Intermittent Flomax reduces ejaculation effects

Using Flomax (tamsulosin) every other day, rather than every day, appears to reduce the ejaculation problems that can occur with the drug, Turkish researchers report. Given that the drug's effectiveness is not compromised with intermittent therapy, this dosing may become the standard for all men.

Drugs such as Flomax are used to treat urinary symptoms related to an enlarged prostate - a condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Typical BPH symptoms include difficulty in starting to urinate, having a weak urinary flow, and the need to urinate urgently or frequently. However, Flomax can cause ejaculation abnormalities.

In an earlier study, Dr. Yusuf Kibar and colleagues, from Gulhane Military Medical Academy in Ankara, showed that intermittent Flomax therapy is just as effective as daily therapy for BPH.

In their latest study, reported in The Journal of Urology this month, the researchers looked at whether intermittent Flomax therapy could improve abnormal ejaculation in men with urinary symptoms.

The first phase of the study involved 405 patients who received Flomax daily for at least 3 months. The second phase focused on 30 men who developed abnormal ejaculation during the first phase. This included 18 men with backward ejaculation, 7 with decreased volume and 5 with no ejaculate. The drug was given every other day for 6 weeks.

During the second phase, recovery of ejaculatory function occurred in 12 men with backward ejaculation and in 7 with decreased or absent ejaculate, the report shows.

Further analysis showed a significant improvement in backward ejaculation with intermittent Flomax. The improvements in decreased or absent ejaculate, however, fell short of statistical significance.

The lesson from the authors' current and past research is that intermittent Flomax is "as effective as daily therapy for symptomatic BPH," Dr. Allen D. Seftel from University Hospital of Cleveland, notes in a related editorial.

SOURCE: The Journal of Urology, February 2006.