A combination of two drugs – dutasteride and solifenacin – might result in improved sexual satisfaction among men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) accompanied by lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).
BPH is the medical term for an enlarged prostate, which affects an estimated 50% to 75% of men over age 50. The prostate gland grows inward. In some men, the excess prostate tissue squeezes the urethra, leading to problems with urination.
Different types of medications can be used to treat BPH with LUTS. In this study, researchers investigated combinations of drugs called dutasteride (which reduces the volume of the prostate gland) and solifenacin (which is commonly prescribed to treat overactive bladder).
They worked with 317 men who were divided into three groups. The men took the following doses of medicine once daily for six months.
- Group A took 0.5 mg of dutasteride.
- Group B took 0.5 mg of dutasteride and 10 mg of solifenacin.
- Group C took 0.5 mg of dutasteride and 20 mg of solifenacin.
The men completed questionnaires to assess their erectile function, ejaculatory function, and urinary symptoms before the study began, then monthly until the study’s close. They also kept urination diaries.
Across the three groups, men’s erectile function did not change, and ejaculatory function “fractionally” decreased. Urinary symptoms did improve.
However, Group C’s rate of satisfaction with sexual function increased over the six month period. Their rate at the end of the study was also higher than the rates of Groups A and B.
One proposed reason for greater satisfaction was psychological. Because the men’s urinary symptoms were getting better, it’s possible that they were feeling better emotionally and, in turn, sexually.
Some men experienced side effects, including a skin rash, itching, dry mouth, and constipation. For most men, these side effects resolved within two to seven days.
Forty-one men dropped out of the study. Some felt they were not benefitting from treatment. Others left due to side effects.
The authors recommended more long-term research, as well as studies of men over age 65.
The study was published in the November 2018 edition of the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
Resources
The Journal of Sexual Medicine
Kosilov, Kirill MD, PhD, et al.
“The Risk of Sexual Dysfunction and Effectiveness of Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia With Severe Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction With Combination of Dutasteride and Solifenacin”
(Full-text. November 2018)
https://www.jsm.jsexmed.org/article/S1743-6095(18)31206-2/fulltext
WebMD
“Solifenacin Tablet”
https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-92256/solifenacin-oral/details