Medicines for benign prostatic hyperplasia
5-alpha reductase inhibitors Reasons to use medicine
Reasons not to use medicine
- You have a large prostate.
- Finasteride can reduce prostate size by 20%.1, 2
- Finasteride is effective in about 5 to 7 out of 10 men treated.3
- Finasteride can reduce AUA symptom scores by 25% to 30%.3
- Finasteride may reduce the risk of acute urinary retention (AUR) and AUR requiring catheterization.
- Finasteride may reduce the risk of future surgery for BPH.4
- Finasteride may reduce the risk of recurrent blood in the urine if BPH is the cause.1
- Symptom relief may take up to 6 months.
- Side effects include decreased sex drive, reduced ejaculatory volume, and difficulty getting an erection.
- Some evidence suggests that it is less effective for symptom relief than alpha-blockers.
- It may be expensive over a lifetime.
Note: Data above only apply to finasteride.
Alpha-blockers Reasons to use medicine
Reasons not to use medicine
- Alpha-blockers are effective in 6 to 9 out of 10 men treated. How well they work depends on which alpha-blocker is used and how much of it is used.3
- They can reduce AUA symptom scores by 15% to 44%.3
- They relieve symptoms within 2 to 3 weeks.
- Some evidence suggests that they are more effective for symptom relief than finasteride.4
- They can help relieve high blood pressure (potentially eliminating the need to take two medicines).
- They do not affect prostate size.
- Side effects include weakness or fatigue; lightheadedness, dizziness, or fainting when standing; a slight decrease in blood pressure; and headaches and nasal congestion.
- When used alone, they do not reduce the risk of BPH complications that may require surgery.
Using a combination of an alpha-blocker with a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor may help your symptoms more than either medicine alone.5, 6
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| Author: | Monica Rhodes | Last Updated: March 24, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Christopher G. Wood, MD, FACS - Urology/Oncology | |
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