Daily Medication Pearl: Tamsulosin (Flomax)

Medication Pearl of the Day: Tamsulosin (Flomax)

Indication: Tamsulosin (Flomax) is an alpha1 adrenoceptor antagonist indicated for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Insight:

• Dosing: 0.4 mg once daily taken approximately one-half hour following the same meal each day.
• Dosage forms: Capsules 0.4 mg.
• Adverse events: The most common adverse events (≥2% of patients and at a higher incidence than placebo) with the 0.4 mg dose or 0.8 mg dose were headache, dizziness, rhinitis, infection, abnormal ejaculation, asthenia, back pain, diarrhea, pharyngitis, chest pain, cough increased, somnolence, nausea, sinusitis, insomnia, libido decreased, tooth disorder, and blurred vision.
• Mechanism of action: Tamsulosin, an alpha1 adrenoceptor blocking agent, exhibits selectivity for alpha1 receptors in the human prostate. At least 3 discrete alpha1 adrenoceptor subtypes have been identified: alpha1A, alpha1B, and alpha1D; their distribution differs between human organs and tissue. Approximately 70% of the alpha1 receptors in human prostate are of the alpha1A subtype.
• Manufacturer: Boehringer Ingelheim

Reference

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2009/020579s026lbl.pdf