Propecia - what is it?
How should I take Propecia?
• Take Propecia exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these instructions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.
• Take each dose with a full glass of water.
• Propecia can be taken with or without food.
• It is important to take Propecia regularly to get the most benefit.
• Your doctor may perform blood tests or other forms of monitoring during treatment with Propecia. One of the tests that may be performed is called PSA (prostate-specific antigen). This test is used to help detect prostate cancer. Propecia will reduce the amount of PSA measured in the blood. Your doctor is aware of this effect and can still use PSA to help detect prostate cancer.
• Store this medication at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
Women of childbearing potential should not use or handle crushed finasteride tablets. Finasteride can cause birth defects in male fetuses.
Finasteride (fin-AS-tur-ide) belongs to the group of medicines called enzyme inhibitors. It is used to treat urinary problems caused by enlargement of the prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH). In men with very enlarged prostates and mild to moderate symptoms (difficulty urinating, decreased flow of urination, hesitation at the beginning of urination, getting up at night to urinate), finasteride may decrease the severity of symptoms. Finasteride may also reduce the chance that surgery on the prostate will be needed.
Finasteride blocks an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase, which is necessary to change testosterone to another hormone that causes the prostate to grow. As a result, the size of the prostate is decreased. The effect of finasteride on the prostate lasts only as long as the medicine is taken. If it is stopped, the prostate begins to grow again.
Finasteride also is used by some balding men to stimulate hair growth. If hair growth is going to occur with the use of finasteride, it usually occurs after the medicine has been used for about 3 months and lasts only as long as the medicine continues to be used. The new hair will be lost within 1 year after finasteride treatment is stopped.
Finasteride is available only with your doctor's prescription, in the following dosage form:
* Oral Tablets (U.S. and Canada)
What are the possible side effects of Propecia?
• Stop taking Propecia and seek emergency medical attention if you experience an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives).
• Other, less serious side effects have been reported but usually resolve with continued treatment. Continue to take Propecia and notify your doctor if you experience
· decreased libido (sex drive);
· decreased volume of ejaculate;
· impotence (trouble getting or keeping an erection); or
· breast tenderness or enlargement.
• Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.
What other drugs will affect Propecia?
• There are no known interactions between Propecia and other medications. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products.
n deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For finasteride, the following should be considered:
Allergies—Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to finasteride. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.
Pregnancy—Women who are or may become pregnant should not take finasteride or should not be exposed to broken or crushed finasteride tablets, because it can cause changes in the genitals (sex organs) of male fetuses.
Older adults—This medicine has been tested and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.
Other medicines—Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your health care professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.
Where can I get more information?
• Your pharmacist has additional information about Propecia written for health professionals that you may read.
• Take Propecia exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these instructions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.
• Take each dose with a full glass of water.
• Propecia can be taken with or without food.
• It is important to take Propecia regularly to get the most benefit.
• Your doctor may perform blood tests or other forms of monitoring during treatment with Propecia. One of the tests that may be performed is called PSA (prostate-specific antigen). This test is used to help detect prostate cancer. Propecia will reduce the amount of PSA measured in the blood. Your doctor is aware of this effect and can still use PSA to help detect prostate cancer.
• Store this medication at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
Women of childbearing potential should not use or handle crushed finasteride tablets. Finasteride can cause birth defects in male fetuses.
Finasteride (fin-AS-tur-ide) belongs to the group of medicines called enzyme inhibitors. It is used to treat urinary problems caused by enlargement of the prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH). In men with very enlarged prostates and mild to moderate symptoms (difficulty urinating, decreased flow of urination, hesitation at the beginning of urination, getting up at night to urinate), finasteride may decrease the severity of symptoms. Finasteride may also reduce the chance that surgery on the prostate will be needed.
Finasteride blocks an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase, which is necessary to change testosterone to another hormone that causes the prostate to grow. As a result, the size of the prostate is decreased. The effect of finasteride on the prostate lasts only as long as the medicine is taken. If it is stopped, the prostate begins to grow again.
Finasteride also is used by some balding men to stimulate hair growth. If hair growth is going to occur with the use of finasteride, it usually occurs after the medicine has been used for about 3 months and lasts only as long as the medicine continues to be used. The new hair will be lost within 1 year after finasteride treatment is stopped.
Finasteride is available only with your doctor's prescription, in the following dosage form:
* Oral Tablets (U.S. and Canada)
What are the possible side effects of Propecia?
• Stop taking Propecia and seek emergency medical attention if you experience an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives).
• Other, less serious side effects have been reported but usually resolve with continued treatment. Continue to take Propecia and notify your doctor if you experience
· decreased libido (sex drive);
· decreased volume of ejaculate;
· impotence (trouble getting or keeping an erection); or
· breast tenderness or enlargement.
• Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.
What other drugs will affect Propecia?
• There are no known interactions between Propecia and other medications. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products.
n deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For finasteride, the following should be considered:
Allergies—Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to finasteride. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.
Pregnancy—Women who are or may become pregnant should not take finasteride or should not be exposed to broken or crushed finasteride tablets, because it can cause changes in the genitals (sex organs) of male fetuses.
Older adults—This medicine has been tested and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.
Other medicines—Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your health care professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.
Where can I get more information?
• Your pharmacist has additional information about Propecia written for health professionals that you may read.
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