Author: Dr. William Rassman

It’s summer here in Australia and I’ve been keeping my Propecia in the refrigerator because it says store below 30 degrees celsius on the packaging. I recently read that it actually needs to be stored between 15 and 30 degrees. Does the drug become ineffective when it’s stored outside it’s recommended temperatures? I’m concerned because fridge temperature is obviously under 15 degrees (usually around 4 if I’m not mistaken).

Thanks! This site is such a great resource!

I’ve answered a similar question about the medication freezing after being left in a car overnight, and years ago I did answer a similar question about storing it in the refrigerator.

Ideally, it should be kept in a dry place at room temperature. If you are concerned that you’ve rendered your Propecia ineffective, talk to your pharmacist about replacing the pills.

Hello Dr,
Is it the same Propeshia as Propecia? Here in mexico they only sale Propeshia with a “sh” instead of “c” in between. It’s supposedly run by Merck also.

Thanks!

I’ve never seen any packaging or mention of Propeshia (with that spelling), but I did find a reference to it on Drugs.com that basically just confirms that it is from Mexico.

The only other mentions of it with that spelling that I can find are from Mexican pharmacies selling it online, which isn’t exactly the most trustworthy source of information. I thought Merck was selling it in Mexico as Propecia, not Propeshia… but anyone can print a label that says otherwise. It’s possible that it is the real deal, but I’m not sure.

There are so many names that generic Propecia is sold as internationally that I can’t keep up. Some that come to mind include Finpecia, Finax, Finalo, and Gefina. Plus, I have no way to know if there’s even finasteride in the pills you found.

Dr. Rassman:
What is your opinion on Rogaine? Do you think it should be used with Propecia or is Propecia by itself sufficient?

Some people use both together, but I recommend using one at a time so you can figure out which one is providing benefits. If you see some results from Propecia, you can add Rogaine later to try for a maximum benefit. If you start with both and see results, you’re committing to a lifetime of using both medications (otherwise you won’t know which one is providing the results).

Rogaine can work, but I’ve seen better results from Propecia… particularly in men with early hair loss.

I have been taking propecia for 8 months now and feel my hair loss is ten times worse than when I started.my hair has gone from thick shafts to almost baby type thinness.I have seen a hair specialist who has told me to sit it out another 3 months but I am in a terrible state of mind,please help.

ps will this affect my chances of a hair transplant if I choose.

First and foremost, there is no drug that will completely stop genetic hair loss. Propecia (finasteride) can help, but in the long run your genetic fate will take its course. We have wrote about this concept over and again on this site.

Many people who take Propecia do notice benefits in their first year as they see hair loss slow down. Unfortunately for a few like you, they lose the battle, so to speak. This does not mean the the medication made it worse, but it most likely means you were rapidly losing hair as you were pre-programmed to lose (with or without Propecia). Although it works for a majority of men, it doesn’t work for every man.

I know these aren’t exactly words of encouragement, but it is an unfortunate fact. The good news is that a hair transplant may be an option still as a last resort. I’d have to see you to make that determination, though.