Tamsulosin, sold under the brand name Flomax among others, is a

medication Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to medical diagnosis, diagnose, cure, treat, or preventive medicine, prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmaco ...

used to treat symptomatic

benign prostatic hyperplasia Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also called prostate enlargement, is a noncancerous increase in size of the prostate gland. Symptoms may include frequent urination, trouble starting to urinate, weak stream, urinary retention, inability t ...

and chronic prostatitis in men. It is also used to help with the passage of

kidney stones Kidney stone disease (known as nephrolithiasis, renal calculus disease, or urolithiasis) is a crystallopathy and occurs when there are too many minerals in the urine and not enough liquid or hydration. This imbalance causes tiny pieces of cr ...

. The evidence for benefit with a kidney stone is better when the stone is larger. Tamsulosin is taken

by mouth Oral administration is a route of administration whereby a substance is taken through the Human mouth, mouth, swallowed, and then processed via the digestive system. This is a common route of administration for many medications. Oral administ ...

. Common side effects include

dizziness Dizziness is an imprecise term that can refer to a sense of disorientation in space, vertigo, or lightheadedness. It can also refer to Balance disorder, disequilibrium or a non-specific feeling, such as giddiness or foolishness. Dizziness is a ...

headache A headache, also known as cephalalgia, is the symptom of pain in the face, head, or neck. It can occur as a migraine, tension-type headache, or cluster headache. There is an increased risk of Depression (mood), depression in those with severe ...

insomnia Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder where people have difficulty sleeping. They may have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep for as long as desired. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low ene ...

nausea Nausea is a diffuse sensation of unease and discomfort, sometimes perceived as an urge to vomit. It can be a debilitating symptom if prolonged and has been described as placing discomfort on the chest, abdomen, or back of the throat. Over 30 d ...

blurry vision Blurred vision is an ocular symptom where vision becomes less precise and there is added difficulty to resolve fine details. Temporary blurred vision may involve dry eyes, eye infections, alcohol poisoning, hypoglycemia, or low blood pressure ...

, and sexual problems. Other side effects may include feeling lightheaded with standing due to changes in blood pressure, and

angioedema Angioedema is an area of swelling (edema) of the lower layer of skin and tissue just under the skin or mucous membranes. The swelling may occur in the face, tongue, larynx, abdomen, or arms and legs. Often it is associated with hives, which are ...

. Tamsulosin is an

alpha blocker Alpha blockers, also known as α-blockers or α-adrenoreceptor antagonists, are a class of pharmacological agents that act as antagonists on α-adrenergic receptors ( α-adrenoceptors). Historically, alpha-blockers were used as a tool for p ...

and works by relaxing muscles in the prostate. Specifically it is an α₁-adrenergic receptor blocker. Tamsulosin was approved for medical use in the United States in 1997. It is available as a

generic medication A generic drug is a pharmaceutical drug that contains the same chemical substance as a drug that was originally protected by chemical patents. Generic drugs are allowed for sale after the patents on the original drugs expire. Because the active ch ...

. In 2022, it was the twentieth most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 25million prescriptions.

Medical uses

Tamsulosin is used for

and to help with the passage of

kidney stone Kidney stone disease (known as nephrolithiasis, renal calculus disease, or urolithiasis) is a crystallopathy and occurs when there are too many minerals in the urine and not enough liquid or hydration. This imbalance causes tiny pieces of cr ...

s. Tamsulosin, however, appears to be effective only for stones over 4 mm and less than 10 mm in size. Tamsulosin is also used as an add-on treatment for acute urinary retention. Men may void more successfully after catheter removal if they are taking tamsulosin, and are less likely to need repeat catheterization. Tamsulosin does not decrease the overall size of the prostate in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia and is not recommended for the prevention of

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...

Combination therapy

The results of the CombAT (combination of

dutasteride Dutasteride, sold under the brand name Avodart among others, is a medication primarily used to treat the symptoms of a benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), an enlarged prostate not associated with cancer. A few months may be required before bene ...

(Avodart) and tamsulosin (Duodart)) trial in 2008, demonstrated that treatment with the combination of dutasteride and tamsulosin provides greater symptom benefits compared to monotherapy with either agent alone for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. The combination medication dutasteride/tamsulosin (Jalyn) was approved by the US

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...

(FDA) in June 2010.

Adverse effects

* Eyes: People taking tamsulosin are prone to a complication known as floppy iris syndrome during

cataract surgery Cataract surgery, also called lens replacement surgery, is the removal of the natural lens (anatomy), lens of the human eye, eye that has developed a cataract, an opaque or cloudy area. The eye's natural lens is usually replaced with an artific ...

. Adverse outcomes of the surgery are greatly reduced by the surgeon's prior knowledge of the person's history with this drug, and thus having the option of alternative techniques. * Severe

hypotension Hypotension, also known as low blood pressure, is a cardiovascular condition characterized by abnormally reduced blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood and is ...

. * Alpha-blockers, including

prazosin Prazosin, sold under the brand name Minipress among others, is a medication used to treat high blood pressure, symptoms of an enlarged prostate, and nightmares related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is an α1 blocker. It is a les ...

terazosin Terazosin, sold under the brand name Hytrin among others, is a medication used to treat symptoms of an enlarged prostate and high blood pressure. For high blood pressure, it is a less preferred option. It is taken by mouth. Common side effec ...

doxazosin Doxazosin, sold under the brand name Cardura among others, is a medication used to treat symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate), hypertension (high blood pressure), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For high bloo ...

, or tamsulosin, do not appear to affect all-cause mortality in

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome caused by an impairment in the heart's ability to Cardiac cycle, fill with and pump blood. Although symptoms vary based on which side of the heart is affected, HF ...

rehospitalization in those also receiving β-blockers. * Tamsulosin can also cause

retrograde ejaculation Retrograde ejaculation occurs when semen which would be ejaculated via the urethra is redirected to the urinary bladder. Normally, the sphincter of the bladder contracts before ejaculation, inhibiting urination and preventing a reflux of semen ...

, which occurs when semen is redirected to the urinary bladder instead of being ejaculated normally. This is because tamsulosin relaxes the muscles of the

urethral sphincters The urethral sphincters are two muscles used to control the exit of urine in the urinary bladder through the urethra. The two muscles are either the male or female external urethral sphincter and the internal urethral sphincter. When either of t ...

, which are normally closed during ejaculation.

Mechanism

Tamsulosin is a selective α₁ receptor

antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.α_1A receptor in the prostate versus the α_1B receptor in the blood vessels. When alpha 1 receptors in the bladder neck, prostate, ureter, and urethra are blocked, a relaxation in smooth muscle tissue results. This mechanism decreases resistance to urinary flow, reduces discomfort associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia, and facilitates passage of

Brand names

Tamsulosin was first sold in 1997 under the brand name Flomax. The US patent expired in October 2009. The US

(FDA) approved generic versions in March 2010. It is sold by various companies, including

Boehringer Ingelheim C.H. Boehringer Sohn AG & Co. is the parent company of the Boehringer Ingelheim group, which was founded in 1885 by Albert Boehringer (1861–1939) in Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany. As of 2018, Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world's List of la ...

and CSL. Tamsulosin hydrochloride extended-release capsules are sold under the brand names Urimax 0.4 (India),Tamlocept 0.4 (India), Flomax, Flomaxtra, Contiflo XL, bestflo, Mecir LP (France), Urimax, Pamsvax, and Pradif, although generic, unmodified-release capsules are still approved and sold in many countries (such as Canada). Generic extended-release tablets are sold in most countries of the

European Economic Area The European Economic Area (EEA) was established via the ''Agreement on the European Economic Area'', an international agreement which enables the extension of the European Union's single market to member states of the European Free Trade Asso ...

(EEA). In Mexico, it is sold as Secotex, as Harnal D in Japan and Indonesia, and as Harnal OCAS (oral controlled absorption system) in Thailand. In Egypt, Italy, Russia and Iceland, it is sold under the brand name Omnic by Astellas Pharma Europe. Tamsulosin hydrochloride is sold in Bangladesh under the brand names Uromax, Prostanil MR, Tamisol MR, and Tamsin. It is available to patients in the UK on

National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...

prescription (prescribed without brand name, at nominal or no cost to patients), and in 2010 became available for

over-the-counter Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines sold directly to a consumer without a requirement for a prescription from a healthcare professional, as opposed to prescription drugs, which may be supplied only to consumers possessing a valid pres ...

purchase without prescription.

References

{{Authority control Alpha-1 blockers Astellas Pharma Phenol ethers Prostate disorders Substituted amphetamines Sulfonamides Wikipedia medicine articles ready to translate