flavoxate
Flavoxate treats urinary symptoms that you experience when you have a urinary or prostate infection. It cannot cure the infection on its own, but it can be used together with an antibiotic for treatment of an infection.
What is Flavoxate?
What is Flavoxate used for?
- Relieves urinary symptoms, such as painful urination, urinary urgency, frequency, loss of bladder control, frequent urination at night, and lower stomach pain, that you experience with urinary and prostate infections
How Flavoxate works
Flavoxate is an anticholinergic and an antispasmodic. It stops the muscles around your urinary tract from contracting. This helps your muscles relax so you have better control over your urination.
Drug facts
Side effects of Flavoxate
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Less Common Side Effects
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dry mouth
- Vertigo (spinning)
- Headache
- Confusion (especially in older adults)
- Drowsiness
- Anxiety
- Lower white blood cell count
- Fast heartbeat
- Racing heart
- Rash
- High fever
- Vision changes
- Blurred vision
- Painful urination
The following Flavoxate side effects have also been reported
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:
Symptoms of overdose
Clumsiness or unsteadiness
dizziness (severe)
drowsiness (severe)
flushing or redness of face
hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there)
shortness of breath or troubled breathing
unusual excitement, nervousness, restlessness, or irritability
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
More common
Drowsiness
dryness of mouth and throat
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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Pros and cons of Flavoxate
Pros
- Works quickly (in 55 minutes) to relieve your urinary symptoms
- Available as a lower-cost, generic medication
Cons
- Only treats your urinary symptoms (not your infection), so it must be taken with another medication to treat your urinary or prostate infection
- Taken 3 to 4 times per day
- Generally not recommended in people 65 years and older
- Cannot be used for people with active bleeding in their stomach
- Hasn’t been studied in children less than 12 years old so it’s unclear if it’s safe or even works for them
Pharmacist tips for Flavoxate
- Take flavoxate with or without food.
- Flavoxate can cause drowsiness and blurred vision. Don't drive or do things that require you to focus until you know how this medication makes you feel.
- Don't take flavoxate if you have a blockage in your intestines (duodenum or ileum), esophagus, or urinary tract.
- Dry mouth can occur when you're taking flavoxate. If you're experiencing dry mouth, you can try chewing sugarless gum or sucking on a hard candy.
- Flavoxate is used to treat your urinary symptoms, it's not used to clear up your infection. You'll need to take the appropriate antibiotic to treat your infection. Although you might feel better after a few days of taking flavoxate and your antibiotic, it's important that you finish the full treatment course of both medications and not stop earlier than you're instructed to. This will make sure that you treat your infection properly.
- If you miss a dose of flavoxate, take it as soon as you remember. If it's close to the time for your next dose, skip the missed dose. Don't take two doses at the same time; just go back to your normal time.
Common questions about Flavoxate
Flavoxate can start to work as quickly as 55 minutes after taking the dose, but it could take up to 2 hours to feel the full effects.
Drinking alcohol while taking flavoxate is not recommended because it might make you feel more drowsy. Drinking alcohol can also worsen your urinary symptoms.
No, flavoxate isn't an antibiotic and it won't clear your infection alone. If you currently have a urinary tract infection (UTI) or prostate infection, you'll need to take an appropriate antibiotic. Flavoxate can be taken together with an antibiotic to help treat your infection.
Flavoxate can affect your memory and might worsen your symptoms of dementia. Flavoxate is part of a group of drugs called antimuscarinics, which have been linked to dementia. One study showed there is a higher risk of dementia for people who used bladder antimuscarinics for 3 or more months. It's important that you discuss the risks and benefits of taking flavoxate with your provider before you start taking this medication.
Flavoxate can cause constipation. Try to stay hydrated and eat foods that have lots of fiber, such as apples and broccoli. Let your provider know if you have severe constipation before you start taking flavoxate because it might slow down your digestion.
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Risks and warnings for Flavoxate
Flavoxate can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Changes to your vision
- Risk factors: History of glaucoma
Flavoxate can cause blurred vision and it can make it hard for your eyes to focus. Let your healthcare provider know if you have glaucoma because flavoxate might make your condition worse.
Flavoxate dosage
Tablet| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100mg | 30 tablets | $17.42 | $0.58 |
Typical dosage for Flavoxate
For adults and children over 12 years of age, the typical dose is 100 mg to 200 mg by mouth 3 or 4 times per day. Your provider might lower your dose if your symptoms improve.
Interactions between Flavoxate and other drugs
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Amifampridine
- Bupropion
- Clozapine
- Donepezil
- Glucagon
- Glycopyrrolate
- Glycopyrronium Tosylate
- Methacholine
- Quetiapine
- Revefenacin
- Scopolamine
- Secretin Human
- Tiotropium
How much does Flavoxate cost?
$17.42
Flavoxate contraindications
Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person should not take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditions or if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Flavoxate will not be safe for you to take.
- Blockage in your gut
- Stomach (GI) bleed
- Damaged nerves in the esophagus (throat)
- Blockage in your urinary tract
What are alternatives to Flavoxate?
Flavoxate images
