Re: Re: help for nocturnal urgency (& Flomax)

[Guest guest]

Having taken Flomax and about half a dozen proprietary medicines for the same

reason over the past 6 or so years. I would reccomend looking out for any

micine containing 400 mcg of tamsulosin hydrochloride rahtther than rely on the

brand name. I assume the tamsulosin hydrochoride is the active ingredient in

all these medicines and hence the easiest way to check if your medicine has

thie possibility to interfere with eye surgery.

My brother takes something containing alfusosin. Does anyone know if this has

the same potential to interfere with eye surgery?

Thanx

Everard

In message <fmvbhv+j9feeGroups> ProstateCancerSupport

writes:

> For those of us that are older and reaching the age that there may be

> some worry about cataracts, a caution is in order about Flomax.

>

> There is a reason that you hear that " Warning " (very quickly) on the

> TV ads for Flomax about telling your eye doctor that you use Flomax

> (or have used it in the past) if you have cataracts and are

> considering cataract surgery. From:

>

> http://www.ascrs.org/press_releases/Medical-Societies-Issues-Advisory-

> to-Patients-Taking-Prostate-Medications.cfm

>

> " The iris, the part of the eye that gives it its color, opens and

> closes in response to varying light levels. Because the iris is

> located in front of the cataract, the pupil (opening in the iris)

> must be widely dilated in order to perform the surgery. A large pupil

> is obtained by using dilating drops that stimulate the iris dilator

> muscle. Chang and found that Flomax appears to block this

> iris muscle, leading to troublesome behavior of the iris during eye

> surgery. The iris tends to be floppy and the pupil may suddenly

> constrict during the middle of surgery. If the iris problems are not

> anticipated or prevented, there is an increased risk of having

> surgical complications. Interestingly, they still found IFIS in some

> patients who had been off the medication for two years. " Flomax does

> not affect vision or eye health, " Dr. Chang said. " But it impairs the

> dilator muscle in the iris, and during cataract surgery the pupil

> needs to stay dilated. "

>

> Following the publication of Chang and 's findings, and after

> receiving corroborative reports from other ophthalmologists, the U.S.

> Food and Drug Administration (FDA) instituted a new label warning for

> Flomax and other alpha-blocker drugs that reads: " The patient's

> ophthalmologist should be prepared for possible modifications to

> their surgical technique. " In 2005, frequent discussion among

> ophthalmic surgeons of problems posed by patients on Flomax resulted

> in the formation of an ASCRS task force, chaired by Dr. Chang,which

> developed recommendations for surgical techniques to be used during

> cataract surgery on patients taking Flomax or other alpha-blockers.

> The Academy will be including this information in its evidenced-based

> Preferred Practice Pattern® guide (PPPs) for cataract care. These

> PPP guides are followed by ophthalmologists worldwide. "

>

> and: (from one of the authors of a study about this problem.)

> " Flomax is an excellent prostate medication, and there is no need for

> patients to avoid it or stop taking it out of concern over eye

> problems. However, the key is for patients to inform their

> ophthalmologist when they are taking this or any other prostate drugs

> prior to eye surgery. This is not something that you would ordinarily

> think to tell your eye doctor. "

>

> Google Flomax cataracts for more.

>

> I know personally of one man that lost part of his vision as a result

> of this problem and having cataract surgery.

>

> Fuller

>

>

>

>

> >

> > Flomax is a member of the class of alpha inhibitor drugs that is

> used as a supplemental blood pressure management aid. Cardura (a

> brand name) is another example. I was in a clinical trial previous to

> my PRP surgery for almost two years for Silodosin, that promises to

> be a more selective BPH treatment. Silodosin is of the alpha blocker

> class. As far as I know, it has not been approved for general use.

> >

> > Because the blood pressure lowering effect of alpha blockers is

> relatively mild, these are not usually used by itself, but in

> conjunction with another class of blood pressure treatment drugs.

> >

> > Louis. . .

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

> My brother takes something containing alfusosin. Does anyone know if this has

> the same potential to interfere with eye surgery?

It's alfuzosin. Brand name Uroxatral.

See: http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/uroxatral_wcp.htm

There is a cautionary note re: Intraoperative Floppy Iris Syndrome.

Seems that the answer is 'yes, " but I'm no medic.

Regards,

Steve J