Description
Proscar
Of all the drugs for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), Proscar has the least amount of side effects. The favorable safety profile of Proscar allows prescribing it without prior dose titration that most other medications for BPH require.
Prescribing Information
In monotherapy, Proscar is used for the symptomatic treatment of BPH. Combined therapy with Proscar and Doxazosin is used to relieve severe disorders of the urination act in BPH – the presence of daytime and nighttime pollakiuria, weakening of the urine stream and difficulty urinating.
Proscar is an antitumor hormone drug that is a specific inhibitor of SRD5. The drug inhibits the activity of the intracellular enzyme, which turns testosterone into a more active androgen-dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Proscar helps suppress the formation of DHT, which is accompanied by:
- an increase in the rate of urine flow;
- a decrease in the volume of the prostate gland;
- symptomsmitigation of the urinary tractobstruction.
Thus, Proscar influences the pathogenetic mechanisms of BPH. Reducing the volume of the prostate gland reduces the risk of the diseaseprogression.
Proscar helps reduce the long-term risk of acute urination retention. The drug prevents the formation of new vessels in the prostate gland and helps to reduce the microvascular density. This explains the effectiveness of Proscar in the treatment of BPH, complicated by hematuria (the presence of blood in the urine).
In BPH therapy, Proscar tablets are used, each containing 5 mg of the active ingredientFinasteride.
Dosage
The daily dose of Proscar for the treatment of BPH is one tablet of 5 mg. Meals do not affect the degree of absorption or the duration of the therapeutic effect.
The first signs of improvement in urination become noticeable in 14 days after the start of Proscar treatment. However, the clinical efficacy of BPH therapy should be assessed no earlier than 6-12 months after the start of the drug use.
Prolonged therapy of BPH (more than 4 years) with Proscar is accompanied by a 20% decrease in the prostatevolume. The concentration of DHT in the blood decreases by approximately 70%. Urine flow rate increases by about 15%.
Interactions
Proscar practically does not interact with other drugs. It is compatible with other drugs that can be used to treat diseases that are comorbid to BPH.
Side effects
Proscar does not bind to androgen receptors and does not cause undesirable reactions, characteristic of hormonal drugs (acne, masculinization and others).
The most pronounced side effects of Proscar include decreased libido, erectile dysfunction and ejaculatory impairment (retrograde ejaculation, lack of ejaculation, or a decrease in the amount of semenrelease).
Tips
Several recommendations should be followedto increase the effectiveness and safety of the BPH pharmacotherapy with Proscar:
- combination of Proscar and Doxazosin in BPH therapy is more effective than monotherapy with each drug alone;
- patient should regularly perform a test for prostate specific antigen (PSA), which is necessary to monitor the dynamics of BPH improvement;
- due to the fact that the therapeutic effect of Proscar develops gradually, the drug is suitable only for long-term (many years) treatment of BPH.