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Tamsulosin and PSA

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User
Posted 20 Mar 2016 at 17:42

Hello to any gents who have prostate cancer or are healing from treatment.

When talking about Tamsulosin my GP has twice now stated that it has an effect of lowering PSA.

However my urologist surgeon maintains that it does not.

I was wondering if any other gents have had similar conflicting information?

User
Posted 20 Mar 2016 at 17:42

Hello to any gents who have prostate cancer or are healing from treatment.

When talking about Tamsulosin my GP has twice now stated that it has an effect of lowering PSA.

However my urologist surgeon maintains that it does not.

I was wondering if any other gents have had similar conflicting information?

User
Posted 20 Mar 2016 at 21:13

Hi Beachy, I have been taking Tamsulosin since September 2014 and all it was supposed to do is help me with the frequent visits to the loo at night, I was going 9/10 times each night. After the first three months Nothing changed and I went back to GP whole gave some more and put me on Finesteride as well while at the same time sent me for a PSA test.

there may be someone on here that knows more about it and what it is supposed to do but I am sure it has nothing to do with PSA levels, I might be wrong but nothing has been told to me from my GP.

I would rather trust the urologist surgeon than a GP on this one.

Best wishes, Chris/Woody

Life seems different upside down, take another viewpoint

User
Posted 21 Mar 2016 at 17:17

Hello Beachy,

I too had contradictory advice on this. I believe the Urologist is correct and your GP is mistaken. As an example Clinical Advisor  

Tamsulosin is an alpha blocker and relaxes smooth muscles in the bladder neck and prostate.

(I believe the "50%" comment in post 3 is referring to 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, Finasteride and Dutasteride.)

Hope this helps.

 

Pierre

User
Posted 21 Mar 2016 at 18:15

Ah, sorry Beachy - Pierre makes a good point. I confused Alfuzosin and Tamsulosin :-#

Alfuzosin (Xatral) makes no difference to PSA

Tamsulosin (Flomax) reduces PSA in men that haven't got prostate cancer but has no effect on men with PCa

Finasteride (Proscar) and dutasteride (Avodart) reduce PSA by about 50%

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

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User
Posted 20 Mar 2016 at 21:13

Hi Beachy, I have been taking Tamsulosin since September 2014 and all it was supposed to do is help me with the frequent visits to the loo at night, I was going 9/10 times each night. After the first three months Nothing changed and I went back to GP whole gave some more and put me on Finesteride as well while at the same time sent me for a PSA test.

there may be someone on here that knows more about it and what it is supposed to do but I am sure it has nothing to do with PSA levels, I might be wrong but nothing has been told to me from my GP.

I would rather trust the urologist surgeon than a GP on this one.

Best wishes, Chris/Woody

Life seems different upside down, take another viewpoint

User
Posted 20 Mar 2016 at 23:10

Hi Beachy,
something was published about 4 years ago by I think the Royal Marsden saying that tamsulosin reduces PSA by about 50% - it is therefore important that GPs allow for this when deciding whether or not a man's PSA level is cause for concern. This is not to be confused with an idea that tamsulosin etc are good for controlling prostate cancer - more that they cause a false low.

So my understanding is that your GP is quite correct and I am surprised that the specialist is saying something different - perhaps there is some professional disagreement across the country or between disciplines?

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 21 Mar 2016 at 17:17

Hello Beachy,

I too had contradictory advice on this. I believe the Urologist is correct and your GP is mistaken. As an example Clinical Advisor  

Tamsulosin is an alpha blocker and relaxes smooth muscles in the bladder neck and prostate.

(I believe the "50%" comment in post 3 is referring to 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, Finasteride and Dutasteride.)

Hope this helps.

 

Pierre

User
Posted 21 Mar 2016 at 17:56

Hi Beachy,

This is taken from the drugs.com website

 

"No laboratory test interactions with Tamsulosin hydrochloride capsules are known. Treatment with Tamsulosin hydrochloride capsules for up to 12 months had no significant effect on prostate-specific antigen (PSA)."

 

Hope this helps

Tom

User
Posted 21 Mar 2016 at 18:15

Ah, sorry Beachy - Pierre makes a good point. I confused Alfuzosin and Tamsulosin :-#

Alfuzosin (Xatral) makes no difference to PSA

Tamsulosin (Flomax) reduces PSA in men that haven't got prostate cancer but has no effect on men with PCa

Finasteride (Proscar) and dutasteride (Avodart) reduce PSA by about 50%

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 22 Mar 2016 at 19:58

Thanks for the replies, I had concluded that it was the Urologist who was correct. I was interested to see that others had also received contradictory information.

It is unfortunate that misinformation is given out by the professionals, and pops up on forums. 

User
Posted 08 May 2018 at 18:13

I have ProstateCancer since 2010 . I am not having any treatment for my cancer because I have MND & POD Emphasyma I was taking Tamsulosin 1at night.. Now it has been changed to daytime. Since then My vision is being effected. So I looked up this drug on the web and found out a common side effect is blurred vision . So I will stop taking it as I drive a motorbility car . I Also read on this discussion it is supposed to lower PSA levels. In my case my PSA are high at present. Because of not having treatment for reasons stated . I am amazed I am still alive after being told I wouldn't live long. It goes to show the medical professionals can get it wrong.

User
Posted 31 Aug 2023 at 16:15
Hi, I have just joined and have found this conversation very interesting and very appropriate to me. In June 2023 I had a PSA reading of 5.7ng/mil. This was when I was being treated for a UTI and was referred to an Urologist. Since early July I was prescribed Tamsulosin Hydrochloride 400 micrograms for benign prostate enlargement. Another blood test taken 24th August returned a result of 2.8 with the note to treat with caution in patients prescribed 5 alpha reductive inhibitors (eg Finasteride or Dutasteride). I will definitely be discussing this when I see the Urologist next week after reading the comments above. Take care everyone
User
Posted 31 Aug 2023 at 22:54

Tamsulosin was prescribed by my GP. I stopped taking it as it had no effect on my need to pee but it did result in very loose bowels. My PSA is treated by initial radiation. enzo and zolodox.. Been undetectable for almost 2 years, similar to my testosterone.

Edited by member 31 Aug 2023 at 22:54  | Reason: Not specified

 
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