Dutasteride

• Avodart (dutasteride) helps shrink an enlarged prostate gland in men. It is used alone or together with another medicine to ease urinary symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate, such as a weak stream, frequent urination, or trouble starting to urinate.

• Swallow the capsule whole with water. Do not chew, break, or open it.
• You can take this medicine with or without food.
• Take it at about the same time every day.
• Do not touch a leaking or broken capsule with bare skin. If you do, wash the area right away with soap and water.

If you miss a dose

• If you forget a dose, just take your next dose at its regular time. Do not take an extra capsule to make up for the one you missed.

• This medicine must never be used by women, including during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
• Men taking this medicine should not donate blood until at least six months after their last dose, so this medicine is not accidentally given to a pregnant woman through a blood transfusion.

• Avodart is only for men. Women and children should never take it.
• Tell your healthcare professional if you have liver problems.
• Tell your doctor if you have ever had prostate cancer or another urinary problem, since you should be checked for prostate cancer before starting this medicine.

Important warnings

• Avodart can pass through skin. If a woman who is pregnant or could become pregnant touches a leaking capsule, it could harm a baby boy in the womb.
• This medicine may slightly raise the chance of a more serious type of prostate cancer. Your doctor will watch for this with regular checkups.
• Breast changes such as lumps, swelling, or fluid from the nipple have happened in men taking this medicine. Tell your doctor right away if you notice these changes.
• Heart failure, when the heart does not pump as well as it should, has happened more often in men taking this medicine together with another prostate medicine called tamsulosin. Tell your doctor if you have swelling in your legs, sudden weight gain, or trouble breathing.

• Trouble getting or keeping an erection.
• Less interest in sex.
• Changes in ejaculation, such as less semen than usual.
• Breast swelling or tenderness.
• Feeling dizzy, especially if you also take tamsulosin.

When to get emergency help

• Signs of a serious allergic reaction: sudden wheezing or a tight chest, swelling of your face, lips, or eyelids, or a lumpy skin rash or hives anywhere on your body.
• Severe pain or swelling in a testicle.

When to contact a healthcare professional

• Any new lump, swelling, or fluid coming from a nipple.
• Feelings of sadness or depression that are new or getting worse.
• Swelling in your legs, sudden weight gain, or new shortness of breath.
• Hair loss on your body or unusual hair growth in new places.

• Tell your doctor or another healthcare professional about all medicines you take, including ones for high blood pressure (like verapamil or diltiazem), HIV (like ritonavir), fungal infections (like ketoconazole), certain infections (like ciprofloxacin), heartburn (like cimetidine), and herbal products like St. John's Wort or milk thistle. These can change how much of this medicine is in your body.
• Do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while taking this medicine, since it can raise the amount of medicine in your blood.
• You can take this medicine with or without food.

• Store the capsules at room temperature, away from heat and moisture.
• Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
• Return any cracked, leaking, or unused capsules to the Care365 care team for safe disposal.