What is tamsulosin?
Tamsulosin is in a group of drugs called alpha-adrenergic (AL-fa ad-ren-ER-jik) blockers. Tamsulosin relaxes your veins and arteries so that blood can more easily pass through them. It also relaxes the muscles in the prostate and bladder neck, making it easier to urinate.
Tamsulosin is used to improve urination in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate).
Tamsulosin may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
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Precautions
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Instructions
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Side Effects
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Interactions
Precautions
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to tamsulosin, or if you are also taking any other alpha adrenergic blockers such as alfusozin (Uroxatral), doxazosin (Cardura), prazosin (Minipress), or Terazosin (Hytrin).
Before taking tamsulosin, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have prostate cancer.
If you will be having cataract surgery, tell the surgeon that you are taking tamsulosin.
FDA pregnancy category B. Tamsulosin is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby.
Tamsulosin is not for use in children.
Tamsulosin can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy. Get up slowly and steady yourself to prevent a fall.
Avoid drinking alcohol. It may increase dizziness caused by tamsulosin.
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Instructions
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.
Overdose symptoms may include a fast heartbeat, cold or clammy skin, severe headache, feeling light-headed, or fainting.
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
If you miss your doses for several days in a row, contact your doctor before restarting the medication. You may need a lower dose.
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Side Effects
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Stop using tamsulosin and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
- penis erection that is painful or lasts 4 hours or longer;
- severe dizziness; or
- fainting.
Less serious side effects may include:
- mild dizziness or drowsiness;
- sleep problems (insomnia);
- abnormal ejaculation, decreased sex drive; or
- runny or stuffy nose, sore throat.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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Interactions
Before taking tamsulosin, tell your doctor if you use any of the following drugs:
- cimetidine (Tagamet);
- cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune);
- metronidazole (Flagyl, Protostat);
- warfarin (Coumadin);
- antibiotics such as azithromycin (Zithromax), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S., Ery-Tab, Erythrocin), itraconazole (Sporanox), or ketoconazole (Nizoral);
- antidepressants such as citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), or sertraline (Zoloft);
- heart or blood pressure medication such as diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac) or verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan); or
- HIV /AIDS medicine such as indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), ritonavir (Norvir), or saquinavir (Invirase, Fortovase).
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with tamsulosin. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.
Other Names
Flomax and tamsulosin
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Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2004 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version 2.05. Revision date 8/23/04
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