Compare common side effects, interactions, warnings, and more.
Avodart
*image for illustrative purpose only
Finasteride
Avodart
*image for illustrative purpose only
Finasteride
Avodart® (dutasteride) is a medication used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by inhibiting the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which helps shrink the prostate and improve urinary symptoms. Its FDA-approved indication is for the treatment of BPH in men, and it may be used off-label for male pattern hair loss. Avodart is available in capsule form. Common side effects include decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, and breast tenderness or enlargement, while drug interactions may occur with other medications that affect certain liver enzymes. It is contraindicated in women of childbearing potential due to the risk of birth defects, and it should not be handled by pregnant women.
Finasteride is the active ingredient in the brand-name medication Propecia®. The information below is about brand name Propecia. According to the FDA, “Generic medicines use the same active ingredients as brand-name medicines and work the same way, so they have the same risks and benefits as the brand-name medicines.”
Propecia (finasteride) is an oral medication used to treat male pattern hair loss by preventing the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone linked to pattern hair loss. It is typically prescribed to men experiencing hair thinning on the crown and the middle of the scalp. Propecia is taken once daily and can slow hair loss while promoting regrowth in some men. However, it may cause side effects such as decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, and, in rare cases, depression and breast tenderness.
5 alpha-reductase inhibitor
5α-reductase inhibitor
Avodart (dutasteride) is indicated for the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men with an enlarged prostate to:
Improve symptoms
Reduce the risk of acute urinary retention
Reduce the risk of the need for BPH-related surgery
Avodart in combination with the alpha-adrenergic antagonist, tamsulosin, is indicated for the treatment of symptomatic BPH in men with an enlarged prostate
Propecia (finasteride) is indicated:
For the treatment of male pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) in men only
Typically taken orally once daily
Comes in 0.5 mg soft gelatin capsules
Typically taken orally once daily
Comes in 1 mg tablets
The most common adverse reactions, reported in ≥1% of subjects treated with Avodart and more commonly than in subjects treated with placebo, are:
Impotence
Decreased libido
Ejaculation disorders
Breast disorders
The most common adverse reactions, reported in ≥1% of patients treated with finasteride and greater than in patients treated with placebo are:
Decreased libido
Erectile dysfunction
Ejaculation disorder
Pregnancy
Patients with previously demonstrated, clinically significant hypersensitivity (e.g., serious skin reactions, angioedema) to Avodart or other 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors
Drug interactions: potent, chronic cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A4 enzyme inhibitors (e.g., ritonavir)
Pregnancy
Hypersensitivity to any components of this product
Avodart reduces serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentration by approximately 50%
Avodart may increase the risk of high-grade prostate cancer
Prior to initiating treatment with Avodart, consideration should be given to other urological conditions that may cause similar symptoms
Women who are pregnant or may be pregnant should not handle Avodart capsules due to potential risk to a male fetus
Patients should not donate blood until 6 months after their last dose of Avodart
Propecia is not indicated for use in women or pediatric patients
Women should not handle crushed or broken Propecia tablets when they are pregnant or may potentially be pregnant due to potential risk to a male fetus
Propecia causes a decrease in serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels. Any confirmed increase in PSA while on Propecia may signal the presence of prostate cancer and should be evaluated, even if those values are still within the normal range for men not taking a 5α-reductase inhibitor
5α-reductase inhibitors may increase the risk of high-grade prostate cancer
*This information is from the label for brand name Avodart®. See the Full Prescribing Information for more complete information. Dutasteride, the active ingredient in Avodart, may also be the active ingredient in other medications, and this information may not be accurate for all medications that include the active ingredient dutasteride.
*This information is from the label for brand name Propecia®. See the Full Prescribing Information for more complete information. Finasteride, the active ingredient in Propecia, may also be the active ingredient in other medications, and this information may not be accurate for all medications that include the active ingredient finasteride.