Updated: January 20, 2026

What Is Dutasteride? Uses, Dosage, and What You Need to Know in 2026

Author

Peter Daggett

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What Is Dutasteride Used For?
Quick Facts About Dutasteride
How to Take Dutasteride
Who Should Not Take Dutasteride?
What Are the Most Common Side Effects?
Special Instructions: Blood Donation
Is Dutasteride Available as a Generic?
The Bottom Line

Dutasteride (Avodart) is a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor used for BPH and off-label for hair loss. Here's everything you need to know: uses, dosage, costs, and more.

Dutasteride is a prescription medication most commonly recognized by its brand name Avodart. It belongs to a class of drugs called 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs), and it's primarily used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), commonly called an enlarged prostate. More recently, it has gained attention for its off-label use in treating hair loss. Here's a complete overview of dutasteride — what it is, how to use it, and what to expect.

What Is Dutasteride Used For?

Dutasteride has one FDA-approved indication and several well-established off-label uses:

FDA-approved: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men with an enlarged prostate. It improves urinary symptoms, reduces the risk of acute urinary retention (sudden inability to urinate), and decreases the risk of needing prostate surgery.

Off-label in the US: Androgenetic alopecia (male and female pattern hair loss). Dutasteride is approved for hair loss in South Korea and Japan but not yet in the US, though clinical studies strongly support its effectiveness for this purpose.

Other off-label uses: Transgender women (as an antiandrogen component of hormone therapy), hirsutism in women (limited evidence).

Quick Facts About Dutasteride

Brand name: Avodart; also Jalyn (combination with tamsulosin)

Drug class: 5-alpha reductase inhibitor (dual type I and II inhibitor)

FDA approval: November 2001 (BPH)

Generic available: Yes (since November 2015, when Avodart's patent expired)

Controlled substance: No

Dosage form: 0.5 mg soft gelatin capsules (taken by mouth)

Cash price: ~$165-$170 retail; as low as $4-$12 with GoodRx or SingleCare coupons

How to Take Dutasteride

Dose: One 0.5 mg capsule once daily.

With or without food: It can be taken with or without food — food reduces absorption by 10-15%, which is not clinically significant.

Swallow whole: Do not chew, crush, or open the capsules — contact with the oily contents can irritate the mouth and throat.

Consistency: Take at the same time every day.

Timeline: Symptoms may begin to improve after 3 months; full benefit may take 6 months or longer. Due to dutasteride's long half-life, it takes approximately 5-6 months to reach steady-state blood levels.

Who Should Not Take Dutasteride?

Women who are or may become pregnant: Must not take or even handle dutasteride capsules. Dutasteride causes birth defects in male fetuses and is absorbed through the skin.

Children: Contraindicated in pediatric patients.

Patients allergic to dutasteride or finasteride: Cross-reactivity may occur.

Patients with liver disease: Use with caution — dutasteride is extensively metabolized by the liver.

What Are the Most Common Side Effects?

Decreased libido (reduced sex drive) — ~3.3% of users

Erectile dysfunction (ED) — ~9% of users

Decreased semen volume / ejaculation disorders — common

Breast tenderness or enlargement (gynecomastia) — ~1.9% of users

Special Instructions: Blood Donation

Do not donate blood while taking dutasteride or for 6 months after stopping. Dutasteride remains in the bloodstream for a prolonged period and can cause birth defects if transfused to a pregnant woman.

Is Dutasteride Available as a Generic?

Yes. Generic dutasteride has been available in the US since November 2015, when the Avodart patent expired. Multiple manufacturers produce it, including Teva, Camber Pharmaceuticals, and Heritage Pharmaceuticals. With a GoodRx coupon, the cash price for generic dutasteride can be as low as $4-$12 for a 30-day supply.

The Bottom Line

Dutasteride is an effective, widely available generic medication for BPH with an established safety profile and growing use for hair loss. If you want to understand exactly how it works at the molecular level, read our guide on how dutasteride works. And if you need help finding it in stock near you, medfinder can call nearby pharmacies on your behalf.

Frequently Asked Questions

Dutasteride is FDA-approved for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) — an enlarged prostate in men. It is also widely used off-label for androgenetic alopecia (male and female pattern hair loss) and, less commonly, as part of hormone therapy for transgender women. The standard dose is 0.5 mg once daily.

They are the same medication. Avodart is the brand name for dutasteride, manufactured by GSK. Generic dutasteride contains the identical active ingredient at the same dose (0.5 mg) and has been FDA-approved as therapeutically equivalent. The main difference is cost: generic dutasteride costs as little as $4-$12 per month with discount cards, while brand-name Avodart costs significantly more without a savings program.

For BPH, you may begin to notice improvement in urinary symptoms after about 3 months, but the full benefit typically takes 6 months or longer. This is because dutasteride must build up to steady-state blood levels (which takes 5-6 months due to its long half-life) and the prostate takes time to physically shrink. For hair loss, most studies evaluate results at 24 and 48 weeks.

Yes. Dutasteride can be taken with or without food. Food reduces the rate and extent of absorption by about 10-15%, but this is not clinically significant. Take it at the same time each day to maintain consistent blood levels.

Yes. Dutasteride is a prescription-only medication in the United States. It is not available over the counter. You will need a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider — a PCP, urologist, dermatologist, or telehealth provider, depending on your indication. Once prescribed, it is available at most major pharmacies.

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