Nurse Teaching on Side Effects of Dutasteride

Nurse educated the patient/caregiver on side effects of using Dutasteride as below:

  1. General allergic reactions: Dutasteride use can result in general allergic reactions, such as, skin rashes, hives, and itching. Some patients can present with symptoms of severe allergic and anaphylactic response with the medication, such as, difficulty breathing, swelling of face, lips, throat, and tongue, with consequent difficulty breathing. Seek emergency medical help for such findings, especially with difficulty breathing, for any appropriate measures to be considered.
  2. Gastrointestinal side effects: This medication can induce some nausea and vomiting, especially when taken on empty stomach. Taking the medication with a glass of water and some food or snack can help avoid these unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms.
  3. Cardiovascular side effects: Dutasteride intake carries a small remote risk of causing and aggravating some underlying cardiac arrhythmias, leading to severe debility and death. Individuals can present with signs and symptoms of arrhythmias, such as, frequent episodes of fatigue, lightheadedness, irregular rapid pounding heartbeat, near fainting, shortness of breath, and chest pain or discomfort.
  4. Sexual side effects: Reduced conversion of testosterone to DHT, secondary to Dutasteride use, can result in increased concentrations of testosterone in the body. A part of this male sex hormone, testosterone, can get converted to female sex hormone, estrogen, in the body. Increased estrogen levels in individuals taking Dutasteride can result in the following sexual side-effects. Dutasteride use in men with active sexual life can result in decreased sexual interest, difficulty attaining and maintaining erection, issues with ejaculation, impotence, and difficulty having an orgasm. Increased estrogen levels in men taking Dutasteride can lead to growth of breast tissue, resulting in breast enlargement and growth of lumps or masses in the breast tissue. These masses can sometimes be painful, resulting in breast tenderness and occasionally even present some discharge.
  5. Risk for prostate cancer: Dutasteride use in men might result in increased risk for prostate cancer. Individuals can present with increased pain and discomfort during urination and ejaculation, trouble starting and stopping the urination, increased frequency of urge for urination, and frank blood in urine. In individuals with metastases of prostate cancer, patients can also present with skeletal and bone pain, as bone is the primary site of metastasis for prostate cancer. Report any of these above findings while taking Dutasteride, to your physician immediately, for further investigation and changes in plan of care.
  6. Teratogenic side effects: Contents of the Dutasteride capsule can get absorbed through the skin. Skin exposure to the contents of the medication capsule in expectant mothers could heavily harm the unborn baby and result in birth defects.
  7. Miscellaneous side effects: Dutasteride capsules can get deformed and discolored, when Exposure of the skin and oral mucosa to the contents of any damaged capsule can irritate the skin and oral mucosa and result in compromise to the skin integrity and development of oral ulcers.

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