Which generic finasteride is best?

Is all generic finasteride the same?

Propecia and finasteride are the same hair loss treatment, just with different names. Propecia is the branded form of the medication, whilst finasteride is the generic form. It’s called finasteride as that’s the active ingredient in the medication. Sometimes finasteride is also called generic Propecia.

Which finasteride is best?

“There are dose-ranging clinical studies that show finasteride 1mg is just as good as finasteride 5mg,” explains Dr. Jerry Shapiro, one of the Keeps medical advisors. “So there’s no reason to prescribe a higher dosage.” In other words, finasteride 1mg is wholly sufficient.

Does it matter what brand of finasteride?

No, there is not. Propecia is the brand name for the active ingredient known as Finasteride. As such, they are the same drugs and cause the same effects. The only difference is one of price – as, with Propecia, you’ll be paying for the brand.

Is generic finasteride less effective?

Generic Propecia, which is often referred to simply as finasteride, contains the same ingredient as the brand name Propecia sold by Merck. It has the same effects within your body and is just as effective at slowing down or preventing the effects of male pattern baldness.

Is saw palmetto better than finasteride?

In the end, 38% of those who took saw palmetto had an improvement in their hair loss, compared with 68% of those who took finasteride. This finding suggests that both treatments had an effect but that finasteride was more effective.

Is taking finasteride worth it?

A clinical trial carried out over a five-year period on over 1,800 men, has proven that taking finasteride 1mg once a day, slowed and reversed balding in more than 90% of men. Another clinical trial conducted in over 2,500 men, demonstrated that finasteride had a positive impact on hair growth in 87% of men.

What is the alternative to finasteride?

Not wanting to take finasteride after a hair transplant for a variety of reasons, does leave you with the option of taking a herbal version, called ‘saw palmetto‘. This works in a very similar way, by blocking 5-alpha-reductase, an enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT.

Does finasteride thicken hair?

How effective is finasteride? Finasteride is one of the most extensively studied medications for male pattern baldness. Clinical studies have found that finasteride stops hair loss for 90% of men, and 65% will also benefit from increased hair growth and thickening of existing miniaturized hairs.

Is 0.5 mg finasteride enough?

Efficacy has been demonstrated at all end points for finasteride at doses of 0.2 mg per day. Doses of 1 mg and 5 mg also demonstrate similar efficacy, but are superior to lower doses. The drug may therefore be initially administered at a dose of 0.5 mg daily for a short period.

Is there anything better than Propecia?

The researchers concluded that although both medications are effective at treating hair loss in men, dutasteride “seems to provide a better efficacy compared with finasteride” with a broadly similar rate of side effects.

Which is better finasteride or minoxidil?

“Finasteride is by far the more clinically effective medication compared to minoxidil,” Gary Linkov, MD, of City Facial Plastics in New York City tells WebMD Connect to Care. Linkov does caution that finasteride can cause sexual side effects such as decreased semen and reduced sexual desire.

Can I drink alcohol when taking finasteride?

You can drink alcohol with finasteride.

Does finasteride decrease testosterone?

Finasteride, a specific and competitive inhibitor of 5α-reductase enzyme Type 2, inhibits the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In adults, DHT acts as primary androgen in prostate and hair follicles.

What happens if I run out of finasteride?

When there’s no longer any finasteride in your body, the 5α-Reductase enzyme will no longer be blocked, meaning your body will once again start to convert a small percentage of testosterone into DHT.

How common are finasteride side effects?

How common are finasteride side effects? Not very. In clinical trials of Propecia, side effects were reported in 3.8% of men taking finasteride versus 2.1% of men taking a placebo (Mcclellan, 1999).