By the way, doctor: Is it okay to switch from Avodart to finasteride for BPH?

Q. I have been taking Avodart for my BPH, along with Flomax, but finasteride may be less expensive. Should I switch?

A. The drugs used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) fall into two main groups, the 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors and the alpha-1 blockers. Finasteride (Proscar), which is available as a generic, and dutasteride (Avodart) are 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors. Tamsulosin (Flomax) is an alpha-1 blocker.

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