GENERIC NAME: DUTASTERIDE - ORAL (due-TAST-er-ide)
BRAND NAME(S): Avodart
Medication Uses | How To Use | Side Effects | Precautions | Drug Interactions | Overdose | Notes | Missed Dose | Storage
USES: This medication is used to shrink an enlarged prostate in men with a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia. It works by lowering amounts of the hormone responsible for prostate growth (dihydrotestosterone). Dutasteride reduces urinary blockage and improves urine flow.
HOW TO USE: Take this medication by mouth once daily, with or without food. Swallow the medication whole. Use this medication regularly in order to get the most benefit from it. Remember to use it at the same time each day. It may take 3 to 6 months before you notice an improvement of your symptoms. Read the Patient Information Leaflet available from your pharmacist.
SIDE EFFECTS: Sexual problems (e.g., impotence, decreased interest in sex, decrease in the amount of ejaculate) may infrequently occur, but then go away as your body adjusts to the drug. This medication may also cause breast enlargement and/or tenderness. If any of these effects persist or worsen, contact your doctor or pharmacist promptly. An allergic reaction to this drug is unlikely, but seek immediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include: rash, itching, swelling, dizziness, trouble breathing. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
PRECAUTIONS: Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: liver disease, urinary tract disease, prostate cancer, any allergies. Men taking this medication should not donate blood until at least 6 months after they have stopped taking it to prevent exposure through a blood transfusion to a pregnant female. Since this drug can be absorbed through the skin, women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant should not handle this medication. Any contact with this drug by a pregnant woman could result in abnormal external sex organs of a developing male fetus. This medication should not be used in women or children. Dutasteride must not be used during pregnancy. If you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant, inform your doctor immediately. It is not known whether this drug passes into breast milk. However, this medication should not be used in women.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
- Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia - Get the facts on benign prostatic hyperplasia symptoms and prevention of an enlarged prostate gland. BPH treatment may involve medication or surgery. BPH is not cancer.
- Urinary Incontinence - Learn about urinary incontinence (UI) in men. Find out the signs and symptoms of UI, what causes it, and what the treatment options are. Male urinary incontinence can occur because of prostate cancer along with other bladder control problems.
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