alfuzosin

Generic Name: alfuzosin (al FUE zoe sin)Brand Names: Uroxatral

What is alfuzosin?

Alfuzosin is in a group of drugs called alpha-adrenergic blockers. Alfuzosin helps relax the muscles in the prostate and bladder neck, making it easier to urinate.

Alfuzosin is used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate).

Alfuzosin may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about alfuzosin?

Do not use alfuzosin if you have severe liver disease, or if you are also using ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), or ritonavir (Norvir). Alfuzosin can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert. Stop using alfuzosin and call your doctor at once if you have new or worsening chest pain, or if you feel light-headed.

Alfuzosin can affect the pupils of your eyes during cataract surgery. If you have cataract surgery during your treatment with alfuzosin, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are taking this medication. Do not stop using alfuzosin before surgery unless your surgeon tells you to.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking alfuzosin?

You should not use alfuzosin if you have:

• severe liver disease; or

• if you are also using an antifungal medication such as ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), or ritonavir (Norvir).

If you have any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take alfuzosin:

• prostate cancer;

• liver disease;
• kidney disease;

• a personal or family history of Long QT syndrome;

• angina (chest pain);

• coronary artery disease (such as arteriosclerosis);

• low blood pressure;

• a history of an allergic reaction to alfuzosin;

• if you are taking another alpha-blocker such as terazosin (Hytrin), prazosin (Minipress), doxazosin (Cardura), or guanadrel (Hylorel) for high blood pressure or prostate problems;

• if you are taking certain medicines to treat HIV or AIDS.

FDA pregnancy category B. Although alfuzosin is not for use in women, this medication is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. If you are a woman using this medication, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether alfuzosin passes into breast milk, or if it could harm a nursing baby. If you are a woman using this medication, do not take alfuzosin without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take alfuzosin?

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Take each dose with a full glass of water. Alfuzosin should be taken just after eating food. Take alfuzosin after the same meal each day. Do not take it on an empty stomach. Do not crush, chew, or break an extended-release tablet. Swallow the pill whole. It is specially made to release medicine slowly in the body. Breaking or crushing the pill would cause too much of the drug to be released at one time.

It is important to use alfuzosin regularly to get the most benefit. Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely.

To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. Do not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

Alfuzosin can affect the pupils of your eyes during cataract surgery. If you have cataract surgery during your treatment with alfuzosin, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are taking this medication. Do not stop using alfuzosin before surgery unless your surgeon tells you to.

Store alfuzosin at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.

See also: Alfuzosin dosage in more detail

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include weakness, dizziness, a fast but weak pulse, cold or clammy skin, and feeling light-headed or fainting.

What should I avoid while taking alfuzosin?

Alfuzosin can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy. Get up slowly and steady yourself to prevent a fall.

Alfuzosin side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Stop using alfuzosin and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• new or worsening chest pain;

• nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);

• feeling like you might pass out; or

• penis erection that is painful or lasts 4 hours or longer.

Less serious side effects may include:

• dizziness or drowsiness;

• headache, tired feeling;

• warmth, redness, or tingly feeling under your skin;

• mild stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation; or

• sore throat, cough, runny or stuffy nose.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Alfuzosin Dosing Information

Usual Adult Dose for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia:

10 mg orally once a day immediately after the same meal each day.

What other drugs will affect alfuzosin?

Before taking alfuzosin, tell your doctor if you are taking any other medications to treat high blood pressure or prostate problems.

Tell your doctor about all other medications you use, especially:

• atenolol (Tenormin);

• cimetidine (Tagamet);

• conivaptan (Vaprisol);

• diclofenac (Arthrotec, Cataflam, Voltaren, Flector Patch, Solareze);

• diltiazem (Cardizem CD, Cartia XT, Tiazac);

• enoxacin (Penetrex);

• imatinib (Gleevec);

• isoniazid (for treating tuberculosis);

• an antidepressant such as nefazodone;

• an antibiotic such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), dalfopristin/quinupristin (Synercid), erythromycin (E.E.S., EryPed, Ery-Tab, Erythrocin), or telithromycin (Ketek);

• an antifungal medication such as clotrimazole (Mycelex Troche) voriconazole (Vfend);

• a nitrate heart medication, such as nitroglycerin (Nitrostat, Nitrolingual, Nitro-Dur, Nitro-Bid, and others), isosorbide dinitrate (Dilatrate-SR, Isordil, Sorbitrate), or isosorbide mononitrate (Imdur, ISMO, Monoket);

• heart or blood pressure medication such as diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac), nicardipine (Cardene), quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex, Quin-Release), or verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan); or

• HIV/AIDS medicine such as amprenavir (Agenerase), atazanavir (Reyataz), delavirdine (Rescriptor), fosamprenavir (Lexiva), indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), or saquinavir (Invirase).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with alfuzosin. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about alfuzosin.

• Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
• Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2006 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 6.01. Revision Date: 06/11/2009 10:07:10 AM.