tried it about 20 yrs ago for chronic abacterial prostatitis. The side effects were "retro-Ej" weird feeling but not what I'd call a problem. The headaches never went away. Two or 3 weeks I took it knowing that side effects like that usually go away by themselves but not in my case. Also, if you are already allergic to sulfa drugs you shouldn't take it as one of the molecules associated with it is a cousin and might or might not cause a reaction.

The past 2 yrs I have been on uroxatral, generic alfuzosin. Nowhere near the amount of side effects of Flomax. Tiredness and mild headaches at first. Stopped it then started it then after a few days the side effects went away.

It supposedly works faster than Flowmax. In 1999 I remember the Flomax literature saying it took 2 weeks for its effects to kick in. Relief of symptoms from alfuzosin can be felt within 6-10 hours. And no retro-ejac. All systems normal operation.

That said, all these alpha blockers have a limited window of efficacy. The prostate will likely keep growing and their effectiveness will diminish. I am going in in two weeks for a work-up related to a non-surgical treatment. Might as well get out in front of this prostate thing while I can and not let it go so long I'll requires surgery

 

[LOL!]

Not to be confused with Flonase.

I'll help you out though: Tamsulosin is the generic name. Some with kidney stones are give this before / after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

 

[aja8888]

I have the same condition although my PSA test last week was 1.13 and not rising. PSA over a decade is about the same with some years at 0.7 or thereabouts.

I take Tamsulosin @ 0.4 mg, which I guess is the generic of Flowmax (?). It works fine and I have no noticeable side effects after two years of use.

 

[MRG]

No side effects, no benefits.

 

[SteveNU]

I've been using Tamsulosin for almost ten years. It must be working but I have occasional light headed episodes and frequent runny stuffy nose which may be side effects. I'm pursuing minimally invasive laser therapy later on this summer hoping to eliminate the need to take medication.

 

[aja8888]

I've been using Tamsulosin for almost ten years. It must be working but I have occasional light headed episodes and frequent runny stuffy nose which may be side effects. I'm pursuing minimally invasive laser therapy later on this summer hoping to eliminate the need to take medication.

If you do the laser therapy, let us in on how it goes and what it was like. Thanks!

Oh, on the runny nose stuff.....I have had that too, but I am blaming it on the allergies affecting me in Texas. Maybe I am wrong on that thesis.

 

[donheff]

Be cautious of dizziness, especially if you already have low or low normal blood pressure. I used Flomax for about ten years. It worked well with minimal side effects until I started cycling. On a long ride on the first hot day of the season I passed out at a rest stop and ended up hospitalized with dehydration. A few weeks later, I passed out again after a moderate ride even though I was drinking a lot of water. Turns out that Flomax can cause BP drops that cause or exacerbate dizziness. I dropped the Flomax and never had a recurrence of the fainting although I do experience brief periods of tachycardia a couple of times a year that briefly make me dizzy. Turns out I have episodic supra ventricular tachycardia. With no evidence to support my concern I can't help but harbor a suspicion that the Flomax led to the SVT.

 

[Alan]

I have the same condition although my PSA test last week was 1.13 and not rising. PSA over a decade is about the same with some years at 0.7 or thereabouts.

I take Tamsulosin @ 0.4 mg, which I guess is the generic of Flowmax (?). It works fine and I have no noticeable side effects after two years of use.

Same experience here. Started on Flomax in 2008 and switched to Tamsulosin as soon as Flowmax came off patent protection. It works great and no side effects for me. I have tried coming off it twice but after a few weeks the frequent urination returned so have settled in my mind that this is a for life thing as long as there continue to be no side affects.

 

[Nemo2]

My urologist currently (permanently?) has me taking Rapaflo (similar to Flowmax).......long gone are the days when I'd say "Oh, I don't take any medications".

 

[grasshopper]

I am currently taking a double dose .8 mg of Tamsulosin, with only retrograde or diminished ejaculation.

 

[oldtrig]

I started on it in 2007 for frequent UTI's. Had kidney stones for the last 25 years . Each time I would go in for a checkup I would always have a trace of blood in my urine.
Went through all the tests to check for bladder cancer and nothing found.


I will be 72 in August and have not had any traces of blood in urine since. I get checked every 6 months.



This is a wonder drug for me but it does have that one little side effect the last poster mentioned.


My PSA was 0.8 last week which I think is good for my age. I don't get up at night which is really a plus. Many men my age get up three or four times. I guess I am one of the lucky ones.

I feel great and keep busy doing something 7 days a week. Good luck



Good luck

 

[T-Minus]

Flomax allowed me to skip a Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) procedure and pass a kidney stone. For my purposes, this was a Big Deal.

 

[target2019]

Early on with PCa diagnosis, one urologist told me that Flomax was not ok in my situation. I am not sure about the specifics, but it may be a good idea to understand all of the risks there.

 

[Texas Proud]

My only use of this drug was when I had a kidney stone...


Could not tell you anything about side effects as the stone was killing me and someone could have cut off my arm and I would not have known...


Still have some in the medicine cabinet...

 

[MichaelB]

I discussed Tamsulosin (Generic Flomax) with a urologist. He described it as “low risk, low reward”. By that, he explained that the side effects were minimal, but the drug usually did not lead to a significant improvement in symptoms, only a minor improvement. In his words, tamsulosin has “a low threshold of improvement”, perhaps a 10% improvement in the IPSS, which really isn’t much. It seems this is the first line of treatment for typical BPH, and patient satisfaction determines if other treatments should be considered.

 

[HadEnuff]

thanks for the responses. One concern I have is that I am prone to lowish blood pressure. I'll probably give it a try and see how the benefits vs. side effects balance runs.

 

[Animorph]

I've been taking Flomax/Tamsulosin for over 10 years to improve symptoms of an enlarged prostate. It works great for me. I have settled on one 0.4mg dose every other day. Too much and I have to hit the bathroom frequently during the day. Too little and I have to get up at night (and go very slowly). I'm able to hit a happy medium that allows me to sleep all night and still be comfortable for long periods during the day. I don't have any side effects that stand out other than mostly dry ejaculations. Totally worth it for me.

 

[savory]

Tamulosin for many years. Fairly effective and no problems until 2 years ago when it stopped working well. Frequent urination returned.

Surgery, Green Light laser, was the next step. I wish I had the surgery earlier. Same ejaculation side effects but urinating like a healthy 30 year old and no drugs for now. The op was about 2 years ago.