This NHS content is written for people in England. Medicine names, availability, prescribing and services may differ in other countries.
Tamsulosin belongs to a group of medicines called alpha blockers.
It's used to treat men with symptoms of an enlarged prostate (benign prostate enlargement). It's also occasionally taken to treat kidney stones and prostatitis.
Alpha blockers reduce blood pressure by relaxing your blood vessels so blood can pass through them more easily.
Tamsulosin helps to reduce the symptoms of an enlarged prostate gland by relaxing the muscle around the bladder and prostate gland so you can pee more easily.
This medicine is available on prescription and you can also buy the brand Flomax Relief from pharmacies. It comes as tablets and capsules.
If you buy tamsulosin from a pharmacy, see a GP within 6 weeks of starting your treatment to make sure it's OK for you to carry on taking this medicine.
Tamsulosin is sometimes combined with other ingredients to treat bladder problems and enlarged prostate. Brand names include Vesomni (with solifenacin) and Combodart (with dutasteride).
View the original NHS website page ↗. Refreshed 19 August 2026.
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