On .4mg flomax (tamsulosin) per day for bph. can i get myself in trouble if i don't wean from flomax (tamsulosin) to saw palmetto? pharmacist said slowly decrease flomax (tamsulosin) 1 mo.

Not likely: In practice there are few if any issues with stopping Flomax (tamsulosin) cold. However, saw palmetto has been shown to be no better than placebo at relieving urinary symptoms. There is little reason to take saw palmetto given this information.

Flomax (tamsulosin) : There is no particular benefit from "weaning" from Alpha blocker therapy. I would say that the benefit from otc saw palmetto is not likely to be anywhere close to that of prescription strength tamsulosin.

Short answer is: No: Over time there can be some habituation to Alpha blockers (like flomax), but frequently when stopped suddenly, patients will note they are more aware of symptoms. Saw palmetto is a herbal preparation and there are no studies showing that it is better than placebo, but there are many anecdotal reports from patients that they are helpful.

No: There is no need to wean the Flomax (tamsulosin) if you want to stop taking it. However, you may not have the same benefits in symptom reduction from the saw palmetto as the flomax (tamsulosin). A recent well designed study found that there was no improvement in symptom reduction by saw palmetto compared to a placebo ( sugar pill).