You should not donate blood while taking Avodart or for 6 months after you have stopped Avodart. This is important to prevent pregnant women from receiving Avodart through blood transfusions.
Tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following:
- antifungals such as ketoconazole (Nizoral)
- cimetidine (Tagamet)
- ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
- diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac)
- ritonavir, (Norvir)
- troleandomycin (TAO)
- verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan)
Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
This is not a complete list of Avodart interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Before taking Avodart, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:
- are allergic to Avodart, finasteride (Propecia, Proscar), any other medications, or any of the ingredients in Avodart capsules. See “Forms of Avodart” for a list of ingredients.
- have or have ever had liver disease or prostate cancer.
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Avodart (dutasteride) is an oral medication used primarily for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH; an enlarged prostate). It helps reduce the likelihood of getting a urinary tract infection or possibly needing prostate surgery. It is part of a class of medications called 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, and works by preventing the conversion of the hormone testosterone into dihydrotestosterone.
Avodart is a prescription medicine used to treat an enlarged prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Symptoms of BPH include:
- frequent urination (especially at night)
- inability to empty your bladder completely
- stops and starts in the urine flow
This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Avodart is for use only in men. Avodart should not be used during pregnancy. See “Precautions” section.
In case of overdose, seek medical attention.
In volunteer studies, single doses of Avodart up to 40 mg (80 times the therapeutic dose) for 7 days have been administered without significant safety concerns. In a clinical study, daily doses of 5 mg (10 times the therapeutic dose) were administered to 60 subjects for 6 months with no additional adverse effects to those seen at therapeutic doses of 0.5 mg.
You should not donate blood while taking Avodart or for 6 months after you have stopped Avodart. This is important to prevent pregnant women from receiving Avodart through blood transfusions.
Do not take Avodart if you are:
- pregnant or could become pregnant. Avodart may harm your unborn baby. Pregnant women should not handle Avodart capsules as touching the contents of the capsules may harm the unborn baby. The contact area should be washed immediately with soap and water. Call your doctor right away.
- a child or a teenager.
- allergic to dutasteride or any of the ingredients in Avodart.
- allergic to other 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors, for example, Proscar (finasteride) Tablets.
Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Avodart there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving Avodart.
Take Avodart exactly as your doctor has prescribed it. Follow the directions on your prescription label.
The recommended dose of Avodart is 1 capsule (0.5 mg) taken once daily.
Store Avodart capsules at room temperature (59°F to 86°F or 15°C to 30°C). Avodart capsules may become deformed and/or discolored if kept at high temperatures. Do not use Avodart if your capsules are deformed, discolored, or leaking. Safely throw away medicine that is no longer needed.
Avodart is for use only in men. Avodart should not be used while breastfeeding.
Avodart is available as 0.5 mg soft gelatin capsules.
Active ingredient: dutasteride.
Inactive ingredients: butylated hydroxytoluene, ferric oxide (yellow), gelatin (from certified BSE-free bovine sources), glycerin, mono-di-glycerides of caprylic/capric acid, titanium dioxide, and edible red ink.
The most common side effects of Avodart include:
- Trouble getting or keeping an erection (impotence)
- A decrease in sex drive (libido)
- Ejaculation problems
- Enlarged or painful breasts. If you notice breast lumps or nipple discharge, you should talk to your healthcare provider.
Avodart may cause serious side effects, including:
- Swelling of your face, tongue, or throat
- Serious skin reactions, such as skin peeling-
- Higher chance of a more serious form of prostate cancer.
Get medical help right away if you have these serious allergic reactions.
Avodart has been shown to reduce sperm count, semen volume, and sperm movement. However, the effect of Avodart on male fertility is not known.
Avodart is a prescription medicine that contains dutasteride. Avodart is used to treat the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men with an enlarged prostate to:
- Improve symptoms
- Reduce the risk of acute urinary retention (a complete blockage of urine flow)
- Reduce the risk of the need for BPH-related surgery
Avodart comes as a capsule to be taken by mouth once a day. Swallow Avodart capsules whole. Do not crush, chew, or open Avodart capsules because the contents of the capsule may irritate your lips, mouth, or throat. You can take Avodart with or without food. If you miss a dose, you may take it later that day. Do not make up the missed dose by taking 2 doses the next day.
Take 1 Avodart capsule once a day. Swallow Avodart capsules whole. Do not crush, chew, or open Avodart capsules because the contents of the capsule may irritate your lips, mouth, or throat. You can take Avodart with or without food.
If you miss a dose, you may take it later that day. Do not make up the missed dose by taking 2 doses the next day.