DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an 82-year-old male. I have been taking finasteride and tamsulosin for two years now for enlarged prostate. Since December 2021, I started having lower back pain and hip pain when walking. Aside from both high…
pain and hip pain when walking. Aside from both high blood pressure and cholesterol, for which I take medications, I am in good shape. I walk 3 to 4 miles per day and do stationary bike plus all house/garden repairs, including snow removal. My question is: Could the back and hip pain be the result of taking finasteride? According to the information on this drug’s side effects, it can cause prostate cancer with lower back and hip pain.
Finasteride, because of its ability to shrink the prostate, was studied to see if it reduced the risk of prostate cancer. One study was stopped early because there was about a 25% relative reduction in the risk of prostate cancer . However, there was a small increase in the risk of aggressive prostate cancer .
DEAR DR. ROACH: My mother-in-law just had what they thought was a TIA, but her MRI was normal. What does that mean? — D.L.G.