Alfuzosin

1 medicine

Alfuzosin is an alpha-blocker that relaxes the prostate and bladder neck to ease urination in men with an enlarged prostate, and it can cause a sharp drop in blood pressure, especially after the first dose.

Uroxatral

Alfuzosin

10mg

Uroxatral is a mens health medication containing Alfuzosin, available as 10mg tablets.

from $1.39 / tablet View

Key facts

  • Alfuzosin relaxes the smooth muscle of the prostate and bladder neck, easing urine flow in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (an enlarged prostate).
  • It's taken once daily, usually after the same meal each day; improvements in urine flow build over the first few weeks.
  • The first dose can cause a sharp drop in blood pressure with dizziness or fainting on standing. Take the first dose at bedtime and rise slowly for the first few days.
  • Seek urgent care for fainting, a fast or irregular heartbeat, or chest pain.

What Alfuzosin treats

Alfuzosin treats the urinary symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a weak stream, hesitancy starting urination, a feeling of incomplete emptying, and frequent or urgent urination, including at night. It does not shrink the prostate and is not a treatment for prostate cancer or urinary tract infections.

How Alfuzosin works

The prostate and bladder neck contain alpha-1 receptors that keep the surrounding smooth muscle tight, narrowing the channel urine passes through. Alfuzosin blocks these receptors, relaxing the muscle so urine flows more freely. It affects blood vessel muscle less than older alpha-blockers, but blood pressure can still drop, particularly with the first few doses.

Before you take it

  • Avoid alfuzosin if you have significant liver impairment or already take another alpha-blocker.
  • Tell any surgeon, and especially an eye surgeon, before cataract surgery. Alfuzosin can cause intraoperative floppy iris syndrome, which makes the surgery harder, even if you stopped the drug some time ago.
  • Medicines that block the liver enzyme CYP3A4, including some antifungals, HIV medicines and antibiotics, raise alfuzosin levels and the risk of low blood pressure.
  • Combining alfuzosin with other blood-pressure medicines or with PDE5 inhibitors for erectile dysfunction raises the chance of dizziness and fainting.

Side effects

Common effects include dizziness, headache, fatigue and a stuffy nose.

Stop and seek urgent medical care for:

  • Fainting or severe light-headedness.
  • A fast, pounding or irregular heartbeat.
  • Facial swelling, rash or difficulty breathing.
  • An erection lasting more than 4 hours, which is rare but has been reported.

Safety essentials

  • Take the first dose at bedtime and get up slowly from sitting or lying for the first few days. The sharpest blood pressure drop happens early in treatment or after a missed then restarted dose.
  • Tell every surgeon, especially an eye surgeon planning cataract surgery, that you take or have taken alfuzosin.
  • Avoid alcohol around dosing times, since it adds to the blood-pressure-lowering effect.

This page is educational and does not replace advice from a doctor or pharmacist who knows your health history.