need advice

[Bigern]

I have been taking tamsulosin quite few years, but it’s stop working .

Struggling because I can’t take a lot of other prescription medication for enlarge prostate . Was on combodart until 2013 . It caused me to faint several times, so was then prescribed current medication Tamsulosin . Which did work but has stopped working.

Another question does anyone notice a difference when the are given the cheaper generic brands ?

[fredwgarfield]

I had been taking Flomax for the past 3-4 years for prostate issues…and was doing okay on it until May this year,  started Lightheaded, dizzies, near syncope,, bruising all over body for no known reason… I thought I had leukemia… bleeding gums, petechiae.. no palpitations, no CP.  did start having SOB with short walks.  When COVID started, I bought a pulse ox.. would monitor that for asthma.  My pulse ox was in upper 80s intitially.. I thought perhaps I was deconditioned from being stuck indoors for the past two years 2nd asthma and COVID not mixing well.  I noticed that my heart rate would be 30-40s and jump to 120s within a minute and then drop back down.. started walking exercise and did improve a bit albeit I would have to sit down after very short walks.   I have been hospitalized twice since mid July… about two weeks total now…During first admit, ER doc saw me and found my platelet count was 3.. and that I was in bigeminy.  Saw hematologist, bone marrow bx negative and diagnosed with ITP.  Cardiology would not review documentation I had on iPhone and gave me a sense that they thought I didn’t know what I was talking about and they just wanted to wait it out.  Now they didn’t know that I used to assist in putting in pacemakers and AICDs in NYC and evaluated patients for need of device.  It was annoying that cardiology didn’t seem interested.  They rarely did rounds on me and when there, they spent most of their 30 seconds on their phone.   Hematology was much better and did take an active interest in helping me.  I started high dose Dexamethasone and got platelets as high as 97… didn’t last….sent home after 1 week.  I was readmitted in early August having had progressive near syncopal episodes over past 2 weeks... And had two near syncopal episodes crossing the streets while walking from home to get platelet count rechecked at hospital. I went to cafeteria to get hummus sandwich and passed out near the cold sandwich area..no warning.. next thing I remember were two people standing over me… me on the floor,  platelet count from outpt blood draw was 14.. crisis intervention team called.. taken to ER.  CT head they initially thought was positive for bleed.  Then turned out to be artifact… thank goodness since platelets were down to 14… Subsequently, I was readmitted back to telemetry.  I took a shower (albeit they initially didn’t want me too) in hospital and nearly passed out while grooming at the sink… they hadn’t put the telemetry back on me so missed the documentation of what what happening. Next day, I took another shower… they were prepared this time and put telemetry back on me after getting out of shower.  Stood at the sink again grooming and got over a minutes worth of documentation..  Initially started as SVT and progressed to wide complex tachycardia.  During this admission,  Heart rate dropped to 28.. I felt that! Finally, I got an electrophysiologist to actually SIT down with me and actually LISTEN to me and see my documentation from home. And compare it with in-house documentation… I told him I thought I had tachy Brady syndrome and he totally agreed and said I hit the nail on top of the head.  I had worn a zio cardiac device for two weeks between the two hospitalizations and got results back during 2nd admission and had 8 VT episodes.. longest one was about 2 minutes.. totally asymptomatic. .. along with the Bradycardia and tachycardia.. Was put on schedule for pacer/icd implant the following day after the EP doc saw me. All complications of taking Flomax .  Obviously I am no longer on Flomax… still peeing ok.. surprisingly… hope it lasts. For the past few weeks I am feeling my normal self and happy.  Pacer/ICD seems to be working just fine.  Last platelet count was 124, going up without steroid therapy… I have another blood check in February. 

My suggestion just get off the Flomax.. I have been peeing okay since July…I just keep hydrated.

I did some research and found there are roughly 1500 other men in the USA who have had similar events such as I had from taking Flomax.

[beardy_chris]

I've been on Tamsulosin for some time. There are surgical alternatives - some minimally invasive, some more significant. I had a HoLEP which was mostly successful but 5 years later, I'm back on Tamsulosin - though I'm not convinced it makes much difference.

Explore the alternatives and possibilities with your Urologist