Flomax Relief MR Capsules Pack of 28

FLOMAX RELIEF - Take control of your annoying pee problems!

Flomax Relief is a new, over-the-counter alpha-blocker treatment for the urinary symptoms of BPH. Its main ingredient, tamsulosin, is an established and generally well-tolerated treatment that was previously only available on prescription. The drug binds selectively and competitively to relax the muscles surrounding the urethra, relieving pressure and allowing urine to flow more freely.

Do any of these things sound familiar?

•  Having to get up more often in the night to go to the toilet
• Frequent urge to pee
• Stopping and starting during a pee or having a weak dribbly flow
• Straining to get the pee out
• Dribbling once you've finished
• Feeling that the bladder isn't completely empty

Getting in the way of your day?

Of course, these symptoms can impact on your daily life. Perhaps they don't bother you to begin with, but they can soon start to really get in the way.

• Feeling tired because you're getting up at night frequently
• Driving or making long journeys may be difficult because of the frequent need to pee
• Perhaps you don't enjoy socialising, because you have to keep going to the loo
• You might find your partner suffers because of your urinary symptoms too

Around 1 in 4 men above the age of 40 years experience some of the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). However, the problem goes largely untreated - one study showed 89% of men with BPH didn't consult their doctor, coping alone with the inconvenience that this condition causes, believing it to be simply ‘part of getting older', ‘that symptoms are temporary' or ‘fears of prostate cancer', but this isn't true. Your symptoms can be easily relieved, so don't think you have to put up with them.

How can FLOMAX relief help?

FLOMAX RELIEF relieves the symptoms of BPH by:

•  Relaxing the muscles in the prostate gland
• Relaxing the muscles in the urethra (the tube from the bladder to the outside of the body)

This lets urine pass more freely through the urethra, making it easier to urinate

What is FLOMAX RELIEF?

FLOMAX RELIEF is a modified release capsule which contains a medicine called tamsulosin. This belongs to a group of medicines called ‘alpha blockers' (or alpha1A-adrenoceptor antagonists).

FLOMAX RELIEF is used to effectively treat the lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) of a BPH. This is when the prostate gland gets bigger.

Your Prostate

The prostate gland is slightly larger in size than a walnut. It is found just underneath your bladder and produces a milky fluid which, together with sperm, makes up semen. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder out through the penis and runs through the middle of your prostate gland.

When your prostate gland gets bigger, it can give rise to the following symptoms:

Poor stream - The flow of urine is weaker, and it takes longer to empty your bladder

Hesitancy - You may have to wait at the toilet for a while before urine starts to flow

Dribbling - Towards the end of passing urine, the flow becomes a slow dribble

Poor emptying - You may have a feeling of not quite emptying your bladder

Affects on you bladder

When you have obstructive symptoms, the bladder has to work to push the pee out. After a while, the muscle of the bladder wall starts to thicken because of the extra work it's been doing. This means it becomes less stretchy, so the bladder can't hold as much pee. That's why you have to go more often, including at night, and why you often can't hold on when you need to go. These are called 'irritative symptoms'

What impact can BPH have?

Like you, many men find that BPH affects their enjoyment of life. For example, you might feel tired all the time because you can't get a decent night's sleep. You might feel anxious and embarrassed at social gatherings because you keep having to disappear to the loo. Maybe you always have to think about what you're drinking and when - one more drink before the journey home might mean you can't make it back without stopping for a pee.

Outings and car journeys can be frustrating, especially if you have to map out every public toilet to reassure yourself you won't be caught short. BPH can affect your relationship with your partner too. Do they get annoyed with your toilet habits? Maybe you're disturbing their sleep, which might even lead to you sleeping in separate bedrooms.

If this sounds like you, you're certainly not alone. In a website survey with BPH sufferers, nine out of ten men say their condition has forced them to make significant adjustments to their lifestyle. In addition, 59% avoid drinking before bedtime, 41% plan their day around the availability of a toilet and 31% avoid travelling long distances.

Sex and BPH

It's not inevitable, but some men with BPH also have problems with sex (called sexual dysfunction or erectile dysfunction). Because the prostate plays a role in sexual function, prostate problems and LUTS may cause you to experience difficulties. The worse your urinary symptoms are, the poorer the erection quality can be.

Doctors don't know why these problems occur. It may just be that the likelihood of having both sexual dysfunction and BPH increases with age. Or it could simply be because you're tired from having to get up several times at night to pee.

Getting Help

It's really important that you seek advice from a healthcare professional if you experience any serious or ongoing symptoms, such as problems with your peeing habits, to ensure that you can get treatment, as well as identifying any underlying cause.