TLDR Combination therapy for 9+ months maintains symptom improvements after stopping alpha-blockers or finasteride.
This study investigated the outcomes of discontinuing alpha-blockers or finasteride in patients who initially received combination therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The study found that discontinuation of alpha-blockers or finasteride after combination therapy for more than 6 months maintained improvements in symptoms. The appropriate period of combination therapy was found to be 9 months or longer. The study also showed the superior effect of improvement in symptom scores over alpha-blocker or finasteride monotherapy.
1707 citations,
December 2003 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” Combination therapy of doxazosin and finasteride safely and effectively reduces benign prostatic hyperplasia progression risk.
17 citations,
February 2001 in “Urologia Internationalis” Stopping alpha-blocker medication after 6-9 months is safe and effective for most patients with bladder outlet obstruction.
728 citations,
August 1996 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” Terazosin and finasteride effectively treat BPH, but combining them adds no extra benefit.
110 citations,
October 2019 in “Translational Andrology and Urology” More men are getting benign prostatic hyperplasia, and there are many treatments, from medication to surgery, with new methods being developed.
15 citations,
November 2015 in “Pharmacopsychiatry” α-Blockers and 5-ARIs for BPH can cause sexual dysfunction, including erectile and ejaculatory issues.
22 citations,
August 2014 in “Clinical endocrinology” Taking finasteride for benign prostate hyperplasia may increase the risk of osteoporosis, especially at higher doses.
37 citations,
April 2008 in “The Cochrane library” 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors can lower prostate cancer risk but may increase high-grade tumors and cause sexual side effects.
December 2024 in “Zanco Journal of Medical Sciences” Finasteride and dutasteride are equally effective and safe for treating BPH.
