Hello again Doctor,
About 3 months ago, I switched from taking Propecia to Proscar. I found the pills to be difficult to slice into 4 pieces, so I just took 1/2 of one instead (the pharmacist only charges me a $10 co-pay, so I can live with spending an extra $5 a month). I asked Dr. Bernstein if this was OK, and he said yes. The problem is my hair has been falling out more rapidly and I’ve become extremely frustrated. My question is this – is this coincidental or should I go back to taking Propecia? or is it possible that I am taking too much?. Thank you for this website and for your time.
I doubt that the higher dose (2.5mg finasteride) that you’re taking will work less effectively than the lower dose of Propecia (1mg finasteride) and cause you to rapidly lose hair. It might just be a coincidence, but you should discuss this with your prescribing doctor.
Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):
I experienced the same thing two months ago. After a year and a half on Propecia and doing well, I wanted to cut down on costs. Merck’s monthly box sells for around 270 yuan here in China, while generic Finasteride is available for 27 yuan for a box of 7 5mg pills.
After two weeks taking the generic pills split into fourths, I suddenly found tons of hair falling out everyday. I waited it out another week, but when the shedding continued, I caved. I binned the rest of the generic and went back on Merck’s pill.
I can’t explain it other than to guess either the generic was fake (a frequent problem here) or perhaps the pills were poorly made and the finasteride was not evenly distributed, causing me to take a lower dose or end up getting a huge dose then several days of sugar pill.
The loss slowed down after three weeks back on Merck’s 1mg pill. I’m reluctant to experiment with a generic again to save what amounts to taking a taxi six times.
Dr Rassman
Similar thing occuring to me as well.I switched to 2.5 mg “generic” finasteride about 3 monthsago. I’m noticing more hair loss and am quite frustrated.
Question. Should I use brand name Proscar to minimize thechances of a counterfiet generic?Should I go back to brand name “Propecia” instead?
I’m currently purchasing my “generic” at a well known supermarket.
Who is the maker of the generic you’re taking? And are you taking 2.5mg daily or are you cutting it? The generic and the name brand should absolutely be the same, as long as there isn’t a fake in there.