flavoxate hydrochloride at a glance
Medicine class
Urinary antispasmodic
Usual role
Relieves urinary-tract spasm and associated symptoms but does not treat their underlying cause.
Driving
Do not drive or operate machinery if sleepiness or blurred vision occurs.
What is flavoxate hydrochloride used for?
Licensed uses include symptomatic relief of urinary-tract spasm and related symptoms.
Painful urination, urgency, night-time urination, frequency, urinary leakage and bladder-area pain associated with cystitis, prostatitis or inflammation of the urethra and bladder outlet.
Bladder or urethral spasm associated with catheterisation, cystoscopy, an indwelling catheter or lower urinary-tract surgery.
Relief of spasm before catheterisation or cystoscopy.
How does flavoxate hydrochloride work?
It acts directly on urinary-tract smooth muscle. Its effects involve increased intracellular cyclic AMP and calcium-blocking activity, reducing involuntary bladder contractions and spasm.
flavoxate hydrochloride preparations and strengths
Tablet
Route: Oral
Strengths: 200 mg
How to take flavoxate hydrochloride
Follow the dispensing label.
Swallow the film-coated tablet whole, preferably with water; do not break it.
Take it after a meal to help prevent nausea.
Do not drive or use machinery if sleepiness or blurred vision occurs.
flavoxate hydrochloride side effects
Common or expected effects
- Nausea.
- Sleepiness, visual disturbance, vomiting, dry mouth, indigestion or rash.
- Rarely, hives, itching, fatigue or urinary retention.
Get urgent medical advice
- Anaphylaxis or another severe allergic reaction.
- Inability to pass urine.
- Yellow skin or eyes, which may indicate a liver problem.
- New glaucoma or marked visual symptoms, confusion or troublesome palpitations.
flavoxate hydrochloride in pregnancy
Human pregnancy data are absent or limited. As a precaution, the product information advises avoiding flavoxate hydrochloride during pregnancy; discuss alternatives with the prescriber.
flavoxate hydrochloride while breastfeeding
It is unknown whether flavoxate or its metabolites enter human milk, and risk to a breastfed child cannot be excluded. The product information states that it should not be used while breastfeeding.
flavoxate hydrochloride interactions
No formal interaction studies have been performed, and the product information identifies no specific medicine interactions. The prescriber or pharmacist should still review all prescribed, over-the-counter and herbal products.
Common questions about flavoxate hydrochloride
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Is flavoxate hydrochloride an antibiotic?
No. It is a urinary antispasmodic and does not treat bacterial infection.
Does flavoxate hydrochloride cure cystitis?
It can relieve urinary symptoms associated with cystitis but does not treat the underlying cause.
Can it affect driving?
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.