Cytomid

What is Flutamide?

Flutamide is an effective medicine to treat metastatic prostate cancer in men, a cancer that has already spread to other parts of body.

It is a form of hormonal therapy known as an androgen receptor inhibitor that works by blocking testosterone in body.

Flutamide belongs to a class of drugs called nonsteroidal antiandrogens and is available under brand name Eulexin.

To grow and reproduce, prostate cancer cells need testosterone, and flutamide for prostate cancer is one recommended option.

Flutamide is given in combination with a hormone therapy that helps to reduce amount of testosterone in body for prostate cancer treatment.

Do not give this medicine to anyone else, even if they suffer from same symptoms as you do.

It might be harmful for people to take this medicine if their doctor has not recommended Flutamide.

Flutamide is not suggested for use in adolescents, females, and children.

You can save on flutamide cost by ordering it from a licensed online pharmacy and grabbing exciting deals and discounts.

What are uses of Flutamide?

Flutamide is effective in treating following medical conditions:

• Metastatic prostate cancer

How does Flutamide work in body?

Most prostate cancer cells require testosterone to grow and spread in body successfully.

Testosterone is a type of male sexual hormone known as androgen.

Flutamide is an androgen receptor inhibitor, a type of hormone therapy that works by restricting testosterone from binding to prostate cancer cells.

Without testosterone, cancer cells do not have the fuel or energy they require to spread in your body.

How to take Flutamide?

Before you start treatment with Flutamide, make sure to read patient information leaflet provided with medicine itself.

If there is any confusion or doubt about Flutamide or its dosage then discuss it with doctor.

Recommended dose is 250gm 3 times a day at an interval of 8 hours. Follow your doctor’s direction closely.

This treatment must be started at same time as treatment with an LHRH analogue or after undergoing surgical removal of testicles.

Dosage of this medicine for patients will depend upon several things including body weight, other medicines, and medical conditions.

In case, your doctor has prescribed some different dose then do not change the way you take Flutamide without a doctor’s consultation.

Flutamide must be taken with or without food but at a fixed time every day.

Your doctor will determine what dose of this medicine is important and how often you must take it.

Dosage of Flutamide usually depends upon what you are being treated for and might be changed from time to time.

Taking this medicine in a wrong way or too much can make patients experience serious side effects.

It might take several weeks or months for you to experience benefits but do not stop taking it unless a doctor recommends it.

Intake of this medication can cause some patients to suffer from diarrhea. If this happens, drink plenty of fluids & eat less dairy products.

• Missed dose

In case, you miss a dose then take it as soon as you remember and continue with a regular schedule.

If it’s already time for your next dose then skip missed dose and start a regular dosing schedule.

Do not take a double dose of Flutamide just to make up for your missed dosage.

Contact your doctor, if you are not sure what to do after missing a dose of Flutamide. 

• Overdose

Taking Flutamide more often than directed by a doctor can lead to an overdose.

If you experience an overdose of Flutamide then immediately contact your doctor.

Some common symptoms of an overdose include breast enlargement and tenderness.

Precautions and warnings for Flutamide

It is always better to consider a few precautions and warnings before starting treatment with Flutamide.

Do not take Flutamide, if you:

• Are female
• Are allergic to flutamide or any other active ingredients present in this medicine
• Suffer from seriously reduced liver function

During your treatment with flutamide, liver problems can happen at any time but usually, they occur during first 3 months of treatment.

Depending on your condition, a doctor will determine whether to stop or continue flutamide drug.

While you take Flutamide, your doctor will also monitor liver function by conducting blood tests.

In case, you take a blood thinner such as warfarin then let your doctor know about it beforehand.

Taking this medicine with Flutamide might increase risk of experiencing bleeding which can be serious.

To make sure Warfarin dose is right for you, your doctor might get your lab results checked more often.

Flutamide might cause low levels of red blood cells in some patients. If you experience symptoms like tiredness or shortness of breath then contact a doctor.

Before starting treatment with Flutamide, it is necessary to inform doctor about your medical history (if any):

• Heart disease
• Blood disorders
• Liver problems
• Kidney disease
• Haemoglobin M disease
• A certain enzyme deficiency

This will help doctor to adjust dosage of Flutamide accordingly with other medicines you take.

Flutamide can rarely make you feel dizzy or drowsy. Alcohol consumption can make you feel more dizzy.

Until you can do so safely, avoid operating machinery, driving, or doing anything else that requires alertness.

Before undergoing any surgery, you must inform doctor beforehand about taking Flutamide.

Older adults can be more sensitive to side effects of this medicine, especially drowsiness.

Side effects of Flutamide

Like other medicines, Flutamide can also cause some side effects which are mild and serious.

Since Flutamide is generally used with other medicines, side effects might be caused by other medicines or their combination.

Diarrhea, hot flashes, vomiting, loss of sexual ability, nausea, and enlargement of male breasts might occur.

A very common side effect of this medicine is diarrhea. Drink plenty of fluids as suggested by doctor to decrease risk of dehydration.

You can reduce consumption of dairy products, increase whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and stop laxatives.

To control your symptoms, a doctor prescribes effective anti-diarrhea medicine such as loperamide.

Flutamide might change color of your urine to light orange-brown or yellow-green. Though, this is not harmful.

Here are some side effects of Flutamide:

• Mental or mood changes
• Breast lump
• Confusion
• Shortness of breath
• Allergic reactions like itching and rashes

Call doctor immediately, if any Flutamide side effects persist or become worse with time.

Drug interactions

Drug interactions can change working mechanism of Flutamide or even reduce its effectiveness.

There are certain medicines that interact with Flutamide including:

• Dapsone
• Chlorpromazine
• Benzocaine
• Bupivacaine
• Quinine
• Methadone
• Ondansetron

Do not start, stop, or change dosage of any medicines without consulting your doctor.

Inform doctor about all other products you use including prescription & non-prescription medicines and herbal supplements.

Storage

It is suggested to store Flutamide at room temperature and away from direct sunlight and moisture.

Frequently asked questions about Flutamide (FAQs)

• How long do I need to take Flutamide?

You must take Flutamide as long as directed by a doctor. This medicine might decrease testosterone flare side effects which you can experience from LHRH agonists.

After starting an LHRH agonist, you can take it for a few weeks but sometimes for a long time.

• Is it safe to take Flutamide?

Yes, Flutamide is safe to take under the supervision of a doctor and exactly in same way as directed.

• What is a typical dosing of Flutamide?

A typical dose of Flutamide is 250mg taken by mouth only three times a day.

It should be used in combination with another hormonal medicine that targets LHRH.