Cold Pill Set Off Prostate Emergency

Q. Please tell your readers about the side effects of cold and sinus tablets containing pseudoephedrine.
My husband has a slightly enlarged prostate that is usually not symptomatic. He developed a very bad cold and took one Advil Cold and Sinus tablet. Within ten hours he was in the ER, having an indwelling catheter placed because he could not empty his bladder.
The pseudoephedrine made his prostate react. The very uncomfortable catheter stayed in for about 36 hours, after which he had to have a cystoscopy and sonogram to check his prostate. All this trouble resulted from only one tablet containing pseudoephedrine.
A. Cold, allergy and sinus medications that contain the decongestant pseudoephedrine can wreak havoc for men with enlarged prostates. Inability to urinate is a potential complication that requires emergency treatment. As your husband discovered, it can require catheterization of the bladder to bypass the inflamed prostate.
We think the warning on pseudoephedrine-containing OTC decongestants is inadequate. It reads: “Ask a doctor if you have trouble urinating due to an enlarged prostate gland.” Many men who don’t normally have trouble urinating can still end up in trouble after taking this decongestant. They should be warned before taking the pill.
To find ways to treat cold symptoms without triggering this kind of trouble, you may want to consult our Guide to Colds, Coughs and the Flu.