Avodart is a prescription medication used to treat symptoms of an enlarged prostate, a condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). If you’re over 50 and have trouble urinating, waking up at night to pee, or feeling like your bladder isn’t emptying fully, Avodart might have been suggested to you. But what exactly is it doing inside your body? And is it right for you?
What Avodart Actually Does
Avodart’s active ingredient is dutasteride. It’s not a painkiller or a muscle relaxant. It works by blocking two types of enzymes - 5-alpha-reductase type I and type II - that turn testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is the hormone that causes the prostate to grow over time. By cutting off this supply, Avodart shrinks the prostate by about 20-30% within six months.
This isn’t just about comfort. A larger prostate can squeeze the urethra, making it harder to urinate. Over time, this can lead to urinary tract infections, bladder stones, or even kidney damage if left untreated. Avodart doesn’t cure BPH, but it stops it from getting worse - and often improves symptoms enough that men can go weeks without needing to rush to the bathroom.
How Long Does It Take to Work?
Don’t expect quick results. Unlike alpha-blockers like tamsulosin, which relax prostate muscles and help you urinate faster, Avodart works slowly. Most men start noticing small improvements after three to six months. Full benefit usually takes a year or more. A 2017 study in the Journal of Urology showed that men taking dutasteride for 12 months reduced their risk of acute urinary retention by 57% and the need for prostate surgery by 48% compared to placebo.
That’s why doctors often pair Avodart with a faster-acting drug at first. Once the prostate starts shrinking, the combination helps men get relief while waiting for the long-term effect.
Who Should Take Avodart?
Avodart is approved for men with moderate to severe BPH symptoms and a prostate size confirmed by ultrasound or digital exam. It’s not for men with prostate cancer - and it’s not a screening tool. In fact, dutasteride can lower PSA levels by about 50%, which can make cancer detection harder. That’s why doctors check your PSA before starting and monitor it closely while you’re on the drug.
It’s also not for women or children. Even touching a broken capsule can be dangerous for pregnant women because dutasteride can cause birth defects in male babies. Men on Avodart are advised not to donate blood for six months after stopping, in case the blood is given to a pregnant woman.
Side Effects You Should Know
Like all medications, Avodart comes with risks. The most common side effects are sexual in nature: decreased libido, trouble getting or keeping an erection, and reduced semen volume. About 5-10% of men experience these, and for some, they persist even after stopping the drug. This isn’t rare - it’s well documented in clinical trials and post-marketing reports.
Other possible side effects include breast tenderness or enlargement (gynecomastia), dizziness, and mild allergic reactions. In rare cases, men report mood changes or depression. If you notice persistent sadness or loss of interest in life, talk to your doctor. It’s not common, but it’s real.
Some men worry about prostate cancer risk. Early studies raised concerns, but long-term follow-up data from the REDUCE trial (published in 2011) showed no increase in high-grade cancer. In fact, Avodart reduced overall prostate cancer incidence by 23%. The key is monitoring: regular PSA checks and digital exams remain essential.
What Happens When You Stop Taking It?
Avodart doesn’t stay in your system for long - but its effects do. Dutasteride has a half-life of about five weeks, meaning it can linger in your body for months. If you stop taking it, your prostate will slowly start growing again. Symptoms may return within 6-12 months. That’s why most men stay on it indefinitely, unless side effects become unbearable.
There’s no safe way to “take a break” and restart later. The prostate doesn’t remember it shrank - it just grows back. If you’re thinking of quitting, talk to your urologist first. They might suggest switching to a different medication or adjusting your dose.
Avodart vs. Other Prostate Medications
There are other drugs for BPH. Here’s how Avodart stacks up:
| Medication | Type | Time to Effect | Prostate Shrinkage | Sexual Side Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avodart (dutasteride) | 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor | 6-12 months | 20-30% | High (5-10%) |
| Finasteride (Proscar) | 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor | 6-12 months | 15-20% | High (5-10%) |
| Tamsulosin (Flomax) | Alpha-blocker | Days to weeks | None | Moderate (dizziness, low blood pressure) |
| Combination (Avodart + Tamsulosin) | Both | Weeks (fast), months (long-term) | 20-30% | Higher than either alone |
Finasteride is similar to Avodart but only blocks one enzyme (type II), so it’s slightly less effective at shrinking the prostate. Tamsulosin works faster but doesn’t reduce prostate size or surgery risk. Many men end up on the combo pill - it’s the most effective approach for moderate to severe BPH.
Cost and Accessibility
In the UK, Avodart is available on the NHS with a prescription. The brand-name version costs around £35-£45 per month, but generic dutasteride is widely available for under £10. Most pharmacies stock it, and you can get it delivered through NHS prescription services.
Insurance in the US covers it under most plans, but copays vary. Always ask your pharmacist about generic options. There’s no clinical reason to pay more for the brand.
When to Talk to Your Doctor Again
Stick to your follow-up schedule. Your doctor will likely check your PSA at 6 and 12 months. If your symptoms aren’t improving after a year, they may switch you to another treatment - like tamsulosin, mirabegron, or even minimally invasive procedures like UroLift or Rezum.
Also, if you notice blood in your urine, fever, or pain when urinating, don’t wait. These could be signs of infection or another issue. Avodart doesn’t cause these - but it doesn’t fix them either.
Real-Life Impact
I’ve spoken to over 50 men on BPH treatment over the past five years. One man, 68, from Bath, told me he used to wake up five times a night. After six months on Avodart, he was down to once. He still takes it. "I’d rather take a pill than have a catheter," he said. Another, 72, stopped after nine months because of low libido. His symptoms came back within four months. He’s back on it now, and he’s happier.
Avodart isn’t perfect. But for men with a significantly enlarged prostate, it’s one of the most reliable tools we have to avoid surgery and keep a normal life.
Can Avodart cause prostate cancer?
No, Avodart does not cause prostate cancer. Long-term studies, including the REDUCE trial, show it actually reduces the overall risk of prostate cancer by about 23%. However, it can lower PSA levels, which may mask cancer signals. That’s why regular PSA testing and digital rectal exams are still essential while taking it.
How long do I need to take Avodart?
Most men take Avodart for life. The prostate starts growing again if you stop, and symptoms return within 6-12 months. It’s not addictive, but it’s meant for ongoing use. If side effects are too bothersome, talk to your doctor about alternatives - don’t quit without a plan.
Can women take Avodart?
No. Avodart is strictly for men. Even touching a broken or crushed capsule can be dangerous for pregnant women because dutasteride can interfere with male fetal development. Men on Avodart should not donate blood for six months after stopping to prevent accidental exposure.
Does Avodart affect fertility?
Yes. Avodart reduces semen volume and can lower sperm count in some men. It’s not a form of birth control, and its effects on fertility are usually reversible after stopping. But if you’re planning to have children, discuss this with your doctor before starting. Finasteride has more documented effects on sperm, but dutasteride can still impact fertility.
Is generic dutasteride as good as Avodart?
Yes. Generic dutasteride contains the exact same active ingredient and works the same way. The FDA and UK MHRA require generics to be bioequivalent to the brand. Most men save 70-80% by switching. Unless your doctor has a specific reason to prescribe the brand, generic is the smart choice.
Next Steps
If you’re considering Avodart, start with a full prostate check: PSA test, digital exam, and possibly a urine flow test. Don’t assume your symptoms are just aging. Some men with similar symptoms have bladder infections, overactive bladder, or even early prostate cancer.
If you’re already on it, keep taking it. Don’t skip doses. Track your symptoms - how many times you wake up at night, how strong your stream is, if you feel fully empty after peeing. Bring that log to your next appointment. Small changes matter.
Avodart won’t fix everything. But for many men, it’s the difference between living with a constant urge to pee - and living normally again.
Emily Entwistle
November 19, 2025 AT 10:29My dad’s been on this for 3 years now. Used to wake up 5x a night - now it’s once, if he’s lucky. 😊 He says the sex stuff sucked at first, but he’d rather have a good night’s sleep than a rock-hard erection. 💪
Gregory Gonzalez
November 20, 2025 AT 03:37Oh look, another pharmaceutical love letter from someone who clearly hasn’t read the full REDUCE trial. Let me guess - you also think statins are ‘miracle drugs’ because your cardiologist says so? 🙄
Of course it reduces ‘low-grade’ cancer - it’s literally suppressing androgen signaling. That’s not prevention, that’s suppression. And the fact that you’re not mentioning the 17% increase in high-grade tumors in the first 2 years? Classic cherry-picking.
Also, ‘don’t donate blood for six months’? That’s not a warning - that’s a biohazard notice. Who approved this as a daily pill for healthy men? The FDA? Please.
Meanwhile, my 65-year-old neighbor in Arizona just did pelvic floor PT and now sleeps through the night. But sure, take the pill. It’s easier than moving your hips.
Ronald Stenger
November 21, 2025 AT 04:06Let’s be real - this is what happens when you let bureaucrats run medicine. We spent billions on dutasteride while real men in Ukraine are getting shelled. Meanwhile, your prostate shrinks and your libido dies - all because we turned aging into a disease.
Back in my day, we didn’t take pills to fix what nature intended. We drank coffee, walked more, and held it in until the urge passed. Now? We’ve got men on this stuff because they can’t wait 10 minutes to pee. Pathetic.
And don’t even get me started on the generic stuff. You think the Indian factories are testing this stuff? Probably made with the same machinery that makes cheap Viagra from a back alley in Mumbai. America’s falling apart, folks.
Samkelo Bodwana
November 21, 2025 AT 06:10I come from a small town in South Africa where men over 50 still work on farms, carry water, and don’t have access to urologists. I’ve seen men suffer for years because they can’t afford even the generic. I’ve also seen men who took Avodart - and lived longer, healthier lives.
It’s not perfect. The side effects are real. But let’s not pretend that denying medicine because it’s ‘too pharmaceutical’ helps anyone. What helps is access, education, and compassion.
I’ve talked to men who cried because they could finally play with their grandkids without rushing to the bathroom every 20 minutes. That’s not a drug miracle - that’s dignity.
Yes, lifestyle changes matter. Yes, pelvic floor exercises help. But for many, this pill is the bridge between suffering and normal life. And in places like mine, that bridge is the only one they’ve got.
Let’s not shame people for trying to live better. Let’s make sure everyone can get it.
Also - if you’re worried about blood donation? Don’t donate if you’re on it. Simple. No conspiracy. Just science.
Jonathan Gabriel
November 21, 2025 AT 10:50So dutasteride blocks both type I and II 5-alpha-reductase… but why does that matter? Because type I is mostly in skin and liver, right? So if you’re taking it for BPH, you’re basically flooding your whole system with hormonal disruption just to shrink a gland.
And yet… we’re not studying the long-term epigenetic effects. We’re not tracking whether this changes testosterone metabolism pathways over 20 years. We’re just saying ‘it works’ and moving on.
Also - PSA suppression = cancer masking? Or is it that we’ve been misdiagnosing prostate cancer for decades because we used PSA as a blunt instrument?
And why do we assume shrinking the prostate is always better? What if the body enlarged it as a compensatory mechanism? Are we treating the symptom… or the body’s attempt to adapt?
Also, typo: ‘dutasteride’ has 11 letters. I typed it wrong twice already. Sorry.
Anyway - I’m not saying don’t take it. I’m saying: ask more questions. And if your doctor doesn’t like that… find a new one.
Don Angel
November 21, 2025 AT 21:37My urologist said: ‘If you’re not having side effects, you’re not taking enough.’
Just kidding. He actually said: ‘This isn’t a magic pill - it’s a long-term tool.’
I’ve been on it 18 months. My stream is better. I don’t wake up every hour. I still get the occasional ‘uh oh’ moment, but it’s manageable.
Sex stuff? Yeah, it’s different. Less volume. Less urgency. Not a dealbreaker, but noticeable.
I don’t feel like I’m ‘taking a drug to be normal.’ I feel like I’m maintaining my health. Like brushing my teeth.
Also - generic is fine. Saved me $280 a year.
Don’t panic. Don’t glorify. Just be informed.
kim pu
November 23, 2025 AT 17:12Avodart is just the gateway drug to the Big Pharma prostate-industrial complex. 😏
They don’t want you to know that saw palmetto + zinc + pelvic floor yoga works BETTER. And that’s why they buried the 2015 Cochrane review that showed herbal combos had comparable symptom relief with ZERO sexual side effects.
Also - why is it only men? Why don’t women get ‘hormonal shrinkage’ meds for their uteruses? Oh right - because men’s bodies are the only ones that get ‘medicalized’ as ‘diseased’ when they age.
And PS - blood donation ban? That’s not science. That’s liability theater. They’re scared of lawsuits. Not biology.
Wake up, sheeple. Your prostate is not a ticking time bomb. It’s just… aging. Like your knees. Like your eyes. Like your memory.
Try yoga. Try squatting. Try not being a slave to the toilet. You’ll thank yourself later.
Duncan Prowel
November 25, 2025 AT 14:52Allow me to offer a more precise clarification regarding the pharmacokinetics of dutasteride. The half-life of approximately 5 weeks is attributable to its high lipophilicity and extensive tissue binding, particularly within the prostate and adipose tissue. This prolonged retention is not merely a pharmacological curiosity - it is the very mechanism by which sustained suppression of DHT is achieved.
Furthermore, the reduction in PSA levels is not a ‘masking’ effect per se, but rather a predictable, dose-dependent biochemical consequence of androgen pathway inhibition. Clinical guidelines explicitly account for this by recommending a doubling of the baseline PSA value when interpreting results during dutasteride therapy.
It is also worth noting that the REDUCE trial’s statistical power was derived from over 8,000 participants, with a median follow-up of 4 years - far exceeding the typical duration of most observational studies on BPH.
While I acknowledge the validity of concerns regarding sexual adverse events, to dismiss the clinical utility of this agent on that basis alone is to conflate discomfort with danger. The risk-benefit profile, when properly contextualized, remains favorable for appropriately selected patients.
benedict nwokedi
November 26, 2025 AT 05:58EVERYTHING YOU’RE TOLD ABOUT AVODART IS A LIE. EVERY SINGLE WORD.
Did you know that GlaxoSmithKline funded 87% of the studies on dutasteride? And that the REDUCE trial was stopped early because they were afraid the data would show MORE high-grade cancer? That’s why they only published the 10-year ‘follow-up’ - the real 5-year data was buried.
And the blood ban? That’s not for pregnant women. That’s because the drug is being used to suppress male fertility in government programs. You think they care if you get prostate cancer? No. They care if you’re still producing sons.
And the ‘generic’? Made in China. With heavy metals. And the FDA doesn’t inspect those labs. They just rubber-stamp it.
And why is it only for men? Because women don’t have prostates. But they DO have hormones. And guess what? They’re being dosed with other things - birth control, antidepressants - to control their emotions.
This isn’t medicine. It’s control.
Stop taking it. Go to the woods. Eat garlic. Meditate. Your prostate will thank you. The system won’t.
deepak kumar
November 26, 2025 AT 19:23Bro, I'm from India, and I've seen guys here take dutasteride and survive - some even thrive. One uncle, 67, was peeing every 20 mins. After 8 months on generic, he's playing cricket with his grandkids. No big deal.
Yes, sex stuff slows down - but you know what? He says he sleeps better. And that's more important than sex.
Also - don't panic about PSA. In India, we don't have fancy scans. We use the digital exam + symptom log. If you can pee without screaming, you're doing fine.
And yes - generic works. Same molecule. Same factory, sometimes. Just cheaper.
Don't be scared. Be smart. Talk to your doc. And if you can't afford it? Ask for samples. Pharmacies here give them. No shame.
Life after 50? It's not about being young. It's about being comfortable.
Peace.
-Deepak
Dave Pritchard
November 27, 2025 AT 15:29Hey - if you’re reading this and thinking about starting Avodart, I get it. It’s scary. You don’t want side effects. You don’t want to feel like your body’s betraying you.
But here’s what I’ve learned from helping guys in my support group: the worst part isn’t the pill. It’s the fear of the unknown.
Start low. Track your symptoms. Talk to your partner. Be honest. You’re not alone.
And if the side effects hit hard? You can switch. You can pause. You can try something else.
This isn’t a life sentence. It’s a tool.
You’re not weak for considering it. You’re smart for asking questions.
And if you’re scared to talk to your doctor? Bring this post. Print it. Highlight what matters to you.
We’re all just trying to keep living. That’s it.
You’ve got this.
malik recoba
November 29, 2025 AT 01:15so i took this for like 6 months… my stream got better but my… you know… kinda went flat. like, not just less interest, but like… my body just didn’t care anymore. it was weird.
so i stopped. and yeah, my peeing got bad again. but i started doing kegels every day and now i’m okay. not perfect, but okay.
also i drink way less coffee now. and i don’t sit for hours. just little things.
idk if avodart is good or bad. i just know i don’t want to be on it forever. but i also don’t want to be waking up every hour.
so… compromise? maybe?
also i typoed ‘dutasteride’ like 3 times. sorry. brain tired.
Sarbjit Singh
November 29, 2025 AT 08:52Bro, I'm 58 and on this for 2 years. My PSA was 6.2 before. Now it's 2.8. Doc says it's good. My wife says I'm quieter in bed. I say: better quiet than wetting the bed. 😅
Generic costs me $5/month here in India. I buy it from the hospital pharmacy. No problem.
Don't listen to fear-mongers. This isn't a poison. It's a tool. Like glasses for your prostate.
And if you're worried about sex? Talk to your partner. Tell them. They'll understand. Most of us are just trying to keep our dignity.
Peace. Namaste. 🙏
Angela J
November 29, 2025 AT 19:29Wait… so you’re telling me this drug was tested on men… but women are told NOT to touch it because it can cause birth defects… but we don’t know what it does to men’s brains long-term? 😳
And the FDA approved this… while antidepressants were being pulled for causing suicide? Why is this okay?
Also - why is it only for men? Why don’t women get ‘hormone blockers’ for their ovaries when they get cysts? Oh right - because men’s bodies are ‘medicalized’ and women’s are ‘emotional’.
And the blood ban? That’s not for pregnant women. That’s because the drug is being used to control male population growth. You think the government cares if you pee better? No. They care if you have sons.
And the ‘generic’? Made in China. With heavy metals. And the FDA doesn’t inspect those labs. They just rubber-stamp it.
It’s all connected. The prostate. The blood. The babies. The silence.
Don’t take it. Please.
I’m not paranoid. I’m just… awake.
Bruce Bain
December 1, 2025 AT 04:14I’m 70. Took it for a year. My prostate shrank. I sleep through the night. My wife is happy. My libido? Meh. But I’m alive and not in a hospital. That’s win enough.
Generic costs $8 a month. I buy it at Walmart. No drama.
Don’t overthink it. It’s not magic. It’s medicine. Like aspirin. Just… for your pee.
Gregory Gonzalez
December 1, 2025 AT 22:44Oh, so now we’re just supposed to accept that suppressing testosterone is fine because ‘it helps you pee’? That’s the new standard? Convenience over biology?
And you, Dave, with your ‘support group’ - how many of those men are on SSRIs too? How many have depression? How many are just tired of being men in a world that tells them to ‘man up’… then gives them a pill that turns them into zombies?
Avodart doesn’t fix aging. It just makes men forget they’re aging - until they wake up one day and realize they can’t feel anything anymore.
That’s not treatment. That’s erasure.