Posted , 11 users are following.
I used Tamsulosin many years ago, but could not tolerate the side effects: major nasal congestion 24/7. Now that there's a generic for daily Cialis, I'm considering giving it a try.
Is anyone using daily Cialis instead of Tamsulosin? Would love to hear your experiences.
Rich
0 likes, 27 replies
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Pro1 richp21
Posted
As you probably know, they are very different treatments. Both generic avodart and generic finasteride/cialis will affect different people in different ways. Finasteride might be cheaper in some drug plans. And they both have their own side effects.
As for the tamsulosin side effects, there are other similar drugs that some say work a little better, or are a little more targeted (and therefore might cause lessened side effects). Last I checked , at least one of the alternatives is more expensive even as a generic (at least in my drug plan), but you should at least inquire.
From healthline:
Flomax isn’t the only alpha blocker available to treat BPH. Some men may be able to take another alpha blocker. Doctors also prescribe four other drugs in this class to treat the symptoms of BPH:
alfuzosin (Uroxatral)
doxazosin (Cardura)
silodosin (Rapaflo)
terazosin (Hytrin)
These alpha blockers can interact with many of the same medicines that Flomax does. These medicines include high blood pressure and erectile dysfunction drugs. These drugs also have side effects and risks.
Some of the side effects common to alpha blockers include:
dizziness, especially when standing too quickly
nausea
headache
fatigue
trouble breathing or shortness of breath
sore throat
nasal congestion or frequent sneezing
Each of these medications also has unique side effects, so if you take one and find the side effects bothersome, talk to your doctor about trying another type of alpha blocker.
richp21 Pro1
Posted
Hi Pro1,
Thanks for your reply. Need a little clarification: were you saying that finasteride/cialis are the same type of drug? I didn't think so, but maybe I misunderstood your post.
Rich
uncklefester richp21
Edited
Hey Rich,
I've been taking daily cialis for a few years. I give me some nasal congestion, and I think has affected my eye sight just a bit. As far as peeing goes, I have very good flow for a guy with a 125 gr prostate. As an aside, it doesn't help with erections much. I think the large prostate doesn't help though.
Its fairly cheap now, so if I was in your shoes I'd give it a go (obviously I did)
richp21 uncklefester
Posted
Hi Unc,
Thanks for your reply. The second paragraph got chopped off, so I don't know what the rest of it says. This happens when you put spaces or indent before you type the first character. This is a problem that the forum had two years ago, and I guess they haven't fixed it!
What size dose do you take and how often?
Rich
uncklefester richp21
Posted
hi rich
last paragraph was just its reasonably cheap, give it a try. I take 5mg once a day. if you have real problems peeing going from flomax to cialis you see a drop in flow rate for a few days.
TKM richp21
Edited
Richp21,
When a paragraph gets cut off by the forum you can drag your cursor over the text while holding down the left mouse button. It copies the text on the page and all the text off the page. You can then paste it into a word processor like MSWord or Notepad.
Unclefestor's post was supposed to say "Its fairly cheap now, so if I was in your shoes I'd give it a go (obviously I did)"
Thomas
richp21 uncklefester
Posted
I tried a 5 mg pill. Improved flow dramatically, but side effects: intense pressure in my head for many hours. No nasal congestion at all. I'll givbe my body a few days off and then try 1/2 pill.
richp21 TKM
Posted
Great tip. Thanks.
Rich
barney34567 richp21
Posted
Hi,
Tamsulosin and cialis are different classes of drugs prescribed for, amongst other things, BPH.
Pro is right about side effects: if a drug does the job it is meant to but has nasty side effects, then ask your Dr to swap you to another drug. Different folk can respond differently to the same drug.
richp21 barney34567
Posted
Thanks.
allen37701 richp21
Posted
i was on flowmax but wasnt working so was put on cialis/ tadlafil have been on it for about 6 weeks not sure if its working as it should for bph still slowish flow then other times faster
anyone know how long it should take to sta rt working ?
richp21 allen37701
Posted
Allen,
I just started taking Cialis a few days ago, and it worked immediately and unmistakably. I don't know if that's how it is supposed to work. I also used tamsulosin a few years ago, and it also worked quite quickly ... 2 or 3 days after starting I think.
I'm not an expert on this, but if flowmax and cialis have not been working for you, it's possible that your symptoms are being caused by something other (or in addition to) an enlarged prostate. A few years ago on this forum, there was a very knowledgeable poster (JimJames) who reviewed some diagnostic tests and the possible results to see if there is a bladder issue that is contributing to symptoms. I saved that post and I'm happy to repost here or send to you in a private message.
Rich
allen37701 richp21
Posted
hi rich
thanks for the reply ok so bothe meds worked pretty much straight away for you thats great whish i could say the same i did think the flomax was kinda working but when i did the ultrasound test showed alot of urine still remaining so my urolgist put me on cialis so 6 weels later not much of an improvment he said to do another ulrasound in 6 months then come back to c him for results he said if not working then ehabe to have procedure he mention rezum but said maybe my prostate is too large for that and said turp is the gold standard i definely do not want turp so not sure what to do its a worry as most guys im nervous about any procedure down below
i have had blood tests and utrasound etc so he said its the enlarged prostate thats the problem
but if u would like to send me the info on the other forum member posted that would be great
thanks
richp21 allen37701
Posted
Hi Allen,
I share your reluctance re: Turp, Rezum, and other invasive procedures. I would strongly advise being sure of the diagnosis before deciding on any treatment.
Questions:
What blood test did you have that indicated you have an enlarged prostate.?
What size did the ultrasound say your prostate is?
Have you had an MRI of the prostate, or any other diagnostic procedures? I will post the ones that I have heard of in a separate reply.
And important to remember: although you may have an enlarged prostate, since you are not being helped by tamsulosin or cialis, there may be other issues involved such as the bladder. I will post the info from JJ in a separate reply.
Rich
richp21 allen37701
Posted
Allen, here are my notes from posts from a few years ago:
From JJ:
**Usefulness of diagnostic tests to see if other factors are involved in addition to obstruction from BPH. To determine whether another procedure would help.
**
PVR (Post Void Residual)
.
Flow rate
.
Urine output tracking
If it turns out that more than 40% of your void volume is at night, then you have nocturia polyuria. If that's thecase, a prostate reduction surgery or procedure may not help you.
.
Urocuff (Don't remember what this test is for)
.
Urodynamic Test - Video urodynamics
What you want to find out is how well your bladder is functioning. They will measure both bladder pressure as well as the integrity of the nerves that serve the bladder.
There will be three general outcomes which will help dictate a treatment approach.
If you end up with "3" then a prostate reduction surgery or procedure will be limited in results. Same thing if your nerves aren't firing correctly. Also, most uro's have portable bladder scanners in the office and can quickly compute your PVR. The bladder/kidney scan isn't really necessary for PVR but useful for other things including checking on the health of your kidneys.
If your regular uro hasn't suggested it, then maybe the wrong person to do it with. So I would try for a center that does video urodynamics, not just for more information, but because it shows a commitment to the procedure.
Lastly, I was given a prophylactic antibiotic at the time of the procedure. I would ask in advance about this. I think it's a good idea.
From JD (a urologist)
Usually I would obtain a history and physical, including a digital record examination. I will then check a post-void residual or ultrasound, and a flow rate, which are both non-invasive tests.
Rich
allen37701 richp21
Posted
hi rich
ive have decided to stop the cailis have been off it for 5 days and symtoms are alot better off the medication so i am going to stay off them and see what happens i can till pee fine bit slow but not too bothersome im going to try saw pallemetto capsuls 1 a day and see if theres a difference
i never liked the 2 medications i was on i feel much better in myself not taking them
not sure what my urologist will say when i tell him in 6 months
i have to go for a ultrasound bladder check a week before i see him to see how im emptying
richp21 allen37701
Posted
Interesting. Maybe you have a flow rate test done at the same time. It's real quick and non-invasive.