Tamsulosin for prostate gland enlargement

About tamsulosin

La glándula prostática suele aumentar de tamaño en los hombres mayores. El agrandamiento de la próstata también se denomina hiperplasia prostática benigna (HPB). La próstata está situada cerca de la vejiga, por lo que su agrandamiento puede causar problemas al orinar. Los síntomas más frecuentes son tener que esperar a que empiece a fluir la orina, tardar más tiempo en ir al baño, gotear orina y tener la sensación de que la vejiga no está del todo vacía.

Tamsulosin works by relaxing the muscles around your bladder and prostate gland so that you can pass urine more easily.

Sometimes, more than one type of medicine is needed to control the symptoms of prostate enlargement. Tamsulosin is available in combination with other medicines for prostate enlargement. The combination brand called Combodart® contains tamsulosin with a medicine called dutasteride, and the combination brand called Vesomni® contains tamsulosin with a medicine called solifenacin. These brands may give better relief of symptoms than tamsulosin alone.

Tamsulosin is also available from pharmacies as a medicine called Flomax® Relief. The pharmacist will need to ask a number of questions about your medical history to make sure that tamsulosin is suitable for you. You will also need to be diagnosed by your doctor as having an enlarged prostate gland.

Before taking tamsulosin

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking tamsulosin it is important that your doctor or pharmacist knows:

• Si alguna vez se siente mareado o se desmaya al ponerse de pie, o si alguna vez se ha desmayado después de orinar.

• Si necesita operarse de cataratas.

• Si tiene algún problema con el funcionamiento del hígado o de los riñones.

• Si alguna vez ha tenido una reacción alérgica a un medicamento.

• Si toma o utiliza otros medicamentos. Esto incluye cualquier medicamento que esté tomando y que pueda adquirirse sin receta, así como medicamentos a base de plantas y complementarios.

How to take tamsulosin

• Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about tamsulosin and will provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you may experience from taking it.

• Take tamsulosin exactly as your doctor or pharmacist tells you to. Swallow each dose with a drink of water - do not crush, break, or chew the tablets/capsules.

• Your first dose of tamsulosin may make you feel dizzy or faint, so it is important that you take it just before you go to bed. If you feel dizzy or weary, or if you start sweating, remain lying down until these symptoms have completely gone.

• Take one tablet/capsule every day. After the first dose, you can take your dose at a time of day that best suits you. Although you can take tamsulosin either before or after a meal, the usual advice is to take your doses after the same meal of the day each day.

• If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If you do not remember until the following day, skip the forgotten dose. Do not take two doses at the same time to make up for a missed dose.

Aproveche al máximo su tratamiento

• Tamsulosin can cause dizziness particularly when you first start taking it. This may affect your ability to drive. Make sure your reactions are normal before you drive or do things which would be dangerous if you were not fully alert.

• Intente acudir a las citas periódicas con su médico. Así podrá comprobar su evolución. Es posible que su médico quiera tomarle la tensión de vez en cuando, sobre todo al principio del tratamiento.

• You are advised not to drink alcohol while you are on tamsulosin. Alcohol increases the risk of side-effects from tamsulosin, such as feeling faint or dizzy.

• Considere la posibilidad de reducir o suspender la cantidad de cafeína que toma (comúnmente presente en el té, el café y los refrescos de cola). La cafeína puede empeorar los síntomas, por lo que beber menos puede ser beneficioso.

• Si usted es fumador, dejar de fumar puede mejorar significativamente sus síntomas. Esto se debe a que la nicotina irrita la vejiga. Puede pedir consejo a su médico para dejar de fumar.

• If you are having an operation or dental treatment, tell the person carrying out the treatment that you are taking tamsulosin. This is because your blood pressure may drop suddenly if you have an anaesthetic. If you are having cataract surgery, it is particularly important that you tell your surgeon you are on tamsulosin. This is because an eye problem known as 'floppy iris syndrome' has developed in some people and your doctor may advise you to stop taking tamsulosin for a short while.

Can tamsulosin cause problems?

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with tamsulosin. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

If you experience any other symptoms which you think may be due to tamsulosin, speak with your doctor or pharmacist for further advice.

How to store tamsulosin

• Mantenga todos los medicamentos fuera del alcance y de la vista de los niños.

• Almacenar en un lugar fresco y seco, lejos del calor y la luz directos.

Información importante sobre todos los medicamentos