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Proscar is a tablet for BPH. Itโs a daily treatment that relieves symptoms by shrinking the prostate.
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Disclaimer: The information provided on this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any questions or concerns about your health, please talk to a doctor.
Proscar is a medication for an enlarged prostate (medically referred to as benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH). Itโs a tablet that helps reduce the size of the prostate over a period of about six months. Proscar is a branded treatment. There is a generic version of Proscar, which just goes by the name of its active ingredient, Finasteride.
Itโs usually older men that get BPH. Studies have shown that about 50% of men aged between 51 and 60 and 90% above 80 years old experience complications of an enlarged prostate. Needing to go to the toilet more often than usual, not being able to empty the bladder and low urine flow are all common symptoms and can be quite stressful to live with.
Proscar has proven to be an effective treatment for these symptoms and can stop them from interfering with your daily life.
Itโs not known exactly why BPH happens, but it occurs more in older men and is linked to the way the body deals with testosterone. In the body, the hormone testosterone naturally goes through a conversion into dihydrotestosterone. As men age, the rate of conversion from testosterone to dihydrotestosterone increases, and itโs this acceleration that causes the prostate to grow.
An enlarged prostate can make for uncomfortable symptoms. Itโs possible to reduce these by making lifestyle changes, but sometimes treatment is needed.
Proscar works by reducing the size of your prostate gradually over time. The active ingredient, finasteride, blocks the activity of an enzyme, called 5-alpha reductase. This enzyme helps along the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. By stopping it, this hormone conversion slows, and eventually helps the prostate to shrink (relieving symptoms).
You’ll normally need to take it for six months for it to become fully effective, and carry on taking it long term.
Proscar tablets come in one dose: 5mg. Youโll take one tablet a day. You can get finasteride as a 1mg tablet called Propecia (or as a generic called Finasteride). Itโs the same drug but at a lower dose, and is used to treat hair loss.
It takes around six months for Proscar to work at its best, but if you feel like it isnโt working, there are other treatment options available. Proscar is sometimes given in combination with another medication called tamsulosin, which helps to increase your urinary flow; so if Proscar alone doesnโt work, this may be an option.
If Proscar isnโt working for you, let us know, and weโll discuss other options with you.
Finasteride for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
The Effect of Finasteride in Men with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. New England Journal of Medicine, 327(17), pp.1185โ1191.
Finasteride in the treatment of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia: a review. Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management, [online] 5, pp.535โ545.
Proscar 5mg film-coated Tablets - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc). [online]ย
Always take Proscar how your doctor has told you to, and follow the instructions you get with the tablets.
The normal dose is one tablet each day. Take it by mouth, and swallow whole with water. If you forget to take a dose, skip it and take your next one at the normal time.
Donโt double dose to make up for a missed dose. Take Proscar for as long as your doctor tells you to. Donโt stop taking the medication after signs of early improvement because it can take up to 6 months for the full effects to develop.
If you stop taking it your symptoms may come back.
The time it takes to see the benefits of Proscar can vary from person to person. It starts working on limiting testosterone conversion straight away, so symptoms tend to improve within a few weeks of starting your course. But it does take six months for the drug to become fully effective , so itโs important to carry on taking it beyond the first few weeks, and for as long as your doctor tells you to.
If you miss a dose of Proscar, just skip it and take your next dose as normal. Donโt double dose or donโt try to adjust the dose without checking with a doctor first. If you take too much Proscar, you should speak to a doctor as soon as possible.
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