Puzzling: Prostate shrunk but Urinary Retention increased

Please, can anybody help shed light on this mystery?

In the last 7 months, I have been aggressively taking Dutasteride
(Avodart) and a bit of Finasteride (Proscar), though I stopped in
between, for a total of 3 months. As a result, my prostrate shrunk
from 75 gm to 45 gm, but urinary retention has increased to nearly 90
percent. This is puzzling, as the entire purpose of taking
Dutasteride, and suffering much loss of libido and sexual performance,
was to reduce the size and thus, hopefully, to increase the flow.

What does this mean? Does my taking Tamsulosin simultaneously in the
same period have anything to do with it?

Thanks.

On 2 Apr 2007 23:59:27 -0700, "Richard" <rm130775@gmail.com> wrote:

>Please, can anybody help shed light on this mystery?
>
>In the last 7 months, I have been aggressively taking Dutasteride
>(Avodart) and a bit of Finasteride (Proscar), though I stopped in
>between, for a total of 3 months. As a result, my prostrate shrunk
>from 75 gm to 45 gm, but urinary retention has increased to nearly 90
>percent. This is puzzling, as the entire purpose of taking
>Dutasteride, and suffering much loss of libido and sexual performance,
>was to reduce the size and thus, hopefully, to increase the flow.
>
>What does this mean? Does my taking Tamsulosin simultaneously in the
>same period have anything to do with it?

I take Flomax (tamsulosin) with Proscar. I don't think these meds
interact at all. But I would expect Flomax to have a greater effect on
flow than Avodart or Proscar. So if you stopped the Flomax, then that
might reduce flow.

Or do you mean Proscar when you said Tamsulosin? Why would you take
Avodart and Proscar at the same time?

What the heck does 90% retention mean? 90% of what?

Meds like Avodart and Proscar don't have much effect on flow,
proabably improving flow only slightly, but if the symptoms are
actually getting worse, then I would ask your uro about that.

Ed

On Apr 3, 10:30 am, Ed <e...@ed.ed> wrote:
> On 2 Apr 2007 23:59:27 -0700, "Richard" <rm130...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >Please, can anybody help shed light on this mystery?
>
> >In the last 7 months, I have been aggressively taking Dutasteride
> >(Avodart) and a bit of Finasteride (Proscar), though I stopped in
> >between, for a total of 3 months. As a result, my prostrate shrunk
> >from 75 gm to 45 gm, but urinary retention has increased to nearly 90
> >percent. This is puzzling, as the entire purpose of taking
> >Dutasteride, and suffering much loss of libido and sexual performance,
> >was to reduce the size and thus, hopefully, to increase the flow.
>
> >What does this mean? Does my taking Tamsulosin simultaneously in the
> >same period have anything to do with it?
>
> I take Flomax (tamsulosin) with Proscar. I don't think these meds
> interact at all. But I would expect Flomax to have a greater effect on
> flow than Avodart or Proscar. So if you stopped the Flomax, then that
> might reduce flow.
>
> Or do you mean Proscar when you said Tamsulosin? Why would you take
> Avodart and Proscar at the same time?
>
> What the heck does 90% retention mean? 90% of what?
>
> Meds like Avodart and Proscar don't have much effect on flow,
> proabably improving flow only slightly, but if the symptoms are
> actually getting worse, then I would ask your uro about that.
>
> Ed

Sorry, my mistake. I mean Tamsulosin (alphablocker) and Avodart
(Dutasteride) simultaneously--that was my main treatment. Briefly, I
also has Finasteride instead of Dutasteride, and for short periods, I
took neither Finasteride or Dutasteride. the scan showed that the
Prostate had indeed shrunk, and yet the flow problem had become worse,
even WITH Tamsulosin. So i can't understand this.