Safest way to take Finasteride?

Question

I read about the scary side effects finasteride could cause, such as sexual dysfunction, gynecomastia, and a significant increase risk of "high grade" prostate cancer. I would like to mitigate my chances of developing these nasty side effects. Would it be safer to take .5mg every day? Will this reduce the side effect? Also, I'm curious to know if the generic version of finasteride (Dr. Reddy's) is as effective and safe compared to the brand Propecia. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Marco Barusco, MD · Answer

Side effects with Finasteride are less common that people think. Taking 0.5mg a day may reduce the chance of side effects, while still providing good protection against hair loss. Regarding generic equivalents, all generic medications have to have equivalent efficacy/safety as the brand name, so generic Finasteride should be fine for you. I personally have been taking the generic formula of Finasteride 1mg for a few years, with no difference. There are also a few compounding formulations with topical Finasteride, that may offer you protection from side effects.

Jeanette Straga, DO · Answer

The side effects everyone talks about with fear on their mind occur less often than you think.   Of course you may try a half dose but likely it will be less effective.  Generic versions of finasteride technically have the same amount of active ingredient so they should be equal.

Jeff Donovan, MD, PhD · Answer

The safest dose of finasteride is not taking it at all. Lower doses however do tend to be safer than higher doses but do not eliminate the chances of side effects.

William Rassman, MD (retired) · Answer

A lesser dose may further reduce risks of side effects and a dose of 0.5 msg is 80 percent effective aa the full dose

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Safest way to take Finasteride?

Answers (4)

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