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Avodart
Avodart is a prescription medication used for the treatment of an enlarged prostate. The medicine works by blocking the conversion of testosterone into DHT, which is responsible for enlarging the prostate. It comes in capsule form and is taken orally once a day. Among the conditions you should let your healthcare provider know about before you take Avodart are liver disease or failure and any allergies you may have.
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Avodart® (dutasteride) is a prescription medicine that has been licensed to treat an enlarged prostate. An enlarged prostate is also known medically as benign prostatic hyperplasia, benign prostatic hypertrophy, or BPH. It is approved to be used alone or in combination with tamsulosin (Flomax®), another BPH medication.
(Click Avodart Uses for more information on what it is used for, including possible off-label uses.)
It is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline.
Avodart works by blocking the conversion of testosterone into DHT (dihydrotestosterone), thereby decreasing the amount of DHT in the body. Since DHT is responsible for enlarging the prostate, using Avodart to decrease DHT levels can treat an enlarged prostate. In most men, the medication can help shrink the enlarged prostate, helping to relieve their enlarged prostate symptoms.
There have been several studies looking at how well Avodart treats an enlarged prostate. These studies showed the following effects related to Avodart and men with BPH.
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD