Avodart Facts & Side Effects

Avodart is a brand name for the prescription medication dutasteride. Doctors commonly prescribe Avodart to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia or an enlarged prostate.

Function

• Dihydrotestosterone is the hormone in your body that causes your prostate to become enlarged. Avodart works by preventing testosterone from converting to dihydrotestosterone, decreasing levels of the hormone in your body that contribute to prostate enlargement.

Types of Treatment

• In some cases, doctors prescribe Avodart as the sole medication for prostate enlargement. With other patients with more severe symptoms, doctors frequently utilize a combination therapy of Avodart and a second medication, known as an Alpha-blocker.

Time Frame

• For both individual and combination therapy with Avodart, your doctor will typically prescribe the medication to be taken once per day.

Risks

• The most common side effects of Avodart include impotence, decreased libido, a feminine swelling of the breasts, breast tenderness and changes in the consistency or amount of ejaculant. Avodart has the potential to mask signs of prostate cancer usually detected with PSA blood work, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Warning

• Women and children cannot take Avodart. Additionally, pregnant women should not touch Avodart capsules as doing so could cause deformity of the genitalia if her baby is male.

Considerations

• If you have a history of prostate cancer, difficult urination or liver disease, it may not be safe for you to take Avodart, warns the Mayo Clinic.