Is Flomax Used For Kidney Stones

Are Tamsulosin Medications Like Flomax Safe For Women

How Effective Is Tamsulosin for Kidney Stones

At the end of the day, it is important for those struggling with urinary incontinence or kidney stones to ask themselves if Tamsulosin medications like Flomax are safe for women.

Research has shown that some of the critical dangers of women taking Flomax include a sudden drop in blood pressure, difficulty breathing, and allergic reactions.

Always do your research before taking any overactive bladder drugs like Flomax.

How Common Are Kidney Stones

Researchers have concluded that about one in ten people will get a kidney stone during their lifetime. Kidney stones in children are far less common than in adults but they occur for the same reasons. Theyre four times more likely to occur in children with asthma than in children who dont have asthma.

How Quickly Does Flomax Work For Kidney Stones

Flomax is the brand name for tamsulosin, which was originally used for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Flomax can also be prescribed to aid in the passage of large kidney stones. It promotes relaxation of the smooth muscles of the ureter, which improves urinary flow and reduces mechanical obstruction created by kidney stones.

Flomax works rapidly and significantly reduces the time it takes to pass stones from the urinary tract within 48 hours of taking the medication. For some people, however, symptoms may take 2-4 weeks to improve.

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How To Cope With Side Effects

What to do about:

feeling dizzy if tamsulosin makes you feel dizzy, stop what you’re doing, and sit or lie down until you feel better. Do not drive, ride a bike or use tools or machinery if you’re feeling dizzy. Do not drink alcohol as it will make you feel worse. Talk to a doctor if these side effects last more than a few days.
problems when men ejaculate if the amount you ejaculate is less than usual or you have no semen at all, you do not need to worry as this side effect is harmless. Talk to a doctor if it bothers you or does not get any better.

What Are The Possible Side Effects Of Flomax

Whether or not a medication like tamsulosin works is not the only thing that should be considered when a patient is looking at what treatment would best suit them.

It is also crucial for the individual to consider potential side-effects that can be experienced while using the drug.

Flomax has quite a few adverse reactions. This is a concerning factor and a critical reason why male patients need to pay close attention to the dosage instructions provided by their doctor.

Taking the drug exactly as prescribed may help to reduce the risk of these side-effects. A doctor will also be able to assess as a patient and determine if the risk of side-effects is too great.

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Medications Not To Take With Flomax

When taking a new medication, you should always check with your doctor about possible interactions with other medicines youre taking, certain drugs are known to interact poorly with Flomax. Patients with an allergy to sulfa drugs can experience an increased allergic reaction as a Flomax side effect. If youre already taking similar medicines such as doxazosin , silodosin , prazosin , terazosin , alfuzosin , you cant take Flomax at the same time.

Because some medications affect how the body removes Flomax they also affect how it works. These drugs include HIV protease inhibitors , ribociclib, boceprevir, clarithromycin, cobicistat and azole antifungals .

Drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction could interact with Flomax to reduce your blood pressure below a safe level. Low blood pressure can lead to dizziness and fainting. Work with your doctor to adjust dosages as needed.

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Whats The Outlook For Kidney Stones

The outlook for kidney stones is very positive, although there is a risk of recurrence . Many kidney stones pass on their own over time without needing treatment. Medications and surgical treatments to remove larger kidney stones are generally very successful and involve little recovery time.

Its possible to get kidney stones multiple times throughout your life. If you keep developing kidney stones, your healthcare provider may work with you to discover why the stones happen. Once the cause is found, you may be able to make dietary changes to prevent future stones.

What Is The Price Of Tamsulosin

The price of tamsulosin will vary greatly depending on location and insurance coverage. However, patients who are paying out-of-pocket can expect to pay around $14 for a 3-month supply of the drug. Alternatively, patients who wish to purchase the brand-name of the drug, Flomax, will be paying around $900 for a 3-month supply.

What Questions Should I Ask My Healthcare Provider

Tamsulosin 0.4mg Overview | Including Side Effects and Use for kidney stones

Do I have a kidney stone or is there another reason for my symptoms?
What type of kidney stone do I have?
What size is my kidney stone?
Where is my kidney stone located?
How many kidney stones do I have?
Do I need treatment or will I be able to pass the kidney stone?
Should I be tested for kidney disease?
What changes should I make to my diet?
What type of procedure should I have to get rid of the stones?

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Kidney stones can be frustrating at best and agonizingly painful at the worst. To stop your situation from getting worse, you should be evaluated by a healthcare provider as soon as possible. The pain can get severe, and surgery might be necessary. Remember: dont skip your prescriptions, drink lots of water and follow any dietary guidelines. Also, remember that kidney stones are a temporary condition. They wont bother you forever.

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 05/03/2021.

References

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What Are Some Of The Flomax Side Effects In Women

Unfortunately, woman are at risk for side effects when taking mens Tamsulosin medication, including Flomax.

Some of these Flomax side effects in women include:

Back pain
Skin rash
Sore throat

These problematic side effects may make some women think twice about the pills they are putting in their mouths.

Who Can And Cant Take Tamsulosin

Tamsulosin can be taken by adults .

Do not give this medicine to children, unless on the advice of a specialist.

Tamsulosin is not suitable for some people. To make sure this medicine is safe for you, tell a doctor if you:

have had an allergic reaction to tamsulosin or any other similar medicine in the past
have orthostatic hypotension, a form of low blood pressure that can make you feel dizzy or lightheaded when you stand up
have severe liver or kidney problems
are having eye surgery for cataracts or glaucoma

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Why You Get Stones

Part of preventing stones is finding out why you get them. Your health care provider will perform tests to find out what is causing this. After finding out why you get stones, your health care provider will give you tips to help stop them from coming back.

Some of the tests he or she may do are listed below.

Medical and Dietary History

Your health care provider will ask questions about your personal and family medical history. He or she may ask if:

Have you had more than one stone before?
Has anyone in your family had stones?
Do you have a medical condition that may increase your chance of having stones, like frequent diarrhea, gout or diabetes?

Knowing your eating habits is also helpful. You may be eating foods that are known to raise the risk of stones. You may also be eating too few foods that protect against stones or not drinking enough fluids.

Understanding your medical, family and dietary history helps your health care provider find out how likely you are to form more stones.

Blood and Urine Tests

Imaging Tests

When a health care provider sees you for the first time and you have had stones before, he or she may want to see recent X-rays or order a new X-ray. They will do this to see if there are any stones in your urinary tract. Imaging tests may be repeated over time to check for stone growth. You may also need this test if you are having pain, hematuria or recurrent infections.

Stone Analysis

Can Women Take Flomax

Most of the research with tamsulosin has been conducted on men, most likely because it is not approved for use in women by the FDA 3 4 7. One specific study, called the SUSPEND study Spontaneous Urinary Stone Passage ENabled by Drugs included women in their study. When looking at the rate and time of passage of stones in comparison with medication or placebo, they did not find a difference.

These study findings, published in the Journal of Family Practice in 2016 may indicate the need for a conversation with your primary physician when considering tamsulosin for treatment of kidney stones 2 3 8.

Most of the research with tamsulosin has been conducted on men, most likely because it is not approved for use in women.
When looking at the rate and time of passage of stones in comparison with medication or placebo, they did not find a difference.

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What Are The Good And Bad Flomax Side Effects

August 3, 2018 By Side Effect Answers Team

If your doctor just wrote a new prescription for Flomax, youre probably wondering about the Flomax side effects you might experience. Older men frequently have issues with bladder dysfunction, difficulties urinating and an enlarged prostate. Flomax is a drug that helps ease these symptoms to provide at least some relief.

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How To Pass Kidney Stones

Stones cause trouble when they obstruct or block the ureter, the tube which drains urine from the kidney to the bladder. Pain can come and go, depending on the degree of obstruction. If the stone is sitting in the ureter without causing blockage, there may be little or no pain. However, if the stone turns even slightly, it may cause partial or complete blockage, which can cause gradual or sudden onset of severe pain.

The last segment of the ureter runs through the wall of the bladder. Stones frequently become stuck in this part of the ureter. If so, they can cause urinary symptoms, including frequency , urgency , and postvoid fullness . These symptoms mimic the symptoms of urinary tract infection. Patients may think they have a bladder infection, but most often these voiding symptoms are due to the stone. When stones are in the lower part of the ureter, they may also cause pain that is referred to the testicle or the tip of the penis in men or into the vaginal and urethral area in women.

When trying to pass a stone, patients should proceed as follows:

Recent Clinical Trial Finds Tamsulosin Not Effective In Kidney Stone Passage

WASHINGTON The latest research into finding medications to aid the passage of ureteral or kidney stones has shown that tamsulosin is not effective for patients across the board. Previously approved to help men experiencing enlarged prostates, tamsulosin is an Alpha-1 blocker that, in small studies, had been found to be a promising aid to passing kidney stones.

A recent multi-center clinical trial funded by the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, revealed no significant support for the use of tamsulosin for kidney stones. The results, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, found no significant effect of patient-reported passage or capture of the stone.

There is no known medication for helping patients pass kidney stones, explained Andrew Meltzer, MD, associate professor of emergency medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Current guidelines by the American Urological Society call for all patients with stones to receive tamsulosin to help facilitate passage. We will likely have to change the guidelines regarding which groups of patients should receive the medication, he said.

During the six-year trial, patients presented to the emergency department describing pain associated with stones. One tablet of tamsulosin was administered per day for 28 days with few patients reporting stone passage.

What Causes Kidney Stones

Kidney Stones – Types, Formation, Treatment, Prevention

Kidney stones are formed from substances in your urine. The substances that combine into stones normally pass through your urinary system. When they dont, its because there isnt enough urine volume, causing the substances to become highly concentrated and to crystalize. This is typically a result of not drinking enough water. The stone-forming substances are:

Calcium.

These and other chemicals are some of the waste products that exit your body.

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Two Common Drugs Do Not Help More People Pass Kidney Stones

This is a plain English summary of an original research article

This large, high quality trial found that people with a single kidney stone taking tamsulosin or nifedipine drugs for up to four weeks were no more likely to pass the stone spontaneously than those taking a placebo. This suggests that these drugs should not be offered to people with renal colic who are managed with a “watch-and-wait” approach.

About 80% of participants in either arm of this trial were able to pass the stone spontaneously, without a further procedure.

The prevalence of kidney stones in high income countries has increased over the last 20 years. Problems with stones were associated with 25,000 hospital admissions in England in 2012, costing £11.6 million.

What Did This Study Do

The NIHR funded, SUSPEND study was a randomised, placebo-controlled trial recruiting 1,167 adults with renal colic across 24 NHS hospitals. They were randomly assigned to receive up to 4 weeks’ daily treatment with either tamsulosin , nifedipine or placebo. The primary outcome was spontaneous stone passage by four weeks, as defined by needing no interventions to help the stone pass. Participants, clinicians and trial personnel were not aware of treatment allocation. This was a large, well designed randomised controlled trial conducted in a routine care setting which allows for direct translation of its results into standard clinical practice.

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What Are The Side Effects Of Tamsulosin

Tamsulosin can potentially cause side effects ranging from mild to severe. The list below includes some of the most common side effects but is not a complete list. Mild side effects may go away after a few days or weeks of consistent medication-taking, but if they persist or worsen, you should speak with your doctor.

Common side effects:

Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat

Heres What You Need To Know About The Off

If you see a lot of older male patients, its likely that youve often had a conversation about the ocular effects of Flomax , an oral medication for men who suffer from benign prostatic hypertrophy . Flomax, an alpha-1a blocker, decreases symptoms of BPH such as frequency, urgency, weak urine stream, difficulty in starting urine flow, dysuria and nocturia.

The decrease in BPH symptomatology observed with tamsulosin is directly related to the drugs ability to preferentially antagonize alpha-1a receptors and, therefore, relax smooth muscle in the prostate and bladder neck. Although other non-subtype alpha-1 blockers exist, tamsulosins affinity and selectivity for the alpha-1a receptor subtype results in superior efficacy in treating BPH without the hypotensive side effects common with less selective agents.1 Unfortunately, it also relaxes the iris dilator muscle, leading to miosis.

In recent years, the use of tamsulosin has expanded to off-label indications in both men and women. Here is an overview.

Off-Label UsesThe most common off-label use of tamsulosin is to assist in the passage of kidney stones by increasing urinary fluid volume and pressure as well as relaxing smooth muscle in the ureters.2 Studies have verified that tamsulosin increases the expulsion rate of kidney stones while decreasing the time to expulsion and the need for adjunctive pain management, hospitalization and surgical intervention.3

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How Does Tamsulosin Work

Tamsulosin belongs to a class of drugs known as alpha-blockers, also referred to as Alpha-adrenoreceptor antagonists. As with other alpha-blockers used to treat prostate problems, Tamsulosin works by keeping the hormone norepinephrine from tightening the walls in smaller arteries and veins, thus relaxing muscles around the bladder and prostate to increase urine output. Through this same mechanism, tamsulosin is sometimes used to treat kidney stones by easing their passing through the urinary tract.

Before Taking This Medicine

You should not use Flomax if you are allergic to tamsulosin. Do not take this medicine together with similar medicines such as alfuzosin , doxazosin , prazosin , silodosin , or terazosin .

To make sure Flomax is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

liver or kidney disease
a history of prostate cancer
low blood pressure or
an allergy to sulfa drugs.

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

Although this medicine is not for use in women, Flomax is not expected to harm an unborn baby. If you are a woman using this medication, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.

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