Folitabs Drug Information [ Merck ]

Table of content

Folitabs category:

• Human
• Miscellaneous Skin and Mucous Membrane Agents

Active ingredients:

• Finasteride

Folitabs companies and manufacturers:

• Merck

General Information

Folitabs forms, composition and dosages:

• N / A

Indications, usages and classification codes:

• D11AX10 - Finasteride
• G04CB01 - Finasteride

There is an additional general information about this medication active ingredient finasteride:

Pharmacological action

Finasteride is an inhibitor of 5-alpha reductase - an enzyme that converts testosterone into a more active dihydrotestosterone. Decreases the amount of dihydrotestosterone in the blood and prostate tissue. Inhibits the stimulatory effect of dihydrotestosterone on the development of prostate adenoma.
Finasteride reduces the size of enlarged prostate, improves urine flow and reduce symptoms associated with benign prostatic hypertrophy. May be required several months of treatment to reduce the clinical presentations of the disease.

Pharmacokinetics

Well absorbed and penetrates into the tissue and body fluids, found in semen. Bioavailability is 80% and it is independent of ingestion. C_max achieved within 1-2 hours. Plasma protein binding is 90%. Finasteride withdraws in the form of metabolites by the kidneys (39%) and through the intestine (57%). T_1/2 is 6-8 hours. Long-term (3-7 months) using of this medication in a dose of 5 mg / day reduces the concentration of 5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone in the serum on 70%.

Why is Folitabs prescribed?

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (due to reduce the size of the prostate gland; to improve urine flow and reduce symptoms associated with hyperplasia; to reduce the risk of acute urinary retention requiring catheterization or surgical intervention, including transurethral resection of the prostate and prostatectomy).
Finasteride as some brand and generic names medicines is also used to treat male pattern hair loss (a common condition in which men have gradual thinning of the hair on the scalp, leading to a receding hairline or balding on the top of the head.) This medication has not been shown to treat thinning hair at the temples and is not used to treat hair loss in women or children.

Dosage and administration

The daily dose is 5 mg, the multiplicity of reception - 1 time / day. The treatment is long-term.

Folitabs side effects

From the reproductive system: rarely - impotence, decreased libido, a decrease in ejaculate volume, gynecomastia.
Allergic reactions: possible skin rash, angioedema.

Contraindications

Increased sensitivity to finasteride, obstructive uropathy, prostate cancer. Finasteride is not used for women and children.

Using during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Women of childbearing age and pregnant women should avoid contact with this drug, because it has a teratogenic effect (the ability to inhibit the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone can cause developmental disorder of sex organs in male fetus), penetrates into the seminal fluid.

Special instructions

With carefully administered finasteride with liver failure.
With a large volume of residual urine and / or a sharp decrease in current of urine should bear in mind the development of obstructive uropathy.
Before starting treatment with finasteride and periodically during treatment should be performed a rectal examination, and other methods' researches for the presence of prostate cancer.

Folitabs drug interactions

There is not detected clinically significant interaction finasteride with propranolol, digoxin, glyburide, warfarin, theophylline and antipyrine.
Apparently finasteride did not significantly affect the cytochrome P450 enzyme system and accordingly does not affect the pharmacokinetic parameters of drugs metabolized by liver enzymes.
There are not a clinically significant drug interactions with the simultaneous application of finasteride with ACE inhibitors, alpha-blockers, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, nitrates, diuretics, histamine H2-blockers receptor inhibitors of HMG-KoA-reductase, NSAIDs, quinolones and benzodiazepines.

• Folitabs analogs
• Folitabs similar