DRUGS THAT MAKE THE PROSTATE SHRINK: 5 – ALPHA REDUCTASE INHIBITORS AND LHRH AGONISTS: 5-ALPHA REDUCTASE INHIBITORS (FINASTERIDE, PROSCAR)
A drug called finasteride acts by shrinking the prostate and decreasing the obstructive symptoms of BPH. But it may do more than simply ease the symptoms of BPH—it may halt its progression.
Finasteride works by thwarting a hormonal process without affecting levels of testosterone, the hormone responsible for a man’s libido and sexual function. Scientists have learned that the trouble in BPH starts after testosterone is converted by an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase into a substance called DHT, which is the active form of male hormone within the prostate. Finasteride stops testosterone from changing to DHT by blocking this enzyme. So the amount of DHT in the bloodstream and prostate tissue drops; but because testosterone levels in the blood remain unchanged, impotence is not a problem for most men who take finasteride. The drug causes a significant reduction in the tissue surrounding the urethra, which is responsible for obstruction.
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