Timi, "brain fog"? :/ Liver and kidney problems? Where did you get all this from? As far as I'm aware, it doesn't cause any of those side effects and dutasteride is fairly safe for use in renally and hepatically impaired patients.
This is what the prescribing information says -
Renal Impairment: The effect of renal impairment on dutasteride pharmacokinetics has not been studied. However, less than 0.1% of a steady-state 0.5-mg dose of dutasteride is recovered in human urine, so no adjustment in dosage is anticipated for patients with renal impairment.
Hepatic Impairment: The effect of hepatic impairment on dutasteride pharmacokinetics has not been studied. Because dutasteride is extensively metabolized, exposure could be higher in hepatically impaired patients.
As far as adverse reactions go, the prescribing information says -
Most adverse reactions were mild or moderate and generally resolved while on treatment in both the AVODART and placebo groups. The most common adverse events leading to withdrawal in both treatment groups were associated with the reproductive system. Over 4,300 male subjects with BPH were randomly assigned to receive placebo or 0.5-mg daily doses of AVODART in 3 identical 2-year, placebo-controlled, double-blind, Phase 3 treatment studies, each with 2-year open-label extensions. During the double-blind treatment period, 2,167 male subjects were exposed to AVODART, including 1,772 exposed for 1 year and 1,510 exposed for 2 years. When including the open-label extensions, 1,009 male subjects were exposed to AVODART for 3 years and 812 were exposed for 4 years [...] Over the 2-year double-blind treatment period, 376 subjects (9% of each treatment group) were withdrawn from the studies due to adverse experiences, most commonly associated with the reproductive system, with similar findings during the 2-year open-label extensions. Withdrawals due to adverse events considered by the investigator to have a reasonable possibility of being caused by the study medication occurred in 4% of the subjects receiving AVODART and in 3% of the subjects receiving placebo.
As far as long-term effects go,-
Long-Term Treatment (Up to 4 Years): There is no evidence of increased drug-related sexual adverse events (impotence, decreased libido and ejaculation disorder) or gynecomastia with increased duration of treatment. The relationship between long-term use of dutasteride and male breast neoplasia is currently unknown.
Postmarketing Experience: The following adverse reactions have been identified during postapproval use of AVODART. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure. Decisions to include these reactions in labeling are based on one or more of the following factors: (1) seriousness of the reaction, (2) frequency of reporting, or (3) potential causal connection to AVODART.
• allergic reactions, including rash, pruritus, urticaria, and localized edema.
