- Have been prescribed alfuzosin for enlarged prostate but the pill ends up in the toilet after about 10 hours in my system. Has anyone taken BPH medicines that stay in their systems long enough to be fully absorbed?
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Why do you think it isn’t being fully absorbed? What ends up in the toilet may be an unimportant remnant of the pill. It’s unlikely to be a complete pill after 10 hours.
I take Avodart and flomax which are capsules with no issues.
however if your drug is extended release, it is possible that remnants could remain by the time it reaches the pouch.
Some extended release tablets seem to have a filmy coating that can come out looking intact, even though the contents have actually dissolved. I don’t know the pharmacology involved in this medication, but if you can stomach it you could put on a glove and determine if this pill-like thing in the toilet feels as solid as it looks. Extended release tablets that aren’t specifically targeting the colon will generally be absorbed somewhere in the small bowel. A fast transit time could probably cause them to exit the small bowel too soon for absorption, but I think 10 hours should be more than enough time.
The half-life of alfuzosin is 10 hours, so it does stick around in the blood for a while after it’s absorbed.
From a practical perspective, is the medicine working and treating the bph symptoms?
if not, have you informed the urologist so that they might consider an alternative drug?
@Scott F posted:Some extended release tablets seem to have a filmy coating that can come out looking intact, even though the contents have actually dissolved. I don’t know the pharmacology involved in this medication, but if you can stomach it you could put on a glove and determine if this pill-like thing in the toilet feels as solid as it looks. Extended release tablets that aren’t specifically targeting the colon will generally be absorbed somewhere in the small bowel. A fast transit time could probably cause them to exit the small bowel too soon for absorption, but I think 10 hours should be more than enough time.
The half-life of alfuzosin is 10 hours, so it does stick around in the blood for a while after it’s absorbed.
Yes, I did that and the pill (on two occasions) is basically in tact.
Hopefully you’re taking it with food, at the same meal each day - that’s important. If it’s working you should experience the benefit within 28 days or so, with some effect starting at about 14 days. The peak blood levels are achieved at around 8-10 hours after a dose, so clearly it’s staying in your system long enough, though I’m not sure if the intact pill is worrisome or not.
How about asking about having a serum drug level done? Then it will be clear if enough is absorbed.
Jan 