Author: Alex Thompson

Finasteride Uses, Side Effects & Warnings

It also may decrease the chance that prostate surgery will be needed. Finasteride is in a class of medications called 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. Finasteride treats BPH by blocking the body’s production of a male hormone that causes the prostate to enlarge. Finasteride treats male pattern hair loss by blocking the body’s production of a male hormone in the scalp that stops hair growth. Finasteride is used to treat men who have symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and male pattern hair loss, also called androgenetic alopecia.

Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Data sources include Micromedex (updated 3 Mar 2024), Cerner Multum™ (updated 4 Mar 2024), ASHP (updated 12 Feb 2024) and others. The FDA has approved the 1-mg tablet of finasteride (Propecia) to treat male-pattern hair loss in adult men, known as androgenetic alopecia (balding). Conversely, finasteride is FDA-approved for treating BPH and hair loss, although at different dosages.

Finasteride oral tablet Images

These size reductions helped improve urine flow (2.2 milliliters [mL] per second improvement with dutasteride and 1.7 milliliters per second with finasteride). However, finasteride takes a while to start working for hair loss. Daily treatment may take three months or longer before you notice any benefit. Note that dutasteride is not meant to help prevent prostate cancer and is not FDA-approved for this purpose. Dutasteride, or the brand-name version Avodart, is approved by the FDA to reduce the symptoms of BPH in adult males.

1. In some cases, they may not be available in every strength or form as the brand-name drug.
2. They can be stored at a temperature of 59°F to 86°F (15°C to 30°C) for short periods of time, such as when traveling.
3. Some people prefer to try herbal remedies for prostate health before pursuing prescription treatments.
4. Depression may also be caused by post-finasteride syndrome (see the “Post-finasteride syndrome” section above for more information).
5. Also, herbal supplements that affect hormones might interact with finasteride or dutasteride, potentially impacting their intended effects.
6. Continue to take finasteride even if you have already noticed an improvement.

But be sure to take the dosage your doctor prescribes for you. Your doctor will determine the best dosage to fit your needs. You should not need a new prescription for this medication to be refilled. Your doctor will write the number of refills authorized on your prescription.

If they’re more severe or don’t disappear, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Finasteride can cause birth defects if a woman is exposed to it during pregnancy. A broken finasteride tablet should not be handled by a woman who is pregnant or may become pregnant. The medicine from a broken tablet could be absorbed through the skin. The sexual side effects of finasteride may continue after you stop taking this medicine.

Finasteride and breastfeeding

If you’d like more information on how well finasteride may work for treating hair loss, talk with your doctor. They can provide you with information on the risks and benefits of taking finasteride. Call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction to finasteride, as the reaction could become severe. Note that this list is not all-inclusive and includes only common medications that may interact with finasteride. You should refer to the prescribing information for finasteride for a complete list of interactions. Finasteride will only slow hair loss while you are taking the medication.

You may take finasteride oral tablets with or without food. Regardless of the condition you’re using the drug to treat, you’ll likely take finasteride once per day. Finasteride oral tablets aren’t known to interact with other medications, herbs, supplements, or foods. This doesn’t mean interactions can’t happen with finasteride. One difference is that finasteride does not have any reported drug interactions, while dutasteride has several. Finasteride oral tablets are not approved for use in children.

To help prevent interactions, your doctor should manage all of your medications carefully. Be sure to tell your doctor about all medications, vitamins, or herbs you’re taking. A 50% decrease in serum PSA concentrations in those with BPH receiving 5mg finasteride daily, even if they do have prostate cancer. This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. If you are taking finasteride to treat BPH, you should know that finasteride may control your condition, but will not cure it.

BPH symptoms often include frequent urination, trouble with urine flow, and painful urination. If you have questions about breastfeeding and treatment options for your condition, talk with your doctor. For more information about taking finasteride oral tablets during pregnancy, see the “Finasteride and pregnancy” section above. Animal studies showed that male offspring of pregnant animals given finasteride were born with abnormalities in their genitals. But animal studies don’t always predict what will happen in people. The manufacturer hasn’t stated whether finasteride oral tablets may be crushed, split, or chewed.

” in the “Common questions about finasteride” section above. The finasteride oral tablet dosage your doctor prescribes will depend on the type and severity of the condition you’re treating. When you first start taking finasteride, it’s possible you may continue to have hair loss, including shedding. This is because it may take the drug several weeks or months before it starts working for you. Your doctor will monitor you while you take finasteride to determine whether the drug is working for you.

In some cases, they may not be available in every strength or form as the brand-name drug. The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records. Your doctor will need to check your progress on a regular basis. You will need frequent prostate specific antigen (PSA) tests to check for prostate cancer. Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory.

Finasteride also has more clinical evidence supporting its effectiveness for hair loss than dutasteride. It’s important to note that anyone who is pregnant should not handle finasteride oral tablets that have been crushed or broken. This is because even skin contact with crushed or broken finasteride tablets could cause harm to a fetus. In case of skin contact, immediately wash the affected area with soap and water. To learn more about how finasteride and dutasteride compare, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can also give you details about the brand-name versions of these drugs.

Finasteride for BPH

Before taking finasteride oral tablets, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions. Keep in mind that drinking alcohol could increase your risk for side effects from finasteride, such as erectile dysfunction. Drinking alcohol may also make certain benign prostatic hyperplasia symptoms worse, such as frequently needing to urinate.

A generic drug is an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication. Propecia and Proscar are the brand-name medications that finasteride oral tablets are based on. A generic is considered to be as safe and effective as the original drug. An interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of the medications; however, sometimes it does. Speak to your doctor about how drug interactions should be managed.

Serious side effects

Pregnant women and women who plan to become pregnant in the near future should not handle this drug. Do not take this drug again if you’ve ever had an allergic reaction to it. Finasteride works by decreasing the amount of the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in your body. The condition that finasteride is used to treat depends on the type of the drug used. Finasteride oral tablet is available as the brand-name drugs Proscar and Propecia. Generic drugs usually cost less than the brand-name version.