It is used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate), a non-cancerous growth of the prostate gland, caused by overproduction of a hormone called dihydrotestosterone. It lowers dihydrotestosterone, and thus shrinks the prostate and relieves the symptoms. Therefore, this medication is for use in men only. It may take up to 6 months or more for you to notice an effect.
As the prostate enlarges, it can lead to urinary problems such as difficulty in passing urine and frequent visits to the toilet. It can also cause the flow of urine to be slower and weaker. If left untreated, there is a risk that the urine flow may be completely blocked (acute urinary retention) and this requires immediate medical treatment.
Dutasteride can be used alone or with another medication called Tamsulosin to treat enlarged prostate.
This medication may also be used for other conditions. Check with your healthcare professionalif you are unsure why you are given this medication.
Common side effects include:
These side effects may disappear after a while if you continue to take the medication. If not, they usually go away after stopping the medication. Discuss with your doctor if you are unsure or these side effects become bothersome to you.
Rare but serious side effects include:
The symptoms of a drug allergy include one or more of the following:
If you experience any of these symptoms, you should stop your medication and see your healthcare professional immediately.
Inform your healthcare professional if:
Inform your healthcare professional if you are taking or intend to take any other medication, supplements, traditional medications or herbal remedies.
If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. Then take your next dose at the usual time. Do not take two doses to make up for the missed dose.
Keep this medication away from pregnant women and women who are of childbearing age.
Pack this medication into a black trash bag and seal it tightly before throwing into the rubbish chute or bin.
Subscribe to our mailing list to get the updates to your email inbox...