Alfuzosin and thirst/dehydration?
Posted , 8 users are following.
My imagination...or real? I wake up at 2 in the morning with a wicked thirst and dry mouth. Every night without fail. I am on alfuzosin daily, taken before bed around 10 pm. Then clearly bone-dry dehydrated at 2 in the morning. Every night. Drink a lot of water to satiate and then I have the other problem an hour later. Anyone experience that with this drug? I've been on it three years now and don't recall it a problem back when. I am 73 yo and in otherwise OK health. I also take melatonin before bed. Thanks for any thoughts.
0 likes, 16 replies
CLJim owen35669
Posted
Owen, realizes this does not answer your question but are you getting better results on alfuzosin than flowmax?
owen35669 CLJim
Posted
Some years ago that I tried Flomax. My best recollection: erectile issues, retro ejaculation...and temporary loss of the sex drive. My sense is that alfuzosin is the go-to alternative for many. It relaxes -- rather than shrinks -- the prostate. Making voiding easier. Does a pretty good job, though there is no escaping the broader hassle of BPH.
william59988 owen35669
Posted
I have had Urolift with disappointing results. Have been taking Tamulosin (Flomax) now for 6 months. It is the only way I can pee with a decent stream. Hate the side effects of retro ejaculation and low sex drive. Would like to hear opinions. Is Alfuzosin better with regards to my issues? Thanks.
owen35669 william59988
Posted
Was for me. And decidedly so. Why not ask for an alfuzosin scrip and try it out? My doc switched me that way some years ago -- but only after I spoke up. It was as if alfuzosin did not exist in his world prior to my saying something. I sometimes wonder whether docs get perks for pushing Flomax over a simpler (and I believe cheaper) alternative.
owen35669
Posted
Also, is it just me or do uros on the still sunny side of 50 tend not to focus on sexuality in older men? ? For them, it never occurs that men advancing into 50s and beyond will increasingly need every enhancement they can get, Flomax is the equivalent of two boat anchors dragging against an otherwise still-willing outboard engine. Not to mention the retro symptom that, for some men (and women), is unacceptable. Hey, nothing wrong with wanting the same perks as the younguns'.
owen35669 william59988
Posted
And one more thought: you mention "decent stream." My context in all of my replies is on the assumption, for me, that a prompt and "decent" stream is subject to compromise.
Even with alfuzosin, I rise in the night with a tight urethra. i.e. Takes several minutes to pee a few ounces in the middle of the night. Not so in the daytime however. Daytime stream is acceptable -- but maybe short of your "decent". An OK stream and reasonably prompt on demand is fine for me.
So short of surgery I have given up on the concept of "decent stream". I strive to relax when voiding, but I have to wait for gravity to finish the job. AND SUPREMELY INTERESTINGLY, I have found that momentary sexual thoughts seem to send a message down there that enhances the relaxation. Another of the great mysteries, perhaps, of BPH. Bladder empty, I put away the naughty thought and go back to bed.
So...either acceptance of partial victory -- or join the chorus of so many here who seem to have mixed and often disappointing results with surgery and other invasive techniques.
Good luck to you in a solution to your situation. You are far from alone.
tom86211 owen35669
Posted
The symptoms you describe are not normally associated with alfuzosin, but it's possible that there is some reaction to another med you are taking. You need to speak with your doc or pharmacist about this. Be very careful about dehydration. If you aren't getting enough water you can experience many symptoms that mimic other ailments - just reading a book about this. My mother in law got dehydrated and ended up passing out and had to go to the hospital. Now she is drinking more water and doing fine. Some on this forum recommend not drinking liquid for several hours before bed to help them sleep, but this can be overdone. Have you tried Gatorade or something similar? This type of sport drink provides much needed electrolytes and lack of electrolytes can be an issue as well. I am now supplementing my water intake with some Gatorade (calorie free) and am sleeping better.
owen35669 tom86211
Posted
Re: dehydration. Sage advice. I retired in September and 3 weeks later felt muscle pain and fatigue all over. Thought to myself: "Well, this is it. I'm dying after retirement as so many do." Turns out my fluid intake had plunged after leaving the job. Water brought me back to life. Though, unfortunately, I can't stand the taste of Gatorade. Skim milk is a favorite and it will have to do for now.
gene97713 owen35669
Posted
Unlikely it's alfuzosin. BTW it's the same alpha-blocker as flomax, just a more recent one, that acts selectively on the muscles of the prostate capsule and bladder neck muscles. I take almost 10 years without side effects. Switch to mornings. Most likely it's melatonin or other drug that you use.
owen35669 gene97713
Posted
Thanks. I'll have to experiment with a diary going forward. Though I did discover an important alert re alfuzosin: To be taken with food for maximum absorption. . I have moved it up several hours. Had been taking at bedtime. I guess I'll have to go trial and error on the thirst issue.
rdemyan owen35669
Posted
Owen:
Do a google search on "uroxatral fda". You should see an entry from accessdata.fda.gov. It's a pdf document. On page 2 there is a chart that shows the plasma concentration of uroxtral (alfuzosin) as a function of the time after you take the pill both under "fed" and "fasted" conditions. You are right that you need to take alfuzosin immediately after a meal. However, taking it in the morning will not be as effective for nighttime issues. The max plasma concentration according to Figure 1 is 8 to around 10 or 11 hours after the pill is taken under "fed" conditions.
If you have trouble finding the document, message me and I'll give you the exact link.
owen35669 rdemyan
Posted
Thank you redm. Have often thought of the effective half-life of alfuzosin and am familiar with the detail you post. But then it seems one standard dose is not really enough to carry one for 24 hrs. My uro described a dosage at bedtime for frequency in the night. I guess he wasn't addressing daytime as an issue. And I recently switched from taking just before bed with NO food (my error all this time) to a dosage at 6 or so each evening WITH food. So far, a significant overall improvement in the overall nighttime experience.
dan25410 owen35669
Posted
Same here on dry mouth. Take a little sip and gargle to wet throat without taking in too much water
gene97713 owen35669
Posted
The information about the half-life of Alfuzosin ER (extended release) which is usually prescribed to BPH sufferers, is 10 hrs., which means that after 10 hrs about a half of the concentration is still present in blood, and in 24 hours, the concentration will be still around 20%. many patients from this forum asked their docs to prescribe them two daily doses of 10 mg. Works for many, who don't suffer mysterious side effects. Food increases the efficiency by 50%. There scientific reasons for that. Too complicated. Taking with food is mandatory. Practically worthless without food taken concurrently. Take 3-4 hours to start feeling it. My personal maximum effect is in 10 hrs after taking it.
dan25410 gene97713
Posted
Does this half-life period, and taking with food, also apply to Tamsulosin (Flowmax)?