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Drug Class
5a-Reductase Inhibitor
Common Uses
- benign prostate enlargement and hair loss in men
Common Brand Names
Finast, Finstal, Firide, Stercia
Overview
Finasteride is used to treat an enlarged prostate (benign prostate enlargement). It can help ease your symptoms if:
- it's difficult to start peeing
- you need to pee urgently or more often
- it's difficult to empty your bladder completely
Finasteride is available on prescription only in some countries. It comes as tablets.
It can also be used to treat hair loss in men (male pattern baldness).
This medicine is generally not recommended for women. It might be prescribed by a specialist doctor but only in very rare cases.
Important Facts
- You'll usually take finasteride tablets once a day.
- If you're taking finasteride it for an enlarged prostate it can take up to 6 months for it to work fully.
- The main side effects are losing interest in sex and difficulty getting an erection.
- Rare side effects include mood changes such as depression and thoughts of harming yourself. Speak to your doctor if you get these side effects.
- Finasteride can affect the results of PSA testing (a blood test to check for prostate cancer). If you need to have a PSA test, tell your doctor that you're taking finasteride.
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