Cyproterone Acetate and alcohol?

[Terry Pinnell]

Starting from Saturday night, some 4 days after beginning a 3-week
anti-androgen course (during which I'll have my first Zoladex HT
injection) I'm having to get up 2 or 3 times a night.

Previously it was usually at most once.

My *daytime* high pee frequency remains unchanged: about hourly in the
mornings, and then maybe every 3 hours after that. (Typically with 4 or
5 mugs of Red Bush tea daily between 0630 and 1900).

The list of SEs for cyproterone acetate doesn't mention anything relevant.

And I've not changed my morning Tamsulosin.

I wonder if it's related to alcohol? We usually refrain Mon-Thu but
Fri-Sun I'd typically have 1/2 to 2/3 of a bottle of white wine on each of
those 3 nights.

The leaflet says "You should avoid drinking alcohol because it reduces the
effect of Cyproterone tablets.
Cyproterone tablets should be taken with water unless otherwise directed."

I interpreted that rather generously. But if it's saying I shouldn't have
ANY alcohol for the 3 week course that would be bad news!

And anyway I see no obvious connection between 'reduced effects of the
tablets' and 'increased night time pee frequency'?

Any advice would be appreciated please.

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

[I.P. Freely]

Terry Pinnell wrote:

> My *daytime* high pee frequency remains unchanged: about hourly in the
> mornings, and then maybe every 3 hours after that. (Typically with 4 or
> 5 mugs of Red Bush tea daily between 0630 and 1900).

And yet you wonder why you're peeing all night? Are these two-handed
steins or demitasse cups? Do you also drink any other fluids during the
day? Have you ever tried cutting back to observe the effect? How much
volume are you peeing overnight (if more than during the day you may
have nocturnal polyuria)?

>
> The list of SEs for cyproterone acetate doesn't mention anything relevant.

> I wonder if it's related to alcohol? We usually refrain Mon-Thu but
> Fri-Sun I'd typically have 1/2 to 2/3 of a bottle of white wine on each of
> those 3 nights.

Bingo!

> The leaflet says "You should avoid drinking alcohol because it reduces the
> effect of Cyproterone tablets.

Yet you still drink alcohol?

> Cyproterone tablets should be taken with water unless otherwise directed."
>
> I interpreted that rather generously. But if it's saying I shouldn't have
> ANY alcohol for the 3 week course that would be bad news!

Um ... What part of "You should avoid drinking alcohol" is ambiguous? ;-)

> And anyway I see no obvious connection between 'reduced effects of the
> tablets' and 'increased night time pee frequency'?

Me, neither, but alcohol is a diuretic.

> Any advice would be appreciated please.

You're probably drinking too much fluids, especially alcohol, and too
late in the evening. You may also have an overactive bladder (e.g.,
reallyreallyreally gotta pee but pass only a half a liter) and/or
polyuria, nocturnal and/or otherwise. You may also not be emptying your
bladder each time you go ... aka urine retention. Google all the above
and see where they take you.

Your daytime peeing is merely a nuisance, if that. Getting up to pee
interrupts our sleep cycles and duration, however, which has drastic,
often life-shortening, impacts on our lives. It goes way beyond the
nuisance level.

I.P.