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What are the alternatives to using tamsulosin for BPH?

Posted , 7 users are following.

Guest
Guest

Hi,

I've been using this medication for several years now but also have had increasingly severe issues with lightheadedness, vertigo, and dizziness. This may well have nothing to do with the flomax, especially since I've recently been diagnosed (although a bit controversial I feel) with Meniere's disease. And many of my symptoms seem to be BPPV-related also, so quite frankly I don't know what's going on but certainly I can point to some lightheadedness going back to when  I started using flomax a few years ago. So, at one point my doctor described a surgical alternative to using meds, but I really don't recall much about it. I'm sure by now there are many such alternatives, and so that's why I'm here...to seek advice on what is out there that might allow me to stop using this medication. Thanks for any advice or thoughts. 

Regards,

Keith

0 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • oldbuzzard
    oldbuzzard Guest

    Posted

    There are other Alpha BLockers that might not have the side effects that Rapiflo does. Try Alfusozin - and there aer others.
  • philip1950
    philip1950 Guest

    Posted

    Hi Keith,

    had menieres and have used tamsulosin. Prescribed stematil for the menieres it works well. tamsulosin horrid stuff made me so ill i discontinued it. See your Gp there are other drugs available. Surgery can be out of the pan and in to the fire.

    Take care & best wishes.

    • Guest
      Guest philip1950

      Posted

      I find your use of past tense...."had menieres" to be interesting. What are you implying? That you actually had it but not anymore? Also thanks for the advice to try a different medicine. I am definitely going to review that with my urologist!  
    • philip1950
      philip1950 Guest

      Posted

      Sorry" have" menieres but it troubles me a lot less than when i first started to suffer with it. We think it was caused by physical damage when decending rapidly in a cable car on the jungfrau about 30 yrs ago.I\experienced extreme nausea dissyness vomiting  leaving me with dissyness on moving quickly even falling out of bed on occasion but 90% better now
  • derek76
    derek76 Guest

    Posted

    As suggested try Alfusozin and it has the great benefit of not affecting your eyes. Tamsulosin can cause floppy iris syndrome and make any cataract operation a problem.

    Do you check your BP? Tamsulosin brought my BP right down and put my heart rate up. 

    • Guest
      Guest derek76

      Posted

      Thanks so much for this advice!  I will definitely consult with my urologist regarding changing to a different medication. 
  • Carry-on_CMDR
    Carry-on_CMDR Guest

    Posted

    I had a severe dizziness problem when i tried tamsulosin, but a similar drug is Uroxatral (alfuzosin) which does not make me dizzy.  You may want to consut with your doctor whether that might be good for you.

    But I wouldn't jump into any surgical options, as there are alternative drugs, and you could also check whether CIC might give you enough relief for your BPH's effect on your baldder.

    And, you may also want to start reading up on the relatively new PAE procedure, which few urologists may favor since it is done by interventional radiologists, and not urologists.

    • oldbuzzard
      oldbuzzard Carry-on_CMDR

      Posted

      I might draw the line at self cathing, but you don't seem to need that at this point. Try saw palmetto and alfusozin and see if they work before anything else. From your description of symptoms, they might very well be enough.
    • Guest
      Guest Carry-on_CMDR

      Posted

      Thanks so much for this advice!  I will definitely consult with my urologist regarding changing to a different medication. 
    • cartoonman
      cartoonman oldbuzzard

      Posted

      ...and some of did not draw the line at self-cathing!  :-D  Self-cathing (for me, small learning curce, now second nature) bought me a year (Yes, I've cathed over 2,000 TIMES!!!  :-)  ) , time in which to learn about Urolift.  Since then (Dec 2015),  my life has adjusted to a "new normal" which involves regular pee sessions, but also a twice-daily cathing (when I can), to keep my permanently-stretched bladder from overloading.  It beats a cath bag anyday!  :-D

       

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