Category: Drugs

I am a 36 year old female who has been using Rogaine 5% for about 4 months. About a week ago I noticed dark fine hair on my forehead and even a bit under my eyes. I’m fairly certain this is as a result of Rogaine. Will this facial hair growth go away or get worse with the use or Rogaine?

If you are growing unwanted hair from Rogaine (minoxidil) use, the easiest solution would be to stop using the medication, as it is known that hair on the forehead can be produced. I don’t think the hair growth will go away on its own.

Otherwise, you should take care in washing your hands after using Rogaine and not rubbing your eyes or face or forehead, which you may be doing. I’ve even seen a patient with increased hair on the back of the hand he used to apply the minoxidil. This shows how powerful Rogaine can be in some people.

I’ve been taking Propecia for about a year now and recently stopped to take Proscar instead as the price was a lot cheaper. After breaking the pills into 1.25g and taking them for about a week I decided to switch back onto Propecia (I’d read that the Proscar was unhealthy for women to be around due to the powder residue from breaking the pills, and I was not sure if I was experiencing side effects).

I am now back on Propecia, but I feel like I may be experiencing side effects again, and it looks like I am losing more hair than before. Could a week on Proscar have changed the way I react to Propecia? Is it possible to start experiencing side effects all over again? Thank you!

Both Propecia and Proscar have the exact same active medication: finasteride. The only difference is the dosage. You should not be seeing these drastic changes, especially after one week! It doesn’t make sense to me. Did you have your hair mapped for miniaturization before changing pills and again after making the change to see if there is indeed a significant difference?

Proscar is not radioactive, but women should not handle the cut pill if they’re pregnant or could become pregnant.

Hello.. My question is regarding Propecia, the cost, and comparison.. I came across a website while I searched for Propecia prices [link removed] and I was wondering if this would be a site I can trust?

Also, there is a Generic- Finasteride for a more affordable price.. What is the difference between the two and do they provide the SAME amount of benefits…

Thanks alot!! Please provide any additional information….

I think that’s yet another site based in Canada that sells prescription drugs to US residents without a doctor’s prescription required. That is against the law. As such, I can’t vouch for any site that sells medication online illegally. There are many sites that do this, and I don’t even know how this stuff gets through US Customs without more scrutiny.

So can you trust a site that sells these drugs illegally and without any way to tell if it’s even the real deal? I guess that’s up to you. If you get ripped off (fake medication, incomplete order, etc), who are you going to complain to if the company doesn’t offer you any restitution? These are things I’d consider, but ultimately it’s your choice to make.

Generic finasteride in 5mg size is available at any pharmacy in the US, but the 1mg generic isn’t sold here yet due to patent protection. I believe the patent is set to expire in late 2013, at which time I’d have to assume the generic Propecia will be available in the US. Until then, you just need to cut the generic 5mg pill into pieces. The costs are incredibly cheap that way… and legal.

Something went wrong at my pharmacy and I’m going to miss almost a week’s worth of doses of Avodart. It’s 0.5 mg/day. I’ve been taking it for 5 years now-every day. Will the drug still be in my body enough to suffice or should I be concerned that it will cause my hair loss to be more aggressive?

Thanks!

I don’t know what you will notice by missing Avodart (dutasteride) for one week. I do know missing Propecia (finasteride) for one week will be almost no issue. Perhaps your physician might know better, since he/she prescribed it.

You’ve been on the medication for half a decade so I’m sure the following isn’t news to you, but I have to point this out for the rest of the readers out there: As it is still not FDA approved to treat hair loss, we do not recommend Avodart. There is no solid study on what is the recommend or effective dose for treating hair loss. In addition, the drug lasts months in your body after stopping it.

Do you think a stimulant like Adderall can interact with finasteride in an undesireable way? I have been on finasteride 1mg a day for 6 months with no problems and great results. I started using Adderall for ADHD and I reacted very severely. I lost a huge amount of hair, broke out with acne, started to sweat, grind my teeth at night, and have testicle aches. From what I’ve read and from people I’ve talked to that isn’t common. Is the fact that finasteride and Adderall both influence what your hormones are doing in your body a reason to believe they were a bad combination?

Thanks.

We get questions like these all the time. What you are describing sounds pretty severe, so I would consult with your doctor and follow up on your symptoms to figure out what is going on. The internet is a great source of information, but be warned that it is also a source of misinformation. Talk to a professional in person — best to talk to a caring and competent doctor.

To answer the first question though… no, these two medications do not interact.

Snippet from the article:

Austrian authorities say they have destroyed 22,324 fake medications seized by customs officials over the past few months.

The Finance Ministry says the phoney products were sold online and mailed to customers in Austria from countries including China and India. Popular counterfeits included those billed as treatments for impotence and for hair loss.

Read the rest — Austrian authorities destroy more than 22,000 fake medications

This is bad news for those of you that wanted to purchase fake drugs online.

Keep news items like this in mind when you’re buying prescription drugs via the web without a doctor’s prescription. Fake Viagra and Propecia are out there… and although Austria has gotten rid of some of it, there’s plenty more counterfeit medication still floating around.

Dr. Rassman,

I am a 26 year old man and I started Propecia about 1 month ago. I have a fair amount miniturazation in the frontal hairline Norwood 2&3 area. Does the chance of reversal in this area depend on how far along the minitauraztion has progressed? Is my age optimal for beginning treatment with Finasteride?

Propecia rarely reverses frontal hair loss, though it may happen on occasion for certain men. I have no idea how to determine before starting the medication if it’ll work to regrow in the frontal hairline for a specific patient. This rare regrowth is often not related to the degree of miniaturization.

The optimal age for starting treatment would be when early hair loss starts… and it sounds like that’s the case for you.