Alfuzosin

What is Alfuzosin?

Alfuzosin is used in men to treat 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. Alfuzosin is in a class of medications called alpha blockers. It works by relaxing the muscles in the prostate and bladder to allow urine to flow more easily.

How

Alfuzosin controls BPH but does not cure it. Continue to take alfuzosin even if you feel well. Do not stop taking alfuzosin without talking to your doctor.

Side Effects

tiredness

headache

runny or stuffy nose

pain

stomach pain

heartburn

constipation

nausea

decrease in sexual ability

sore throat, fever, chills, cough and other signs of infection

Alfuzosin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

Precautions

Before taking alfuzosin,

tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to alfuzosin, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in alfuzosin. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients.

tell your doctor if you are taking itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), or ritonavir (Norvir, in Kaletra). Your doctor will probably tell you not to take alfuzosin.

tell your doctor if you have liver disease. Your doctor may tell you not to take alfuzosin.

tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: amiodarone (Cordarone); aprepitant (Emend); atenolol (Tenormin); cimetidine (Tagamet); cisapride (not available in the U.S.); clarithormycin (Biaxin, in Prevpac); cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune); danazol (Danocrine); delavirdine (Rescriptor); diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac, others); disopyramide (Norpace);dofetilide (Tikosyn); efavirenz (Sustiva); erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Erythrocin);fluconazole (Diflucan); fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem); fluvoxamine (Luvox); HIV protease inhibitors such as atazanavir (Reyataz), indinavir (Crixivan), lopinavir (in Kaletra), nelfinavir (Viracept), and saquinavir (Fortovase, Invirase); hormonal contraceptives (birth control pills, rings, and patches); isoniazid (INH, Nydrazid); lovastatin (Adivicor, Altocor, Mevacor); medications for high blood pressure; medications for erectile dysfunction (ED) such as sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), or vardenafil (Levitra); metronidazole (Flagyl); moxifloxacin (Avelox); nefazodone; other alpha blockers such as doxazosin (Cardura), prazosin (Minipress), terazosin (Hytrin), and tamsulosin (Flomax); pimozide (Orap); procainamide (Procanbid, Pronestyl); quinidine (Quinidex); sertraline (Zoloft); sotalol (Betapace,); sparfloxacin (Zagam); thioridazine (Mellaril); troleandomycin (TAO); verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan); and zafirlukast (Accolate). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.

tell your doctor if you or any member of your family have an irregular heartbeat; or if you have or have ever had prostate cancer; angina (chest pain); low blood pressure; or heart or kidney disease; and if you have ever become dizzy, fainted, or had low blood pressure after taking any medication.

you should know that alfuzosin is only for use in men. Women should not take alfuzosin, especially if they are or could become pregnant or are breast-feeding. If a pregnant woman takes alfuzosin, she should call her doctor.

if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking alfuzosin. If you need to have eye surgery at any time during or after your treatment, be sure to tell your doctor that you are taking or have taken alfuzosin.

you should know that alfuzosin may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting, especially when you get up too quickly from a lying position. This is more common when you first start taking alfuzosin. To avoid this problem, get out of bed slowly, resting your feet on the floor for a few minutes before standing up. If these symptoms do not improve, call your doctor. Avoid driving, operating machinery, or performing dangerous tasks until you know how this medication affects you.

Overdose

In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.

dizziness

fainting

lightheadedness

blurred vision

nausea

What If I Forget

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.

Storage

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from light and excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.

Dietary Restrictions

Talk to your doctor about eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while taking this medication.

Miscellaneous

It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.

Other Uses

This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Content provided by:

The AHFS MedMaster Consumer Medication Information CMI® database is copyrighted by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. © 2008, ASHP, Bethesda, Maryland 20814. All Rights Reserved. Duplication must be expressly authorized by ASHP, unless such duplication consists of printing or downloading portions of the data inherent in the program for non-commercial use. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. represents that the database provided hereunder was formulated with a reasonable standard of care, and in conformity with professional standards in the field. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. makes no representations or warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to, any implied warranty of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose, with respect to such database and specifically disclaims all such warranties and representations. Users are advised that decisions regarding drug therapy are complex medical decisions requiring the independent, informed decision of an appropriate health care professional, and the database is provided for informational purposes only. The entire monograph for a drug should be reviewed for a thorough understanding of the drug's actions, uses and side effects. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. does not endorse or recommend the use of any drug in the database. The information contained in the database is not a substitute for medical care.