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.

 

What Is Avodart?

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.)
 

Who Makes Avodart?

It is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline.
 

How Does It Work?

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.
 

Effects of Avodart

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.
 
Symptoms of BPH
In these studies, the men were asked to rate the following symptoms of BPH:
 
  • Incomplete bladder emptying
  • Frequent urination
  • Intermittent stops and starts in the urine flow
  • Feeling of urgency when needing to urinate
  • Weak urine stream
  • Having to get up to urinate frequently during the night.
     
The men who took Avodart had significant improvement in their BPH symptoms compared with the men who did not take it. While some patients saw improvement right away, in general it took about 3 to 12 months to see the improvement for most men. This improvement lasted throughout the entire study period (two years).
 
Acute Urinary Retention
These studies also looked at how many men had acute urinary retention. If an enlarged prostate is very severe, a man may not be able to urinate at all. This is known medically as acute urinary retention and usually requires catheterization (inserting a small tube through the penis into the bladder in order to empty the urine). Of the men who took Avodart, 1.8 percent experienced acute urinary retention that required catheterization, compared to 4.2 percent of men who did not take it.
 
Surgery
In these studies, 2.2 percent of men who took Avodart needed to have BPH surgery, while 4.1 percent of men who did not take it needed to have surgery.
 
Prostate Size
These studies showed that the drug helped to shrink the prostate gland in most men.
 
Urine Flow
Men who took the medication also had an improvement in the rate of urine flow. This increased flow rate was seen as early as the third month after starting Avodart and continued throughout the entire study.
 

When and How to Take the Medication

Some general considerations for when and how to take Avodart include:
 
  • It comes in capsule form and is taken by mouth once daily.
     
  • It may take as long as 3 to 12 months of taking Avodart before results can be seen.
     
  • It can be taken with or without food.
     
  • Avodart capsules should be taken whole and should not be chewed or crushed.
     
  • It should be taken at the same time each day to maintain an even level of the drug in your blood.
     
  • For the medication to work properly, it must be taken as prescribed. It will not work if you stop taking it.
     

Dosing

There is only one dose of this drug for enlarged prostate treatment -- Avodart 0.5 mg once daily.
 
As with any medication, do not adjust your dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
 
(Click Avodart Dosage for more information about this topic.)
 

Side Effects

As with any medicine, there are possible side effects. However, not everyone who takes Avodart will experience side effects. In fact, most people tolerate it well. When side effects do occur, they are often minor and either require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or your healthcare provider. Serious side effects are less common.
 
The most common side effects of Avodart include:
 
(Click Avodart Side Effects to learn about the specific side effects of the drug, including serious side effects to look out for. You can also read about other possible side effects by going to:
 

Drug Interactions

Avodart can potentially interact with a number of other medicines.
 
(Click Avodart Drug Interactions for more information about these possible interactions.)
 

What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?

You should talk with your healthcare provider before taking this medication if you have:
 
  • Liver disease or failure, including cirrhosis
  • Any allergies, including allergies to foods, dyes, or preservatives.
     
Also let your healthcare provider know if you are:
 
Tell your healthcare provider about all of the medicines you currently take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
 
(Click Avodart Warnings and Precautions for more information on this topic, including information on who should not take this drug.)
 

Overdose

In studies, large doses of Avodart did not cause any overdose symptoms.
 
If you happen to overdose, or if you are a pregnant woman who has taken any amount of Avodart, seek medical attention immediately.
 
(Click Avodart Overdose for more information.)
 

Storage Methods

The medication should be stored at room temperature away from moisture or heat. Avodart capsules should be kept in an airtight container. Because Avodart is so dangerous to pregnant women, women should not take it if they are pregnant or may be pregnant.
 
Keep Avodart and all medications out of the reach of children.
 

What Should I Do If I Miss a Dose?

If you do not take your dose as scheduled, take your next dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule. Do not take a double dose of Avodart.
 

Strengths

Avodart capsules are available in one strength -- Avodart 0.5 mg capsules.
 

Generic Avodart

There is currently no Avodart generic available for sale.
 
(Click Generic Avodart for more information.)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;