Dr. Saltiel received his Pharm.D. from the University of California, San Francisco, in 1980, following undergraduate work at UCLA. At UCSF, he was the recipient of the Outstanding Service Award and the Bowl of Hygeia Award. He completed a residency in clinical pharmacy practice at the University of Illinois, in Chicago.
Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
DRUG CLASS AND MECHANISM: Alfuzosin belongs to a class of drugs called alpha-blockers. It is used for increasing the flow of urine that is reduced by benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Alpha blockers relax the muscles in the prostate gland and the neck of the bladder. This allows the urethra (the tube that conducts urine out of the bladder) to open wider so that urine flows more easily. Other medicines in this class include terazosin (Hytrin), prazosin (Minipress), doxazosin (Cardura), and tamsulosin (Flomax).
GENERIC: No
PRESCRIPTION: Yes
PREPARATIONS: Extended release tablet, 10 mg.
STORAGE: Alfuzosin should be stored at room temperature, between 15 and 30°C (59-86°F). This medicine - as well as all others - should be kept out of the reach of children.
PRESCRIBED FOR: Alfuzosin is used in adult men to treat slow urination in BPH. Most men experience an improvement in urination in 2 to 3 weeks.
DOSING: Alfuzosin is taken once daily, immediately after the same meal each day.
DRUG INTERACTIONS: No drug interactions have yet been reported with alfuzosin.
PREGNANCY: Alfuzosin is not used among women; however, studies in animals have shown no evidence of fetal toxicity, even with exceedingly high doses of alfuzosin.
NURSING MOTHERS: Alfuzosin is not used among women.
SIDE EFFECTS: The most common side effects with alfuzosin are dizziness, headache, and tiredness, each occurring in fewer than 1 per every 15 patients. As with other alpha blockers, postural hypotension--decreasing blood pressure upon standing, with or without dizziness--may develop within a few hours following ingestion of alfuzosin.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH or enlarged prostate) is very common in men over 50 years of age. This noncancerous enlargement of the prostate can impede urine flow, slow the flow of urine, create the urge to urinate frequently and cause other symptoms like complete blockage of urine and urinary tract infections. Treatment may involve watchful waiting, medication, or surgery.
The prostate is a small organ about the size of a walnut. It lies
below the bladder (where urine is stored) and surrounds the urethra (the tube that
carries urine from the bladder). The prostate makes a fluid that helps to nourish sperm as part of the semen (ejaculatory fluid).
Prostate problems are common in men 50 and older. Most can be
treated successfully without harming sexual function. A urologist is a specialist in
diseases of the urinary system, including diagnosing and treating problems of the prostate
gland.
How does the doctor detect prostate enlargement?
A doctor usually can detect an enlarged prostate by rectal exam.
The doctor also may examine the urethra, prostate, and bladder using a cytoscope, an
instrument that is inserted through the penis.
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