Proscar- 5mg Tablets
This medicine is for use in men only
1. What Proscar is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you take Proscar
PACKAGE LEAFLET: INFORMATION FOR THE USER PROSCAR® 5 MG TABLETS
(finasteride)
This product will be referred to as Proscar throughout this leaflet.
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this
medicine because it contains important information for
you.
• Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
• If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
• This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their signs of illness are the same as yours.
• If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.
In this leaflet:
1. What Proscar is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you take Proscar
3. How to take Proscar
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Proscar
6. Contents of the pack and other information
Proscar contains a medicine called finasteride. This belongs to a group of medicines called '5-alpha reductase inhibitors'.
Proscar shrinks the prostate gland in men when it is swollen. The prostate gland is found underneath the bladder (but only in men). It produces the fluid found in semen.
A swollen prostate gland can lead to a condition called 'benign prostatic hyperplasia' or BPH.
What is BPH?
If you have BPH it means that your prostate gland is swollen.
It can press on the tube that urine passes through, on its way out of your body.
This can lead to problems such as:
• feeling like you need to pass urine more often, especially at night
• feeling that you must pass urine right away
• finding it difficult to start passing urine
• when you pass urine the flow of urine is weak
• when you pass urine the flow stops and starts
• feeling that you cannot empty your bladder completely
In some men, BPH can lead to more serious problems, such as:
• urinary tract infections
• a sudden inability to pass urine
• the need for surgery
What else should you know about BPH?
• BPH is not cancer and does not lead to cancer, but the two conditions can be present at the same time.
• Before you start Proscar, your doctor will do some simple tests to check whether you have prostate cancer.
Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about this.
Do not take Proscar:
• if you are a woman (because this medicine is for men)
• if you are allergic (hypersensitive) to finasteride or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in Section 6).
Do not take Proscar if any of the above apply to you. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Proscar if:
• your partner is pregnant or planning to become pregnant. You should use a condom or other barrier method of contraception when taking Proscar. This is because your semen could contain a tiny amount of the drug and may affect the normal development of the baby's sex organs.
• you are going to have a blood test called PSA. This is because Proscar can affect the results of this test.
If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before
taking Proscar.
Children
Proscar should not be used in children.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently
taken or might take any other medicines. Proscar does not
usually affect other medicines.
Taking Proscar with food and drink
Proscar can be taken with or without food.
Pregnancy and breast feeding
• Proscar should not be taken by women.
• Do not touch crushed or broken Proscar tablets if you are a woman who is pregnant or planning to become pregnant (whole tablets are coated to stop contact with the medicine during normal use). This is because this medicine may affect the normal development of the baby's sex organs.
• If a woman who is pregnant comes into contact with crushed or broken Proscar tablets, speak to your doctor.
Driving and using machines
Proscar is not likely to affect you being able to drive, use tools
or machines.
Proscar contains
• Lactose. This is a type of sugar. If you have ever been told by your doctor that you cannot tolerate or digest some sugars (have an intolerance to some sugars), talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine.
3. How to take Proscar
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
A translation of days of the week is as follows:
Lunes Martes Miercoles Jueves Viernes Sabado Domingo Mon Tue Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun
Taking this medicine
• The usual dose is one tablet each day.
• Take this medicine by mouth.
• Your doctor may prescribe Proscar along with another medicine (called doxazosin) to help control your BPH.
If you take more Proscar than you should
If you take too many tablets by mistake, contact your doctor immediately.
If you forget to take Proscar
• If you forget to take a tablet, skip the missed dose.
• Take the next dose as usual.
• Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
If you stop taking Proscar
Your condition may show an early improvement after taking Proscar. However, it may take at least six months for the full effect to develop. It is important to keep taking Proscar for as long as your doctor tells you, even if you do not feel any benefit straight away.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
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