Tamulosin and Finasteride
Posted , 14 users are following.
Been taking these two drugs for some time. I am 79 and don't have any problems with the prostate as far as I know and often feel I no longer need to continue to take these drugs which must have side effects. Some years back I had all the usual tests and psa was up a bit to 6.5 and the urologist put me on these two drugs. They shrink the prostate, and I think mine is very reduced now. My last psa test a couple of years ago set it at 3 little or no semen is produced from sex! During the day I can do for hours without a need for a pee but at night I am usually up at 3am in the morning to the toilet. I have a good stream and no urgency otherwise. Are there men of my age who survive without these drugs?
0 likes, 18 replies
breeze61 Guest
Posted
Hi david,
Before my HoLEP procedure in April this year I had been taking both types of pills either on their own or both together. The dutasteride, the shrinker is quite effective and in the early days I would only take it until it had shrunk my prostate sufficient for me to pee well and not have retention over night. Them some many months later, in the early days, I would start up on the dutasteride again until prostate shrunk again, and so on. in some 13 years I probably only used the dutasteride for lest than 2 years total because its a powerful drug and no one realy knows what long term damage both pills can do.
See your doctor,but it didn't do me any long term harm stopping and starting the dutasteride. I did the same with the tamsulosin in the early days but in the last 5 years took it full time.
I'm not a doctor but my psa was 4 before my op and my consultant was worried about that but I've read that if you are in your 70's a psa of under ten is normal. I'm not an expert on these thing so I expect others will reply to you soon.
I think you can survive for some time without the drugs but eventually the p problem will return, unless its possible for the prostate to shrink on its own after a certain age.
hank1953 Guest
Posted
I've read that after taking both alpha blockers (tamsulosin) and finasteride for 6 months or more, one might be able to stop the alpha blocker, still with almost the same benefits as taking both. You can try to stop tamsulosin. Hank
Pepasan Guest
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I've been on both of these, but at separate times. I believe Tamsulosin opens the bladder neck and urethra, is immediate, and can also be stopped as an experiment - if it was doing any good, you'd soon know it as you would get symptoms returning, of slower flow. Finasteride takes months to have full effect and it shrinks the prostate. I'm presuming it would therefore take a while for the prostate to enlarge again, but I believe it surely would.
Tamsulosin gave me postural hypotension (dizziness on sudden standing up) as well as retrograde ejaculation. My urologist warned me that Finasteride would lower both desire and potency, but I haven't noticed much difference. My sex drive isn't strong, but I can maintain erections and now have normal, though not voluminous ejaculations. I've taken it for nearly six months now. I guess it depends on your individual condition. Have you had scans etc?
breeze61 Pepasan
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I had the dizzeness too, quite badly about 3 years ago. At that time it puzzled my doctor and myself but cleared up some 2 week later. It was pretty bad and it could have been dangerous if driving a car. I wasn't on this site at the time so although I had read about the dizzyness with the pills I was taking, it didnt occur to me that the tamsulosin was probably the cause, of course one nevers knows, but I do now suspect it was.
dcooperxyz Guest
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craig84609 dcooperxyz
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hank1953 dcooperxyz
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dcooperxyz hank1953
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Alfuzusin
hank1953 dcooperxyz
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lee56659 Guest
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If you haven't already, I recommend you ask your doctor about stopping one or both of these drugs. (It's always good to get an opinion from a medical professional in addition to random strangers on the internet!) He may recommend that you taper off rather than stopping "cold turkey." As someone else noted, if you stop tamulosin (the alpha blocker), you will likely notice within a week whether it was working or not. Good luck!
Ronk25 Guest
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David, I am 74 and I take both Tamsulosin and Dutasteride daily for many years - doing quite well with them - but I wish I didn't have to take them. As you stated, I'm sure there must be some side effects that are not obvious. However, if I miss a dose - I can tell the difference that same or the next day - I have to go more frequently - more urgently and the stream slows down. So, in my case, I know I cannot get off them unless I have one of the procedures done. But, reading all of these horror stories makes me reluctant to have any of them done. I was scheduled for REZUM to be done - next week - but cancelled - sounded too risky to me. Grandpa always said if it ain't broke don't fix it.
breeze61 Ronk25
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alanatcroydon Guest
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breeze61 alanatcroydon
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Guest breeze61
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I haven't gone absent still here! What can you tell me?
breeze61 Guest
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