What do you know about Avodart? Analogs, price, indications and instructions for this tool will be presented in this article. You will also learn about what properties are inherent in the mentioned medicine, to which pharmacological group it belongs, what is included in its composition, etc.
Form, description, packaging and composition
Avodart preparation is available in the form of soft gelatinous oblong and opaque yellow capsules marked with the code "GX CE2". On sale, this medication can be found in cardboard boxes, where blisters with 90 or 30 tablets are placed.
The active element of the agent under consideration is dutasteride, and the following additional components are used: gelatin, butylhydroxytoluene, triglycerides, titanium dioxide, red ink for printing, caprylic acid monodiglycerides , glycerin, lecithin and black iron oxide.
Pharmacodynamic characteristics
What pharmacological group does Avodart belong to? Instructions for use states that it is an antiandrogenic agent. Its active substance is a double inhibitor of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase. This component is able to inhibit the conversion of testosterone to DHT. This happens due to the suppression of the activity of 5-alpha reductase of the first and second types.
After taking Avodart, urination normalizes, the size of the prostate gland decreases, and the likelihood of a cure of the disease without surgery is also increased.
Drug features
According to experts, Avodart tablets show a therapeutic effect 8-15 days after the start of treatment. The higher the dose of this drug, the more it affects the production of DHT.
Pharmacokinetic properties
The Avodart drug, the price of which is indicated below, is found in the blood at a maximum concentration 1.5 hours after administration. Its bioavailability is 60%. Simultaneous eating does not have any effect on the kinetic parameters of the drug.
This drug has a fairly high degree of connection with plasma proteins (about 99%). It should also be noted that with a systematic and long-term intake, about 12% of the active ingredient enters the semen.
How is the agent in question withdrawn? What do the instructions and reviews say about this? Avodart is extensively metabolized in the human body. Approximately 2-15% of the active substance is excreted unchanged through the intestines. Complete elimination of the drug is carried out approximately a month after the end of the course of therapy.
Experts say that even after six months, a small amount of the drug can be found in the blood.
Indications
For what purpose can the drug in question be prescribed? What do the instructions and reviews say about this? Avodart is a medicine that is used in the following cases:
- with monotherapy and prevention of the progression of prostatic hyperplasia (benign form) by reducing its size, improving urination, relieving symptoms, as well as reducing the likelihood of surgery and the risk of acute urinary retention;
- during combination therapy together with alpha-1-blockers, as well as for the prevention of the progression of prostatic hyperplasia (benign) by reducing its size, improving urination, alleviating symptoms, reducing the likelihood of surgery and the risk of acute urinary retention.
Contraindications
It is forbidden to use the drug "Avodart" with:
- hypersensitivity to dutasteride, as well as other substances of the drug;
- hypersensitivity to 5-alpha reductase inhibitors.
It should also be noted that this medication is contraindicated for use by children and the fairer sex.
With caution, "Avodart" must be prescribed for liver failure.
Capsules "Avodart": instructions for use
The medication is taken orally, regardless of food intake.
Capsules are swallowed whole without chewing or opening (contents may cause irritation of the mucous membrane of the oropharynx).
With BPH, for adults and older men, the medicine is prescribed in the amount of 1 capsule once a day.
Despite the fact that the therapeutic effect of taking this drug occurs after two weeks, it is recommended to take it for at least six months.
For the treatment of the aforementioned disease, Avodart can be used both in monotherapy and in combination with alpha1-blockers.
A special medication
At a dose of 500 mcg per day, about 0.1% of the drug is excreted through the kidneys. In this regard, there is no need to reduce the dosage in people with impaired functioning of the urinary system.
Patients with impaired liver function, the drug "Avodart" should be taken with extreme caution, since its active substance is subjected to intensive metabolism in this body.
Side effects
What side effects occur while taking the drug in question? What do the medical reviews say about this? Avodart may cause the following adverse reactions:
- apathy and depression;
- itchy skin rashes, urticaria, edema, allergic manifestations (up to angioedema);
- hair loss on the surface of the body and hypertrichosis;
- pain and testicular edema;
- decreased libido and sexual desire, erectile dysfunction, swelling and pain of the mammary glands, problems with ejaculation.
The likelihood of adverse reactions significantly decreases with increasing duration of therapy (for example, from the second year of taking capsules).
If you combine Avodart with other medicines, the frequency of occurrence, as well as the types of adverse events, may vary slightly.
Special recommendations
Avodart capsules should not be opened, nor should their contents come into contact with mucous membranes and skin integuments. If the drug does get on the skin, then it should be washed off immediately with running water.
The combination of dutasteride and alpha-blockers increases the risk of heart disease.
Before taking the medicine, as well as during therapy, it is imperative to carry out a study of the prostate gland (rectal digital, PSA tests, etc.).
Cost of capsules and similar products
How much is Avodart? The price of this medicine is very high. You can buy 30 capsules of this medication for 1500-1600 rubles.
The most common analogues of Avodart are such tools as Proscar, Adenosteride, Finpros, Urofin, Prostan, Penester, Finister.
It cannot be said that the cost of the listed drugs may be slightly higher than the capsules we are considering.
Reviews
Avodart is a fairly popular drug that is used to treat and prevent BPH. Reviews about him can be found very different. Some patients report that after a 12-month use of the medication, the prostate gland has significantly decreased. However, upon termination of treatment, it increased again. Other patients are extremely unhappy with the high cost of this medicine, as well as erectile dysfunction and a decrease in sex drive while taking it.
Experts say that such body reactions disappear on their own after 3-4 months of treatment.