Patient/caregiver was educated on the precautions to be observed while taking finasteride as follows:
- Your physician could change the dose of finasteride, based on the lab results, relief obtained from symptoms of BPH, or side-effects developed. So, maintain compliance with follow-up physician appointments, as scheduled. Be accommodative to the plan of frequent dose changes, until you show an optimum response.
- Individuals can have other conditions contributing to the difficult urination, such as, poor nervous control of the bladder or any obstruction to the urinary passage, such as, a stricture or constriction of urethra. Any difficulty with urination, despite compliance with finasteride, must be reported appropriately to the physician, to be evaluated and necessary changes made in the plan of care.
- This medication can be slow to act and could take time to adjust to your blood levels and produce the desired effect. Do not discontinue taking finasteride without consulting your doctor, even if you fail to see the benefit of the medication. Discontinuing the medication abruptly, without physician recommendation, can lead to recurrence of symptoms of BPH.
- If a dose is missed, it should be taken at the earliest notice of noncompliance. If it is time for the next dose, the missed dose can be skipped. Compensating for the missed dose by taking an extra dose can pose risk for toxicity and side-effects.
