Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Flomax and Cataracts

Men taking Flomax to treat an enlarged prostate face more than double the risk for serious complications should they need cataract surgery, a new Canadian study has found.

It's not the first time that Flomax (tamsulosin) has been linked to cataract complications. A study in 2005 found that men taking Flomax or other alpha-blockers before cataract surgery had complications during and immediately after the procedure. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration called for stronger warnings about the drug, and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, which makes Flomax, sent warning letters to doctors about the potential problems.

In the new study, 7.5 percent of the men who had taken Flomax in the two weeks before cataract surgery had a serious complication, compared with 2.7 percent of those who had not taken the drug, for a 2.3 times greater risk.

Read more at this source, here.