Dutasteride for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia User Reviews

• Nor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 14, 2023

"Confusion/brain fog. Almost wrecked my car. Was starting to get breast tissue. Two months after discontinuation I still can't climax properly. Some erectile dysfunction as well. So, can't really share anything positive. Would be better off leaving it alone and not entirely sure why it's on the market. It does help with urination. I guess if you had zero interest in sex or concern over gyno, it might make sense."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 11, 2022

"I am 80+ years. I was first put on Avodart and tamsulosin in Jan 2021 and was switched to Duodart in April 2021 out of convenience. I was also diagnosed with lumbar spondylosis but was largely asymptomatic. I started to experience low back pain in June 2021 and sought relief via a physiotherapist and a chiropractor. The hip pain intensified despite costly treatments. My attention was then drawn to my medication and side effects. As a result, I have found similar instances of pain experienced by others. I have stopped taking the drug!"

• Gre...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 31, 2022

"I have taken Dutasteride for 3 years. I am 75. I have had all the sexual side effects. My PSA did go down. I now have swollen testicles, inflamed sinuses, terrible back pain, terrible leg pain, and joint pain. Do not take this pill. I should have had surgery 3 years ago, and it would be over. DO NOT TAKE THIS PILL."

• Chr...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 15, 2021

"I have been on dutasteride 0.5 mg and tamsulosin 0.4 mg for about 6 months now. Has not helped with flow at all and seems to be worse now. These 2 drugs have chemically castrated me! I will give natural path supplements a try as I am sure the side effects will be less dramatic. The castration side effect from these drugs is something I just can't tolerate!"

• Ahm...
• July 14, 2021

"I suffer from androgenic alopecia when I started to take dutasteride for 10 months. During this period, I was shedding. In only 10 months, my hair became thinner and not as fine as it was. Why did dutasteride make my hair so bad?"

• Gen...
• November 21, 2020

"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!"

• Ric...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 25, 2020

"Wouldn’t recommend dutasteride as it affects sexual response, and this effect remains with me after stopping the drug. Pity my prescriber didn’t mention this."

• Joh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 14, 2019

"This dutasteride rubbish completely and permanently destroyed my sex life!"

• Anonymous
• October 11, 2009

Dutasteride "After two months, it had completely killed my libido and my ability to obtain an erection even with Viagra on board!"

• Joh...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 30, 2021

"Was put on Dutasteride + Tamsulosin by my urologist when aged 62. For the first 3 years, I thought it a wonder drug. Then the ED symptoms started creeping in. With my doctor's approval, I swapped the Tamsulosin for 2.5 mg Tadalafil. Things improved but steadily declined over the next 2 years. Loss of libido and ED even with a boost of Tadalafil on fun nights. Again, with my doctor's approval, I eliminated the culprit Dutasteride and went on 5.0 mg Tadalafil. Several months in and I am happy. Libido and erections are in positive territory and improving. My prostate is certain to grow back in size, but I will deal with it if and when it becomes significant."

• SOS...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 27, 2021

Dutasteride "It was a dreadful medication. I had previous bad reactions to both Hytrin and Flomax, and this was the last resort, or I would have dropped it. Both my penis and nipples went completely numb, and I had a 'brain fog' that was terrible. I finally had a Holup laser reduction of my (admittedly huge, but non-cancerous) prostate. On the day of surgery, I stopped Avodart and was really pleased to be rid of this medication. It kept the urine flowing just enough, but the side effects were awful."

• Tom...
• May 5, 2020

"Have been on this medication, dutasteride, for a little under a year, and my PSA went from 15 down to 6. My problem is that the new generic brand I was just given is giving me headaches and shortness of breath. I was told it's not the drug itself but what is used to compound the medication. I started taking the medication every second day, but by the end of the second day, I am back to normal. My urologist told me to work with my pharmacy to try to get the medication from the prior company, but they are not making this medication any longer. Be careful with the generics out there."

• Rol...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 29, 2019

"Aside from side effects reported by others, I've experienced, from several years of use, two further side effects that should be of great concern to doctors: one was a heart arrhythmia that was severe enough to warrant being sent to a cardiologist who prescribed unnecessary statin drugs. And the final straw was a complete loss of taste and smell. Only after refusing to take any drugs whatsoever for six months did I discover that dutasteride (Avodart) was responsible. I have not fully regained my taste and smell and may never due to nerve damage!"

• New...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 2, 2022

"Grew boobs. Would not recommend. Also caused severe drowsiness and fatigue."

• pau...
• January 23, 2013

Dutasteride "No change in PSA (still around 4) - sleep through the night though. No erectile dysfunction though however, cannot climax."

• thr...
• December 11, 2009

Dutasteride "It has been about three weeks now. I used to have to go every two hours. That has now doubled to four. Definite decrease in sex drive. That is the trade-off."

• J S...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 26, 2021

Dutasteride "My urologist prescribed dutasteride + tamsulosin 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 it takes to develop erectile dysfunction and impotence?"

• Pud...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 7, 2021

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!"

• Mic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 14, 2018

Dutasteride "Destroyed my penis. Destroyed my self-confidence. Destroyed my wife's happiness. How come these people have not found a safe way to reduce the prostate."

• Anonymous
• July 3, 2011

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."

• Rab...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 3, 2022

"Took dutasteride 0.5 mg for 6 months. First 2-3 months, symptoms of BPH and urine flow got better, but PSA had no significant change. All known side effects started to appear, additionally, I got an accelerated and strong heartbeat felt in the side neck after moderate work. This developed to moderate to severe pain in the heart and breast region. Add to this, my lipid blood profile, especially LDL, got very high. After 6 months of use, the doctor advised to discontinue and check. Signs got gradually less until an additional six months had passed. Now signs are very moderate - nearly vanished - and hope it will completely disappear soon."

• psf...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 25, 2021

Dutasteride "Serious balance issue first day of dutasteride, tamsulosin."

• Con...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 9, 2020

"My father was on this medication as well as Flomax for a couple of months, at best. Within days of him taking these, he had complaints of loss of taste. His appetite diminished, and he lost about 30 pounds. His primary care doctor recommended cutting out the Flomax, which did not change anything. Next, we cut out Avodart, and he's slowly (very slowly) starting to taste certain items again. The urologist gave us the 'in 20 years of prescribing this medication, I've never heard of that,' and basically said that it was not the cause, merely a coincidence. I understand half-lives and that the medication 'should' be out of his system within days, but it's only common sense that not everyone's body is going to react the same. I'm looking for a new urologist, to say the least."

• SHA...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 18, 2019

"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."

• Sco...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 3, 2015

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."