Dutasteride: what it is for and when to use

Dutasteride is an effective medication to decrease the volume of the prostate and relieve symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate, such as urinary retention. However, this medication has also been used to treat baldness as it is effective in promoting the growth of new hair on the scalp of men.

This medication should be consumed with the proper medical indication, generally used by the oral route, in a tablet, in the dose of 0.5 mg. It can be found in pharmacies in generic form, or with the commercial names Avodart, from GSK, or Dastene, from Aché, for example.

What is it for

Dutasteride acts by decreasing the production of the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), through the inhibition of the enzymes 5-αlfa reductase type 1 and 2, responsible for the conversion of testosterone to di-idrotestosterone (DHT).

With the decrease of the levels of this hormone, called androgen because it is more prevalent in man, this medication is useful for the treatment of:

1. Prostate hyperplasia

Dutasteride is able to reduce the volume of the prostate and prevent its enlargement, caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia, being able to:

• Improve urinary flow; Decrease the risk of urinary retention; Prevent the need for prostate surgery.

Generally, this medicine is used with the association of Tamsulosin, a medicine that belongs to the group of alpha blockers, which promotes relaxation of the prostate muscles, facilitating the passage of urine and improving the symptoms of this disease more quickly.

2. Baldness

Dutasteride is used to treat the so-called androgenic alopecia, the hair loss that happens due to the action of dihydrotestosterone in the hair follicle, mainly in men.

Thus, the continuous use of this remedy is able to reverse the action of this hormone, which causes the hair strands to grow back through the hair follicles of the scalp, being able to:

• Increase hair count on the scalp; Reduce hair loss; Improve scalp coverage.

Androgenic alopecia can also occur in women who are genetically predisposed, so if the woman has a baldness caused by this reason, this medication can be used, in very specific cases, with proper medical advice.

Price

The box of 30 Dutasteride capsules can cost, on average, between 60 and 115 reais, depending on the brand and the pharmacy that sells the product.

How to use Dutasteride

Oral use

Adult Men

• Administer 0.5 mg of Dutasteride once daily. The medicine can be taken with or without food.

The dose of the medication may vary, according to medical advice.

Main side effects

Due to the decreased amount of male hormones, some side effects of Dutasteride include:

• Impotence; Decreased sexual desire; Ejaculation problems; Gynecomastia, which is breast enlargement.

These effects are more common when higher doses of the drug are needed, especially in cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Who can not use

This medicine is contraindicated for children, women and people with severe liver failure.