Can you take Tamsulosin and alcohol together? 

Can you take Tamsulosin and alcohol together? 

You can drink alcohol while you’re being treated with Tamsulosin, but I would not recommend doing so during the early course of your treatment with this medication or at least until you don’t know how the medication makes you feel. 

Tamsulosin is an alpha-blocker and it can reduce your blood pressure. Alcohol has similar effects on your blood pressure. If you take the two together, the blood pressure-lowering effects may become too significant to handle. 

Make sure you avoid using alcohol with such medications, at least until your body is adjusting to them. 

What are the dangers associated with the use of Tamsulosin and alcohol together? 

Tamsulosin and alcohol together may cause side effects like (1):

  • Nausea 
  • Vomiting 
  • Diarrhoea 
  • Abdominal pain
  • Low blood pressure 
  • Orthostatic hypotension 
  • Dizziness or lightheadedness 
  • Heart-sinking feeling

These side effects can vary from person to person as the outcome depends on the dose of Tamsulosin and the amount of alcohol consumed. If you have consumed a lot of alcohol, your dizziness may get pretty bad and you could faint or lose consciousness. 

What to do if you have taken Tamsulosin and alcohol together? 

If you have taken Tamsulosin and alcohol together just once or twice, you may not observe any side effects. As I stated earlier, the two don’t really interact with each other and the only concerning side effect reported is low blood pressure. 

If you have taken them at different times, it’s absolutely okay. However, make sure you’re not drinking too much or regularly and report to your healthcare provider right away if you begin to feel unusual. 

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References

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Paśko P, Rodacki T, Domagała-Rodacka R, Owczarek D. Interactions between medications employed in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia and food – A short review. Biomed Pharmacother. 2016 Oct;83:1141-1145. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2016.08.021. Epub 2016 Aug 20. PMID: 27551761. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27551761/