Dawaa Reference

acute

Prostate Symptoms (Prostatism / LUTS)

Treatment options, dosing, cautions and Egyptian brands from the shipped Dawaa Reference card.

Evidence status

Checked against the sources named below

Sources3 sources

Egyptian National Drug Formulary - cardiovascular.pdf, Tamsulosin monograph (chapter PDF p21) · Egyptian National Drug Formulary - endocrine.pdf, Finasteride monograph (chapter PDF p16) · Ng M, Leslie SW, Baradhi KM. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan-. NBK558920.

Verified against3 documents
  • Egyptian National Drug Formulary - cardiovascular.pdf, Tamsulosin monograph (chapter PDF p21)
  • Egyptian National Drug Formulary - endocrine.pdf, Finasteride monograph (chapter PDF p16)
  • Ng M, Leslie SW, Baradhi KM. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan-. NBK558920.

Verified date2026-08

1

TAMSULOSIN

1st line

Formoral.solid

Adult dose and duration

0.4 mg once daily (modified-release capsule)

Paediatric dose

Adult-only condition - paediatric section not applicable

Dose source

Egyptian National Drug Formulary - cardiovascular.pdf, Tamsulosin monograph (chapter PDF p21)

Why

Alpha-blocker first-line for symptomatic relief of benign prostatic obstruction; works faster than finasteride, so a reasonable first choice for a Cairo GP.

Cautions
  • Postural (orthostatic) hypotension can occur, especially with the first dose.
  • Floppy iris syndrome can occur during cataract surgery - inform the ophthalmologist that the patient is taking tamsulosin.
  • Caution when combined with other antihypertensive or PDE5-inhibitor drugs (additive hypotension).
  • Not indicated for hypertension itself (formulary note)
  • RED FLAG - Inability to pass urine (acute retention), blood in the urine, back pain or weight loss suggesting prostate cancer, or a very high or rapidly rising PSA.
  • Take extra care where there is a history of micturition syncope or of postural hypotension, and where a potent CYP3A4 inhibitor (eg, Itraconazole, Ketoconazole) is being used concurrently.
Egyptian brands
Egyptian brandManufacturerIndicative price
NORMIRAMA 0.4 MG 30 CAPS.EGPI > RAMAPHARMA60.00 EGP (2.00/unit)
TAMSUNORM S.R. 0.4MG 30 CAPS.RAMEDA60.00 EGP (2.00/unit)
TAMSULOSIN 0.4 MG 20 CAPS.GLAXO SMITHKLINE > SANDOZ42.00 EGP (2.10/unit)
CUREPRO XR 0.4 MG 30 CAPS.DEBEIKY > KHUFU PHARMA105.00 EGP (3.50/unit)
BLOCK ALPHA 0.4 MG MR 30 CAPS.ADWIA120.00 EGP (4.00/unit)
FIRAMAZIN 0.4MG 30 H.G.CAPS.EVA PHARMA54.00 EGP
OMNIC 0.4MG 30 MODIFIED RELEASE CAPS.ASTELLAS PHARMA > MULTIPHARMA147.00 EGP
OMNIC OCAS 0.4 MG 30 PROLONGED RELEASE F.C.TAB.ASTELLAS PHARMA INC > MULTIPHARMA282.00 EGP
2

FINASTERIDE

2nd line

Formoral.solid

Adult dose and duration

5 mg orally once daily, alone or combined with an alpha-1 blocker x 6 to 12 months usually needed to see improvement

Paediatric dose

Adult-only condition - paediatric section not applicable

Dose source

Egyptian National Drug Formulary - endocrine.pdf, Finasteride monograph (chapter PDF p16)

Why

Used alone or added to an alpha-blocker for larger prostates or an inadequate response to tamsulosin alone; formulary explicitly supports benign prostatic hyperplasia as an indication.

Cautions
  • Pregnant women or women who may become pregnant must not handle crushed or broken tablets (teratogenic risk to a male fetus).
  • Lowers PSA by roughly half after long-term use - interpret PSA results with this in mind and re-double any value when screening for prostate cancer.
  • Reduced libido and erectile dysfunction are recognised side effects.
  • Mood alterations including depressed mood, depression, and, less frequently, suicidal ideation has been reported. Monitor carefully.
  • Prostate cancer: When compared to placebo, 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) have been associated with an increase in the incidence of high-grade prostate cancers.
  • Diminished urinary flow: Carefully monitor patients with a large residual urinary volume or severely diminished urinary flow for obstructive uropathy; these patients may not be candidates for finasteride therapy.
  • Finasteride has a slow onset (months) and does not help acute urinary retention.
Egyptian brands
Egyptian brandManufacturerIndicative price
PROHAIR 1 MG 30 TAB.SIGMA24.00 EGP (0.80/unit)
NOPECIA 1 MG 30 CAPS.ADWIA36.00 EGP (1.20/unit)
MIXOSTERIDE 5 MG 14 F.C. TAB.SIGMA > PHARMA MIX30.00 EGP (2.14/unit)
PROSTAT 5MG 14 F.C. TABS.CID > OCTOBER PHARMA46.00 EGP (3.29/unit)
PROSTEC 5 MG 14 F.C.TAB.SIGMA47.00 EGP (3.36/unit)
FINASTURA 5MG 30 F.C.TAB.GLOBAL NAPI PHARMACEUTICALS111.00 EGP (3.70/unit)
PROSTRIDE 5MG 30 CAPS.ADWIA183.00 EGP (6.10/unit)
PROSCAR 5MG 28 F.C. TAB.MERCK SHARP & DOHME > MERCK SHARP & DOHME SCIENTIFIC OFFICE258.00 EGP (9.21/unit)

Prices are indicative (dataset snapshot 2026-06); verify with the pharmacy.