What is Hytrin?

Hytrin is in a group of drugs called alpha-adrenergic blockers. Hytrin 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.

Hytrin is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure), or to improve urination in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate).

Hytrin may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Warnings

You should not use Hytrin if you are allergic to terazosin. Hytrin may cause dizziness or fainting, especially when you first start taking it or when you start taking it again. You may wish to take this medication only at bedtime if it causes you to feel light-headed. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert. Avoid standing for long periods of time or becoming overheated during exercise and in hot weather. Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy.

If you stop taking Hytrin for any reason, call your doctor before you start taking it again. You may need a dose adjustment.

Hytrin can affect your pupils during cataract surgery. Tell your eye surgeon ahead of time that you are using Hytrin. Do not stop using Hytrin before surgery unless your surgeon tells you to.

Tell your doctor about all other medications you use, especially other blood pressure medications including diuretics (water pills).

Before taking this medicine

Hytrin can affect your pupils during cataract surgery. Tell your eye surgeon ahead of time that you are using this medication. Do not stop using Hytrin before surgery unless your surgeon tells you to.

If you have a history of prostate cancer, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take Hytrin.

You should not use Hytrin if you are allergic to terazosin.

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether Hytrin will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication. It is not known whether terazosin passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use Hytrin without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take Hytrin?

Take Hytrin exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results.

Hytrin lowers blood pressure and may cause dizziness or fainting, especially when you first start taking it, or when you start taking it again. You may wish to take this medication only at bedtime if it causes you to feel light-headed. Call your doctor if you have severe dizziness or feel like you might pass out.

You may feel very dizzy when you first wake up. Be careful when standing or sitting up from a lying position.

If you stop taking Hytrin for any reason, call your doctor before you start taking it again. You may need a dose adjustment.

Your blood pressure and/or prostate will need to be checked often. Visit your doctor regularly.

If you are being treated for high blood pressure, keep using Hytrin even if you feel well. High blood pressure often has no symptoms. You may need to use blood pressure medication for the rest of your life.

Some things can cause your blood pressure to get too low. This includes vomiting, diarrhea, heavy sweating, heart disease, dialysis, a low-salt diet, or taking diuretics (water pills). Tell your doctor if you have a prolonged illness that causes diarrhea or vomiting.

Store Hytrin at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. 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.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line .

Overdose symptoms may include extreme dizziness or fainting.

What should I avoid?

Hytrin may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert.

To prevent dizziness, avoid standing for long periods of time or becoming overheated during exercise and in hot weather.

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. Drinking alcohol can increase certain side effects of Hytrin.

Hytrin side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to Hytrin: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• fast or pounding heartbeats or fluttering in your chest;
• feeling like you might pass out;
• swelling in your hands, ankles, or feet; or
• penis erection that is painful or lasts 4 hours or longer.

Less serious Hytrin side effects may include:

• mild dizziness;
• weakness, drowsiness;
• blurred vision;
• nausea; or
• headache.

What is alfuzosin?

Alfuzosin is an alpha-adrenergic (AL-fa ad-ren-ER-Jk) blocker that is used to improve urination in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate).

Alfuzosin may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Alfuzosin side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Alfuzosin may cause serious side effects. Call your doctor at once if you have:

• a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;
• new or worsening chest pain;
• upper stomach pain, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or
• penis erection that is painful or lasts 4 hours or longer.

Common side effects of alfuzosin may include:

• dizziness;
• headache; or
• feeling tired.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Warnings

You should not take alfuzosin if you have moderate to severe liver disease.

Many drugs can affect alfuzosin, and some should not be used at the same time. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any you start or stop using.

Alfuzosin lowers blood pressure and may cause dizziness or fainting, especially if you take heart or blood pressure medications. Avoid driving or hazardous activity until you know how alfuzosin will affect you.

Call your doctor at once if you feel light-headed feeling, like you might pass out.

Before taking this medicine

You should not take alfuzosin if you are allergic to it, or if you have:

• moderate to severe liver disease.

Some medicines can cause unwanted or dangerous effects when used with alfuzosin. Your doctor may change your treatment plan if you also use:

• an antibiotic;
• antifungal medicine;
• heart medication;
• antiviral medicine to treat hepatitis C or HIV/AIDS; or
• medicines similar to alfuzosin (doxazosin, prazosin, silodosin, tamsulosin, or terazosin).

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• low blood pressure, especially if caused by taking medications;
• liver disease;
• kidney disease;
• prostate cancer; or
• long QT syndrome (in you or a family member).

Alfuzosin can affect your pupils. If you have cataract surgery, tell your surgeon ahead of time that you use alfuzosin.

Alfuzosin is not for use in women, and the effects of this medicine during pregnancy or in breastfeeding women are unknown.

Alfuzosin is not approved for use by anyone younger than 18 years old.

How should I take alfuzosin?

Your doctor may test your prostate specific antigen (PSA) to check for prostate cancer before you take alfuzosin.

Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose. Use the medicine exactly as directed.

Take alfuzosin just after a meal, at the same time each day. Do not take the medicine on an empty stomach.

Swallow the tablet whole and do not crush, chew, or break it.

Alfuzosin lowers blood pressure and may cause dizziness or fainting, especially when you first start taking it. You may feel very dizzy when you first wake up. Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy.

Your blood pressure will need to be checked often.

Some things can cause your blood pressure to get too low. This includes vomiting, diarrhea, or heavy sweating. Call your doctor if you are sick with vomiting or diarrhea.

Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.

Alfuzosin dosing information

Usual Adult Dose for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia:

Extended-release tablet: 10 mg orally once a day immediately after the same meal each day

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not take two doses at one time.

What should I avoid while taking alfuzosin?

Avoid driving or hazardous activity until you know how alfuzosin will affect you. Your reactions could be impaired.

Drinking alcohol with this medicine can cause side effects.

What other drugs will affect alfuzosin?

Tell your doctor about all your current medicines. Many drugs can increase your risk of very low blood pressure while taking alfuzosin, especially:

• heart or blood pressure medication;
• nitrate medication (such as nitroglycerin); or
• sildenafil (Viagra) and other erectile dysfunction medicines.

This list is not complete. Many other drugs can affect alfuzosin, and some drugs should not be used at the same time. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products .

What is tamsulosin?

Tamsulosin belongs to a class of medications called alpha blockers. It works by relaxing the muscles in the prostate and bladder so that urine can flow easily.

Tamsulosin capsules are used in men to treat the symptoms of an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH) which include difficulty urinating (hesitation, dribbling, weak stream, and incomplete bladder emptying), painful urination, and urinary frequency and urgency.

Tamsulosin is not approved for use in women or children.

Warnings

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to tamsulosin. Do not take tamsulosin with other similar medicines such as alfuzosin (Uroxatral), doxazosin (Cardura), prazosin (Minipress), silodosin (Rapaflo), or terazosin (Hytrin).

Tamsulosin may cause dizziness or fainting, especially when you first start taking it or when you start taking it again. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert. Avoid standing for long periods of time or becoming overheated during exercise and in hot weather. Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy.

If you stop taking this medicine for any reason, call your doctor before you start taking it again. You may need a dose adjustment.

Tamsulosin can affect your pupils during cataract surgery. Tell your eye surgeon ahead of time that you are using this medication. Do not stop using this medication before surgery unless your surgeon tells you to.

There are many other drugs that can interact with this medicine. Tell your doctor about all medications you use.

Follow all directions on your medicine label and package. Tell each of your healthcare providers about all your medical conditions, allergies, and all medicines you use.

Before taking this medicine

To make sure tamsulosin capsules are safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• prostate cancer;
• low blood pressure;
• an allergy to sulfa drugs; or
• liver or kidney disease.

Tamsulosin can affect your pupils. If you have cataract surgery, tell the surgeon you use this medicine .

Ask your doctor about prostate cancer screening before and while taking this medicine.

Tamsulosin is not approved for use in women.

How should I take tamsulosin?

Take tamsulosin capsules exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets..

Tamsulosin capsules are usually taken once a day, within 30 minutes after the same meal each day.

Swallow the capsule whole and do not crush, chew, break, or open it.

Your blood pressure will need to be checked often.

If you stop using this medicine, do not start it again without your doctor’s advice.

Store tightly closed at room temperature, away from moisture and heat.

Dosing information

Usual Adult Dose for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia:

0.4 mg orally once a day; the dose may be increased to 0.8 mg orally once a day in patients who fail to respond to 0.4 mg once a day within 2 to 4 weeks

Comments:
-This drug should be administered approximately one-half hour following the same meal each day.

Use: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not take two doses at one time.

If you stop using tamsulosin for several days in a row, do not start it again without your doctor’s advice.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

What should I avoid while taking tamsulosin?

Avoid driving or hazardous activity until you know how this medicine will affect you. Your reactions could be impaired.

Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy.

Tamsulosin side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to tamsulosin (hives, difficult breathing, swelling in your face or throat) or a severe skin reaction (fever, sore throat, burning eyes, skin pain, red or purple skin rash with blistering and peeling).

Tamsulosin may lower your blood pressure and may cause dizziness or fainting, especially when you first start taking it or your dose changes.

Tamsulosin may cause serious side effects. Stop using this medicine and call your doctor at once if you have:

• a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out; or
• a painful erection that lasts 4 hours or longer.

Common tamsulosin side effects may include:

• abnormal ejaculation, decreased amount of semen;
• dizziness, drowsiness, weakness;
• runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, cough;
• back pain, chest pain, headache;
• nausea, diarrhea;
• tooth problems;
• blurred vision;
• sleep problems (insomnia); or
• decreased interest in sex.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect tamsulosin?

Sometimes it is not safe to use certain medicines at the same time. Some drugs can affect your blood levels of other drugs you use, which may increase side effects or make the medicines less effective.

Tell your doctor about all your current medicines. Many drugs can affect tamsulosin, especially:

• cimetidine;
• medicine to treat impotence or pulmonary arterial hypertension–avanafil (Stendra), sildenafil (Viagra, Revatio), tadalafil (Adcirca, Cialis), or vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn); or
• drugs to treat high blood pressure or a prostate disorder–alfuzosin, doxazosin, prazosin, terazosin, silodosin.

This list is not complete and many Other drugs may interact with tamsulosin. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.

Ingredients – tamsulosin capsules

Active Ingredient: tamsulosin hydrochloride
Inactive Ingredients: methacrylic acid copolymer, microcrystalline cellulose, purified water, talc, triethyl citrate, black iron oxide, FD& C Blue No. 2, gelatin, red iron oxide, titanium dioxide, yellow iron oxide and trace amounts of antifoam DC 1510, industrial methylated spirit, lecithin, n-butyl alcohol, dehydrated alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, butyl alcohol, propylene glycol, ammonium, potassium hydroxide and shellac.