silodosin

Generic Name: silodosin (SIL oh DOE sin)Brand Names: Rapaflo

What is silodosin?

Silodosin is in a group of drugs called alpha-adrenergic (AL-fa ad-ren-ER-jik) blockers. Silodosin helps relax the muscles in the prostate and bladder neck, making it easier to urinate.

Silodosin is used to improve urination in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate).

Silodosin may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about silodosin?

You should not use silodosin if you have severe kidney or liver disease, or if you are also using ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), or ritonavir (Norvir).

Before taking silodosin, tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver disease, or prostate cancer.

Also tell your doctor about all other medications you use, especially other prostate medications, antibiotics, HIV/AIDS medications, or heart or blood pressure medications.

Silodosin should be taken with food to reduce the chance of side effects. Silodosin can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy. Get up slowly and steady yourself to prevent a fall.

Silodosin can affect the pupils of your eyes during cataract surgery. If you have cataract surgery while you are taking silodosin, or even long after you stop taking it, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you have taken this medication. Do not stop using silodosin before surgery unless your surgeon tells you to.

What should I discuss with my health care provider before taking silodosin?

You should not use silodosin if you have:

• severe kidney disease;

• severe liver disease; or

• if you are also using ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), or ritonavir (Norvir).

If you have certain conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take this medication. Before taking silodosin, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

• kidney disease;
• liver disease;

• prostate cancer; or

• if you are taking another alpha-blocker such as alfuzosin (Uroxatral), doxazosin (Cardura), prazosin (Minipress), tamsulosin (Flomax), or terazosin (Hytrin) for high blood pressure or prostate problems.

FDA pregnancy category B. Although silodosin is not for use in women, this medication is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. If you are a woman using this medication, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether silodosin passes into breast milk, or if it could harm a nursing baby. If you are a woman using this medication, do not take silodosin without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take silodosin?

Take silodosin exactly as your doctor has prescribed it for you. Do not use more of the medication than recommended. Do not take silodosin for longer than your doctor has prescribed. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Silodosin should be taken with food to reduce the chance of side effects.

It is important to use silodosin regularly to get the most benefit. Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely.

To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. It is important that you not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

Silodosin can affect the pupils of your eyes during cataract surgery. If you have cataract surgery while you are taking silodosin, or even long after you stop taking it, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you have taken this medication. Do not stop using silodosin before surgery unless your surgeon tells you to. Store this medication at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.

See also: Silodosin dosage in more detail

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Overdose can cause severe dizziness, or fainting.

What should I avoid while taking silodosin?

Silodosin can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy. Get up slowly and steady yourself to prevent a fall.

Silodosin side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using silodosin and call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

• severe dizziness;

• feeling like you might pass out;

• jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or

• penis erection that is painful or lasts 4 hours or longer.

Less serious side effects may include:

• mild dizziness, weakness;

• headache;

• sleep problems (insomnia);

• diarrhea, stomach pain;

• decreased amount of semen released during sex; or

• runny or stuffy nose, sore throat.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Silodosin Dosing Information

Usual Adult Dose for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia:

8 mg orally once a day with a meal

What other drugs will affect silodosin?

Tell your doctor about all other medications you use, especially:

• conivaptan (Vaprisol);

• cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune);

• imatinib (Gleevec);

• isoniazid (for treating tuberculosis);

• an antibiotic such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), dalfopristin/quinupristin (Synercid), erythromycin (E.E.S., EryPed, Ery-Tab, Erythrocin), or telithromycin (Ketek);

• an antifungal medication such as clotrimazole (Mycelex Troche) or voriconazole (Vfend);

• heart or blood pressure medication such as diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac), nicardipine (Cardene), quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex, Quin-Release), or verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan);

• HIV/AIDS medicine such as amprenavir (Agenerase), atazanavir (Reyataz), delavirdine (Rescriptor), indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), saquinavir (Invirase, Fortovase), or ritonavir (Norvir);

• an antidepressant such as nefazodone;

• any other medicine to treat high blood pressure or prostate problems.

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with silodosin. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about silodosin.

• Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
• Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2006 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 1.03. Revision Date: 06/12/2009 9:16:31 AM.