I went on Flomax (0.8 mg) a year and a half ago and Proscar (5 mg)
around March of last year. My problem was slow flow at night, or any
time my bladder was too full. And at night especially it sometimes got
too full. This meant very poor flow, labored peeing and occasionally
complete blockage, requiring catheterization.

My prostate was 150 g, probably too large for PVP or TURP.

The Flomax provided a benefit in a few days. For me it was not a great
benefit, but it helped. I still had trouble at night but less
frequently. I had some side effects, not too troublesome, but I did
seem to have a permanent cold. The side effects diminished very
gradually with time.

The Proscar worked much more slowly, by shrinking the prostate. It's
not expected to relieve symptoms much. The main benefit, I guess, is
that the prostate stops growing and hopefully shrinks a bit. It worked
for me. After some 10 months symptoms had improved noticeably and
allowed me to reduce the Flomax to 0.4 mg.

I was thinking that halving the Flomax would alleviate the side
effects, but the opposite happened. They got worse... and after that
are very gradually diminishing again.

Anyway, it has now been several months on 0.4 mg Flomax and continuing
on the Proscar... and symptoms are still very gradually improving. I'm
starting to think about reducing the Flomax even more, either by
alternating days or maybe by splitting the contents of the capsule and
putting in new capsules (as described in this NG before) ... or maybe
that is just too fussy and I should just eliminate the Flomax as a
trial.

So basically, the Proscar has brought me back from a very difficult
situation to a situation that I think I can tolerate indefinitely, and
I have been able to avoid surgery.

Just my experience... good luck.

Ed

I am on Flomax and Avodart (a newer 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor than
Proscar).  My medical oncologist, who specializes in prostate cancer (I
have both prostate cancer and BPH), increased my Avodart dose from 0.5
mg to 1.0 mg because my blood test showed that one capsule did not
sufficiently lower my DHT (worsens prostate cancer at least 4 times
more than testosteerone).  It took about 9 months for my Avodart to
help reduce my urinary symptoms. (Avodart was approved by the FDA for
BPH but has an off-label use for slowing prostate cancer growth).

My urologist, after two years, increased my dose of Flomax (an alpha
blocker) from 0.4 to 0.8 mg, in an effort to improve my BPH symptoms,
which were worsening.

Being on both Avodart and Flomax eased my urinary problems about 2
years ago. A 2002 study showed that taking both Proscar and the alpha
blocker doxazosin (Cardura) was more effective than either drug alone.

Research has found that Proscar was most effective in men with large
prostates and with PSAs of 1.4 or higher.

For more info about BPH, go to a new BPH website,
http://www.ljblgb.com/index.htm
Lawrence J. Bookbinder