Generic Name: Dutasteride for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (dutasteride)
Dutasteride for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Reviews
Avodart (dutasteride) "I am 69 and took Avodart for 13 years. Good news is that it helped shrink my prostate and relieved nighttime urinary symptoms. My PSA went from around 7 down to 1.5. However, lots of bad news. The drug brought on several sexual problems: difficulty getting erections, loss of libido, no ejaculation. Over time I also developed enlarged breasts. I stopped taking it six months ago and so far the urinary problems have not returned. My PSA is now up to 2.8. Some of the sexual side effects have improved. I've lost weight but the breasts remain. I've consulted a plastic surgeon who has recommended fairly extensive surgery that will cost me $9000 out of pocket! My urologist has referred me for another opinion. This drug really took a toll on my system. None of these side effects were discussed ahead of time. My urologist says they are rare, but it appears they are more common than reports show. Beware of this drug!"
Avodart (dutasteride) "I am 65 years old and have been on Avodart for one year. My PSA had increased at a rapid rate to 3.6. Biopsy was benign. Frequent urination was of course an issue. My PSA dropped almost by 50% in the first 6 months. My sex drive is nonexistent and if I can get a partial erection I am able to have a small ejaculation. Cialis will sometimes work. The most dramatic side effect has been that I now have an almost full head of hair. Prior to the Avodart therapy, I was pretty bald on top and thinning on the sides. My barber has been amazed, as have I."
Avodart (dutasteride) "Been on Avodart for 3 months now. 0.5mg a day. Don't have to urinate as often. Have regrown almost a full head of hair. Libido and ejaculation are still in working order. Although I take an aromatase inhibitor to help combat having low DHT and high estrogen. For those who have libido issues, this may be the culprit as DHT is known to help regulate estrogen in men. Having little DHT will result in an increase of estrogen and low sex drive."
Avodart (dutasteride) "I've taken Avodart for several years. It sometimes worked better than other times. The side effects are terrible. Less than a month ago, I decided to try a natural formula and found many available. I decided to try Urinozinc Prostate Formula because of the high ratings. Within a week, I stopped taking Avodart. I'm back to normal...like I was years ago. I won't ever be taking Avodart again."
Avodart (dutasteride) "I've been on Avodart for about 3 years now. 57 years old, happily married to a woman. At first, it killed my sex drive and erections. My doctor said to just wait it out, that will change in time. She was right. My sex drive returned to near normal [the modest reduction was actually nice], and my erections returned to normal and then actually better than normal. Ejaculate is thin and watery when on just Avodart, but zero ejaculate when taking Rapaflo too. Together, the two drugs give a very satisfying dry orgasm that takes a while to achieve, so if you used to be a minute man, this is good news. Like many of us guys old enough to have BPH, my marriage is sexless [as much my 'fault' as it is hers], but masturbation is still an option. Just be patient - good things happen after being on it a few months."
Avodart (dutasteride) "I have been on this for 2 years. It has shrunk my enlarged prostate so I no longer have discomfort, and I urinate a little less often at night. Most importantly, I am able to postpone prostate reduction surgery. Sexual side effects same as others have noted. Now developing some breast tenderness. I take this with an alpha blocker as well."
Avodart (dutasteride) "I am 66 years old, have been on Avodart and Tamsulosin for about a year. I was on Cardura for several years, but following the second episode of kidney stones, my Urologist switched me to Avodart and Tamsulosin. I also take a blood pressure medication and calcium supplements for osteoporosis (probably the culprit generating the kidney stones). Avodart and/or Tamsulosin has destroyed my ability to achieve erections and almost eliminated semen ejaculation, though my libido is not significantly diminished. Cardura did not produce these negative side effects."
Avodart (dutasteride) "Urologist was hesitant to put me on this because of my young age. He did. First two months were rough. Decreased energy and sex drive. After this, my testosterone levels actually skyrocketed and I got muscular, lost body fat, and sex drive went into overdrive. Hair regrowth was minimal, but body hair was drastically decreased. Oh, and my prostate shrunk drastically, and my PSA is below 1 (0.9). I was put on this after Flomax didn't work to fully evacuate my bladder. My BPH was causing bladder void incompleteness, which caused a UTI. It took Avodart 2 months to stop this where many medications failed."
Avodart (dutasteride) "In eight months, my PSA went from 11.2 to 5.0 to 3.8. I was taking it late in the evening and felt terrible muscle and joint pain throughout the night. If I take it around noon and drink plenty of coffee and water, the nighttime pain goes away. I really don't feel it during the day when I'm active. I guess that when I take it at night, it stays more concentrated and doesn't get out of my system. I'm noticing some thickening of hair at the back of my head, though not drastically thick. It definitely reduces your sex drive. Orgasms can still be felt but not as intense, with very little, if any, semen production. I also take Flomax twice a day. I'm sleeping much better now with far fewer trips to the bathroom."
"I am 58 and started taking Dutasteride and Alfuzosin for the last 7 months. Dutasteride works excellently and reduced prostate size by 25%. PSA reduced to 2.99, previously, it was 7.2. The urination frequency reduced and flow increased. I am taking Cialis also in low doses as prescribed by the doctor. On the side effect side, no major side effects so far (fingers crossed), except for better hair growth. Sex drive is the same, and erections feel the same, except for some minute reduction in semen volume. Overall, Dutasteride has worked well until now...further monitoring and observing as it comes."
Avodart (dutasteride) "I am 63 years old and have BPH which I controlled effectively for several years with Flomax and that family of medicines. However, about 8 months ago, I began to suffer severe vertigo. After several thousands of dollars of tests from a variety of specialists, I quit taking Doxazosin and that family of medicines and switched to Avodart. The vertigo went away within a few days. It took Avodart about a week to kick in, and it is not as effective at improving flow as the others, but I can sleep all night without getting up. However, as others have noted, my libido plummeted to zero and I am not on testosterone replacement. The two counteract each other, and I just need to find the right mix that I am willing to live with."
Avodart (dutasteride) "Been on it for a week and so far I really have seen improvement. Have middle lobe enlarged prostate. Have had symptoms for probably 20 years but mid-lobe diagnosis was not found out until a sonogram of the prostate. No side effects so far. Sex drive seems to be okay. Was worried about that one. Now instead of going to urinate 1-2 times an hour I now go about once every 4 hours! Huge improvement."
Avodart (dutasteride) "I am 68 and have been using Avodart and Tamsulosin together for about a month. A serious side effect suffered is extreme difficulty obtaining an erection and/or ejaculation. A minor side effect has been lightheadedness. At my age, the serious side effect does not really bother me, but being lightheaded is a concern in my employment as a transit driver. I believe the Tamsulosin is the lightheadedness culprit, but my doctor does not want me to continue it much longer."
Avodart (dutasteride) "I am 65 years old and have been taking Flomax for over a year. It works great for the flow of urine, but I had a few side effects so I switched to Avodart. My bad symptoms disappeared, but my flow of urine decreased, and after two weeks, I ended up with a Urinary Tract Infection. I see that some people take both Avodart and Flomax together for prostate problems."
"I have been taking Duodart for about 4 years. I woke up one morning not being able to walk due to severe spine and specifically hip pain. I was hospitalized thinking I had bone cancer or bone TB, then the X-rays showed no damage to the spine or back. I had many of the side effects but held out. I have a constant cough and lost a lot of weight, which I’m battling to regain. (I was always very fit and am only 57.) I developed a heart problem, which was never an issue or hereditary. My quality of life has changed-I don’t have quality of life! After thousands of scans and tests and depleting my insurance and savings, docs can’t find a problem. I was off work for 3 months and lost much-needed income. The only meds I was taking were Duodart (nothing else), so I decided to stop taking it to see if it could be the problem. Off for 4 weeks now and slowly starting to feel better. My wife expresses her sadness that what was supposed to improve my life only destroyed my life! DO NOT TAKE IT!"
Avodart (dutasteride) "Been on Avodart for 2 years now, have been on testosterone replacement for 15 years, have seen a gradual improvement with urinary tract symptoms (difficulty urinating, low flow, trouble starting). Continue to have prostatitis, pelvic pain, dribbling. Avodart symptoms: no libido, erectile dysfunction, loss of penile sensation, low semen flow, depression (when I first started medication). Used to have high libido but now have no libido. Thank goodness for understanding SO with a 'hands-on approach'. 60 years old."
Avodart (dutasteride) "I started Avodart about 3 weeks ago and my nocturnal urinations have dropped from about 3x to once nightly. Stream has never been a problem and hasn't changed. I sleep more soundly and have not had any of the common side effects."
Avodart (dutasteride) "I have been taking 0.5 mg of Avodart twice a day for 4 years. I have noticed no side effects, and lab results verify that nearly all testosterone conversion to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is blocked. Since prostate cancer growth is stimulated by DHT, and not testosterone, my PSA has remained low (below 1) with no tumor regrowth (after radiation therapy)."
Avodart (dutasteride) "After 15 years of prostate problems and many biopsies, PSA 139 had acute urinary retention and catheterization (not getting catheter in, bleeding). I was put on Avodart with slight improvement, nocturnal frequency reduced from ten times to about 4 to 5 times, and I felt very dizzy."
"Am 74 coming up to 75, but very fit (having done 10k running most days for last 13 years.) I've had an ever increasing growing enlarged prostate since my early 40's until finally urine retention + catheter occurred 2 years ago. My very large prostate was read as some 105mgs/cc(?) & I was now (eventually) persuaded into taking dutasteride & tamulosin prior to turps opp. My research led me to plan alternative surgery in either Holep or aqua-ablation. My concern despite the otherwise full success of these drugs urologically, is to keep my sexual faculties, as 'they' say these loss effects can become permanent?! So what would be my chances of recovery after taking 2 years if I chose a 'saving holep version' (80% successful) my chosen surgeon offered me? Indeed. my big question ( & I'm sure many others) is,. 'How many people who have been on dutasteride for 2 years have managed to regain their full sexual functions?' Please please answer?"
Avodart (dutasteride) "I have been taking Avodart for a week now, and have noticed the definite benefit of not having to urinate as often, with a stronger flow. No side effects apart from some initial dizziness after getting up too quickly."
Avodart (dutasteride) "My Urologist prescribed Dutasteride + Tamsulosyn to treat my enlarged prostate . I am taking this medicine for a month . It really works in decreasing my BPH symptoms . But I think my sex drive is also gradually decreasing . Please tell me how long does it take to develop erectile dysfunction and impotence..?"
"Been taking Duodart 500 mg for a month now, for benign prostatic enlargement. No great change to urine frequency, still four times a night. Side effects, erection problems and low semen, and non-event orgasms. Also, gas buildup in stomach and indigestion and reflux. Will trial for six months only."
Avodart (dutasteride) "I have been taking 0.5 mg daily for a year. The product works and has a bonus for me. I have always suffered from nosebleeds on an unpredictable basis. Since taking Avodart, I rarely experience a nosebleed. Several months ago, I went to using it every other day, and within two weeks, the nosebleeds returned. With a return to the daily dosage, I have had few, if any, nosebleeds."
Avodart (dutasteride) "BPH since my late 50s. Used Avodart right away and had the usual sexual symptoms but mild and with good flow and sleep. Had TUNA surgery (not TURP). This surgery allowed me to feel young again and be drug-free for about three years. Then I could feel the flow gradually weakening. I have been back on daily Avodart for the last 8-10 years and with good flow and sleep. Now 70, once again I can slowly feel Avodart is losing the battle. My flow is weakening once again. I dread and suspect TURP will be my next step, unfortunately. (Never could take the Flomax type of meds due to lightheadedness symptoms.)"
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