Silodal (silodosin) is primarily used to facilitate urine flow in men who have an enlarged prostate, a condition also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The medication is also sometimes used to help pass kidney stones.

This product should not be used in women or in young men under 18 years of age without explicit doctor approval.

How Silodal Works

Prostate enlargement is a common problem among older men. Located beneath the bladder and surrounding the urethra, an enlarged prostate often causes the muscles along the urethra to tighten, restricting urine flow. Silodal, an alpha-blocker, relaxes those muscles, allowing urine to flow down the urethra more easily.

Not everyone with BPH experiences severe symptoms and may not need treatment. Those who experience the following may want to consider Silodal:

• Difficulty urinating
• Painful urination
• Inability to fully empty the bladder
• Weak urine stream
• Urgent urination
• Frequent urination
• Waking up to urinate

These symptoms, if severe, can cause a range of more serious complications; from bladder infections to kidney damage, and even emergency surgery to release urine.

Silodal is not a cure for BPH; it will not stop, slow, or reverse the enlarged prostate. Other medications that do control prostate size may also be given.

Note that BPH has no connection to prostate cancer. Symptoms of prostate cancer often produce very similar symptoms to that of BPH, however; men should have the condition diagnosed by a doctor to ensure it is BPH and not cancer.

Taking Silodal

Silodal comes in capsules and should be taken with a meal. Men who have difficulty swallowing whole capsules can open them and sprinkle the contents on soft food, such as applesauce. The food should be consumed within 5 minutes without chewing. A glass of fluid is recommended with each dose as well.

Doses are typically taken just once per day. Treatment typically consists of 4 mg to 8 mg, depending on patient response as well as other medical conditions present. Patients who have severe renal or hepatic impairment are not good candidates for Silodal.

To take the medication:

• Take 4 to 8 mg once per day with food.
• If experiencing dizziness, weakness, or other symptoms of lowered blood pressure, capsules may be taken before bed.
• Treatment may continue for as long as it provides benefit.

While many men notice improvements in urination just days after starting treatment, it can take up to three weeks before full benefit is experienced.

Blood Pressure Concerns

As an alpha-blocker, Silodal will lower blood pressure to some extent, though it's not used to treat hypertension. Those taking other medications to treat high blood pressure may need dosage adjusted while taking Silodal. Men who are at risk of, or already have, low blood pressure are poor candidates for this medication.

When blood pressure is lowered, even if not lowered below normal ranges, many patients experience symptoms, including:

• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Clammy skin
• Blurry vision

Not everyone experiences the above symptoms, and some only experience them if rising quickly from a sitting or laying position. These effects should be transient, meaning they'll stop occurring after a few days of treatment. If they persist or become severe, a doctor should be consulted.

Sexual Side Effects

Another concern with Silodal is sexual side effects. The medication causes some men to produce reduced or no ejaculate, as well as causing men to have difficultly ejaculating. Again not everyone experiences this side effect, but among those who do it is a common reason to stop taking the medication.

Men who find Silodal interferes with sex should speak with a doctor about alternative treatments. Sexual function should return to normal within 2 to 3 days of ceasing treatment.

Possible Tolerance

Some men seem to quickly develop tolerance to Silodal, finding it works well at the start but no longer provides benefit as quickly as two weeks after starting treatment. If this happens the best course of action is to speak with a doctor about alternatives.

Some men, however, simply take a break from treatment now and then; every other day, every third day, and so forth. This seems to extend the benefits of the medication indefinitely. Effects will vary from individual to individual, of course. Some find BPH symptoms do not return with a day or two gap in treatment, while others will find they do return and cannot tolerate gaps in treatment.