DUTASTERIDE

(doo TAS ter ide) Brand: Avodart

What is the most significant information I must know about dutasteride?

• Dutasteride must never be taken by a woman or a baby. Dutasteride can be absorbed through the skin, and women or children must not be permitted to handle dutasteride capsules.

• Although dutasteride is not for use by women, this medicine can reason birth defects if a woman is exposed to it during pregnancy. Dutasteride capsules must not be handled by a woman who is pregnant or who may become pregnant.

• Do not chew, crush, or open a dutasteride capsule. Swallow the capsule intact. Dutasteride can irritate your lips, mouth, or throat if the capsule has been broken or opened till you swallow it.

• If a woman accidentally comes into contact with this medicine from a leaking capsule, wash the area with soap and water right away.

• Till taking dutasteride, speak your doctor if you have ever had an allergic reaction to this medicine, or to a similar medication called finasteride (Propecia, Proscar).

• Using dutasteride may magnify your risk of developing prostate cancer. Your doctor will perform trials to create certain you do not have another conditions that would prevent you from safely using dutasteride.

• Do not donate blood while taking dutasteride and for at least 6 months after your treatment ends. Dutasteride can be carried in the blood and could reason birth defects if a pregnant women receives a transfusion with blood that contains dutasteride.

What is dutasteride?

• Dutasteride prevents the transformation of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the body. DHT is involved in the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

• Dutasteride is used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men with an enlarged prostate. Dutasteride helps improve urinary flow and may also reduce your need for prostate surgery later on.

• Dutasteride is sometimes given with other medicine called tamsulosin (Flomax). Be certain to read the medicine manual or patient instructions provided with every of your medications.

• Dutasteride may also be used for purposes not listed in this medicine guide.

What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking dutasteride?

• Till taking dutasteride, speak your doctor if you have ever had an allergic reaction to this medicine, or to a similar medication called finasteride (Propecia, Proscar).

• Dutasteride must never be taken by a woman or a baby. Dutasteride can be absorbed through the skin, and women or children must not be permitted to handle dutasteride capsules.

• If a woman accidentally comes into contact with this medicine from a leaking capsule, wash the area with soap and water right away.

How must I take dutasteride?

• Take exactly as predesigned by your doctor. Do not take in larger or less amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

• Take dutasteride with a full glass of water.

• Dutasteride can be taken with or without food.

• It may take up to 6 months of using this medication till your symptoms improve. For excellent results, hold using the medicine as directed. Do not stop taking dutasteride without talking to your doctor.

• To be certain this medicine is helping your condition and not causing deleterious effects, your blood may need to be tested often. Your doctor will also test your prostate specific antigen (PSA) to check for prostate cancer. Visit your doctor regularly.

• Store dutasteride at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Dutasteride capsules may become soft and leaky, or they may stick together if they get too hot. Do not use any capsule that is cracked or leaking. Call your pharmacist for instructions on how to safely dispose of a leaking dutasteride capsule.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Take the missed doze as soon as you remember. Skip the missed doze if it is nearly time for your following scheduled doze. Do not take extra medication to create up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

• Search abnormal medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

What must I avoid while taking dutasteride?

What are the possible side effects of dutasteride?

• Get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your person, lips, tongue, or throat.

• Smaller serious side effects may include:

· decreased libido (sex drive);

· decreased amount of semen released during sex;

· impotence (trouble getting or keeping an erection); or

· breast tenderness or enlargement.

• This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What another drugs will affect dutasteride?

• Speak your doctor about all another medicines you use, especially:

· conivaptan (Vaprisol);

· imatinib (Gleevec);

· isoniazid (for treating tuberculosis);

· an antibiotic such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin (E.E.S., EryPed, Ery-Tab, Erythrocin, Pediazole), or telithromycin (Ketek);

· an antifungal medicine such as itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), miconazole (Oravig), or voriconazole (Vfend);

· an antidepressant such as nefazodone;

· heart or blood pressure medicine such as nicardipine (Cardene) or quinidine (Quin-G); or

· HIV/AIDS medication such as atazanavir (Reyataz), delavirdine (Rescriptor), indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), saquinavir (Invirase), or ritonavir (Norvir, Kaletra).

• This list is not complete and another drugs may interact with dutasteride. Speak your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal commodity. Do not start a new medicine without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about dutasteride.

Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.

Disclaim: Each effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses external of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way must be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safety, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the help of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

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