Dutasteride-Tamsulosin Hcl Coupons & Prices

A dutasteride-tamsulosin HCl coupon from Rx.com can lower what you pay at the pharmacy counter for this two-in-one prescription for an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH). The brand version, Jalyn, is still marketed in the United States, and an FDA-approved generic dutasteride 0.5 mg / tamsulosin hydrochloride 0.4 mg capsule is available as well. Cash prices swing widely from one pharmacy to the next for the very same capsule, which is exactly why comparing matters. Rx.com checks prices at more than 60,000 pharmacies nationwide, so enter your ZIP code above to see today's price near you and bring the free coupon with you.

What is dutasteride-tamsulosin HCl and how does it work?

Dutasteride and tamsulosin hydrochloride is a fixed-dose combination capsule (dutasteride 0.5 mg plus tamsulosin HCl 0.4 mg) that is FDA-approved to treat symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men with an enlarged prostate. It pairs two different kinds of BPH medicine so you get both faster symptom relief and long-term shrinkage from one capsule. It is not indicated for use in women or in pediatric patients, and it is not a controlled substance.

The two ingredients work in different ways:

• Dutasteride is a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor. It blocks the conversion of testosterone to DHT, the hormone that drives prostate growth. Over months, this shrinks the prostate and lowers the risk of acute urinary retention and of needing BPH-related surgery.
• Tamsulosin is an alpha-1A/1D adrenergic antagonist (an alpha-blocker). It relaxes the smooth muscle in the prostate and bladder neck, which eases a weak stream, urgency, frequency, and getting up at night to urinate, usually within days to weeks.

One important limitation of use: dutasteride-containing products, including Jalyn, are not approved for the prevention of prostate cancer.

Cost, coupons, and paying without insurance

Both the brand (Jalyn) and an FDA-approved generic are on the market, but "generic" does not mean "the same price everywhere." Two pharmacies a few miles apart can charge very different cash prices for an identical 30-day supply of dutasteride 0.5 mg / tamsulosin 0.4 mg capsules, so it pays to compare before you fill. The manufacturer's Jalyn copay savings program applies only to brand-name Jalyn for commercially insured patients (it is not available with Medicare, Medicaid, or other government coverage, and it is void in California and Massachusetts), so it does not help if you are filling the generic or paying cash. For most cash-paying patients, a discount coupon is the main lever available.

If you have no insurance, or if your plan puts this drug on a high tier or applies it to a deductible, the cash price with a free Rx.com coupon may be lower than a copay, though this varies. Enter your ZIP code above to see today's price at pharmacies near you, then show the coupon to the pharmacist. It is free to use and can be reused at refills. It is worth re-checking prices every few months, since pharmacy cash pricing changes. You can also compare the price of the two ingredients filled separately as dutasteride and tamsulosin capsules, which your prescriber may be willing to write if that turns out to cost less.

Alternatives and related BPH medicines

The combination capsule is essentially the same treatment as taking its two components together. The brand names for the individual pieces are Avodart (dutasteride) and Flomax (tamsulosin), and both are also available as generics. Outside the United States the combination is sold as Combodart or Duodart.

Other prescription options your urologist may discuss for an enlarged prostate include:

• Other 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors: finasteride, which works on the same DHT pathway as dutasteride and also shrinks the prostate over months.
• Other alpha-blockers: alfuzosin and silodosin, which relax the prostate and bladder neck like tamsulosin does.
• A PDE5 inhibitor: tadalafil, which is approved for BPH symptoms and is sometimes chosen when erectile dysfunction is also a concern. Combining it with an alpha-blocker can drop blood pressure, so this is a decision for your prescriber.

Which option fits depends on your prostate size, your symptoms, your other medicines, and your blood pressure. This page is information, not medical advice. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist before switching.

Safety, side effects, and what to tell your doctor

Dutasteride-tamsulosin has no boxed warning, but its label carries warnings worth knowing. Dizziness, lightheadedness on standing, and fainting can happen, especially when you first start, when the dose changes, or if you also take another alpha-blocker, a blood pressure medicine, or a PDE5 inhibitor such as sildenafil or tadalafil. Stand up slowly and avoid driving until you know how it affects you. Sexual side effects are reported, including trouble with erections, lower sex drive, and ejaculation problems, along with breast tenderness or enlargement, depressed mood, and possible decreases in sperm count, semen volume, and motility. Rare but urgent: an erection lasting more than four hours (priapism), painful or not, needs emergency care, and serious skin reactions have been reported with tamsulosin.

Also tell your care team about the following. Dutasteride lowers your PSA blood test by roughly half, which can mask prostate cancer; a confirmed rise in PSA while on therapy should be evaluated. An increased incidence of high-grade (Gleason 8-10) prostate cancer has been seen with 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, and these drugs are not approved to prevent prostate cancer. If you are having cataract or glaucoma surgery, tell the eye surgeon you take or have taken tamsulosin, because of Intraoperative Floppy Iris Syndrome. On drug interactions, the label says this capsule should not be used with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors such as ketoconazole, and directs caution with moderate CYP3A4 inhibitors (such as erythromycin) and with strong or moderate CYP2D6 inhibitors (such as paroxetine); in men known to be CYP2D6 poor metabolizers, a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor should be avoided because tamsulosin exposure can rise sharply. Do not donate blood for at least six months after your last dose. The label's contraindications are pregnancy (dutasteride is contraindicated in females who are or may become pregnant) and clinically significant hypersensitivity to the ingredients; the capsule is also not indicated for women or for pediatric patients. Dutasteride can be absorbed through the skin and can harm a male fetus, so women who are or may become pregnant must not handle leaking capsules. This is a summary, not a complete list of risks, and it is not medical advice; review your full medicine list with your doctor or pharmacist.