My WebMD Sign In

Please enter email address

Enter your password

Keep me signed in on this computer

Show more Information

If you select "Keep me signed in on this computer", every time you visit WebMD.com you won't have to type your email address and password. This means that a cookie will stay on your computer even when you exit or close your browser which may reduce your levels of privacy and security. You should never select this option if you're using a publicly accessible computer, or if you're sharing a computer with others. Even if you select this option there are some features of our site that still require you to log in for privacy reasons.

Forget your password? Having trouble signing in?

Why should I
sign up for WebMD?

With a WebMD Account you can:

Track your way to weight loss success
Manage your family's vaccinations
Join the conversation

See more benefits Sign Up

Why WebMD?

My WebMD

Show Menu

Facebook Twitter Pinterest

WebMD Home

Men's Health

Email a Friend

Print Article

Men's Health

Tools & Resources

Font Size

Finasteride for Prostatitis

Examples

Generic Name	Brand Name
finasteride	Proscar

How It Works

Finasteride interferes with the effect of male hormones (androgens) on the prostate gland, which cause the prostate to become larger. This stops the growth of the prostate and can even cause it to become smaller. Stopping the growth of the prostate or reducing its size may help relieve pain or urination problems caused by prostatitis.

Why It Is Used

Finasteride may be prescribed for men who have prostatitis (especially chronic prostatitis/pelvic pain syndrome, inflammatory) and who also have moderate symptoms of prostate enlargement.

How Well It Works

Some studies have shown that finasteride can help with symptoms of prostatitis. But in other studies, finasteride didn't improve symptoms any more than placebo.¹

Side Effects

Side effects may include:

Decreased sex drive.
Reduced ejaculatory volume.
Difficulty getting an erection, though sexual activity before the study was not evaluated.

It is possible that finasteride is linked to an increased risk for high-grade prostate cancers. But more research is needed.

See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug Reference is not available in all systems.)

What To Think About

This medicine should not be used by men who may father a child, because it may cause birth defects in male babies. Women who are pregnant or might become pregnant should not handle crushed finasteride tablets. There is a small chance that the medicine could get into the woman's system and cause a birth defect.

Finasteride reduces prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. Because PSA levels are used to detect early-stage prostate cancer, men interested in taking finasteride might consider the following:

Some experts suggest that men be checked for the presence of prostate cancer (using the PSA test and a digital rectal exam) before starting to take finasteride.
Follow-up PSA tests that have not decreased by approximately 50% after 6 months of taking finasteride may point to a need for further testing for prostate cancer.
PSA levels above 2 ng/mL during finasteride treatment may point to a need for further testing for prostate cancer.

Complete the new medication information form (PDF)(What is a PDF document?) to help you understand this medication.

Citations
Nickel JC (2007). Inflammatory conditions of the male genitourinary tract: Prostatitis and related conditions, orchitis, and epididymitis. In AJ Wein et al., eds., Campbell-Walsh Urology, 9th ed., vol. 1, pp. 304-329. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier.

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: August 23, 2011

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.