FAQ
1. What is Finasteride (Propecia) and what is it used for?
Finasteride is a medical drug available to us under the brand name Propecia which belongs to a class of medication called 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. This medicine is used alone or as a combination with other medical agents to treat enlarged prostate in men by shrinking them. It is also used to treat hair loss or pattern baldness in men.
2. When and how to use Finasteride?
Finasteride is available to us in a form of pill that must be taken by mouth with or without food as per your doctor's prescription. It is usually taken once a day daily. Swallow the tablet whole rather than chewing or crushing it in your mouth. The dosage and length of the treatment is based on your medical condition, response to the treatment and other medicine that you may be taking for the same or different reason. Your doctor may start you with a low dose which will increase gradually. Take the medicine daily at the same time to get the most benefits from it. Do not increase your dose or take it more often than prescribed as this may also increase the risk of side effects without any improvement in your condition. Also in case of withdrawal from this medicine, it must be gradually decreased rather than immediate withdrawal. Discuss all the other medicines that you might be taking along with Finasteride for the same or different reasons. Follow the medical prescription carefully and inform your doctor in case of any exception or confusion.
3. What are the side effects of Finasteride?
Common side effects observed while medicating with Finasteride are decreased sexual desire, decreased sexual ability, decrease in amount of semen release during sex or hair growth may occur. Inform your doctor if these conditions persist or get worse. There are some serious side effects which must be informed to the doctor right away if observed such as a lump in the breast, nipple discharge, breast enlargement/pain, inability to urinate, pain in testicles etc. There are also some severe allergic reactions involved with these medications which require immediate medical attention if observed such as rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), trouble breathing, severe dizziness etc.
4. Can a pregnant woman handle Finasteride?
No. Finasteride is a kind of drug that has an ability to get absorbed by skin or inhaled through nose or mouth. Especially, a pregnant woman must avoid contact with this drug when it is crushed or broken. A contact with this drug may increase the risk of genetic abnormalities in the unborn child of pregnant women or in women who are planning to get pregnant.
5. What precaution must be taken before using Finasteride?
Before administering Finasteride, one must clarify the allergies related to individuals from any medicine as the drug may contain some ingredient that may cause allergic reaction inside your body. Also one must specify the medical history of diseases or conditions that one had gone through or currently dealing with such as problems related to urinary tract, prostate cancer, liver or any other infections.
6. How long does Finasteride take to work?
Finasteride is a kind of medicine that does not work instinctively. You may feel a noticeable improvement in your symptoms or condition in the initial days of medication. However, Finasteride may take around 6 months to deliver its maximum benefits. Also for hair loss problems, it may take 3-6 months to show improvement.
7. Define Propecia
Propecia generic name (Finasteride). Propecia is a prescription medicine approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA). It is used as an anti-baldness treatment for men. It helps to regrow lost hair. It comes in 1 mg and 5 mg whatever the doctor we prescribe you how long you will have to take this medicine. It will take three to six month to see the diffrence in your hair growth.
There is also some side effects while taking this medicines:
Erectile dysfunction, Decreased libido, Ejaculatory disorder, Swelling in face, arms, hands, legs, or feet, Breast tenderness or swelling, Male breast cancer, Dizziness, Headache, Weakness.
8. Is Finasteride and Minoxidil is same?
Finasteride comes in a pill which has to be taken orally and minoxidil comes in a liquid form which is applied to the hair twice a day with both hands and both are effective. You can take Finasteride and Minoxidil together it is safe, using both medication together will give you new growth of healthy hair.
Finasteride stop hair loss and grows new hair by blocking DHT. Minoxidil doesn't stop hair loss, but it does help grow new hair thicker and faster.
9. Is Propecia better than finasteride?
Basically Propecia and Finasteride are same for hairloss treatment. But propecia is the branded class of the drug. And the finasteride is the (generic) low cost drug. Both versions of the drug are of the same strength and require a prescription to purchase. It helps to regrow hair that you have already lost.
10. How effective is finasteride?
In day to day life its common for everyone who is having baldness problem in both men and women. Some are getting this problem while they turn fifty or some who gets in at early age. According to the American Hair Loss Association, approximately 85 percent of men will be affected by male pattern baldness. But there are ways to control the effects of hair loss, so that you can enjoy a full head of hair well into your later years.
While using finasteride the researchers noticed that approximately 83 percent of the men who took it in clinical trials stopped losing hair as a result of taking the drug and more than 66 percent of men actually grew hair back after two years of taking it regularly.
11. Does finasteride cause erectile dysfunction?
Taking finasteride for baldness treatment the men can suffer erectile dysfunction. These drugs work by blocking the male hormone testosterone. These study was taken out by researchers from Northwestern University, Chicago, and the University of Catania in Italy. The research says it is known as a side effect of these drugs. If you are getting sexual problems the drug can be stopped to solving the problem.
12. Can you drink alcohol with finasteride?
You can take alcohol with finasteride but it has suggest to take 2 to 3 drinks per day. It has found that heavy drinkers did not get the benefits of finasteride treatment.
13. Can I take Viagra with finasteride?
Yes you can take Viagra with finasteride because there is no interaction found between viagra and finasteride.
14. Does finasteride increase testosterone?
Finasteride blocks the activity of a chemical called 5-alpha-reductase. This chemical changes testosterone to another chemical that makes the prostate develop or balding in guys. It will expand testosterone levels in the body, which diminishes prostate size and builds hair development on the scalp.
15. Is finasteride hard on the kidneys?
Nonetheless, as demonstrated by late investigations on androgen hardship treatments (ADTs), it is conceivable that finasteride adversely affects kidneys. A different companion concentrate with recently analyzed non-metastatic prostate malignant growth showed that the utilization of ADT expanded the danger of intense kidney injury (AKI) [6].
16. Can I take finasteride at night?
There is no best time to take finasteride. In any case, you should attempt to take finasteride simultaneously each and every day to expand its viability. You pick the time—morning, early afternoon, or night—simply ensure you stay with it.
17. Does finasteride make you pee more?
Among men with side effects of urinary block and prostatic expansion, treatment with finasteride for a very long time decreases manifestations and prostate volume, expands the urinary stream rate, and lessens the likelihood of medical procedure and intense urinary maintenance.
18. Does finasteride affect sperm?
Finasteride, even at low portions, may cause diminished sperm includes in certain men. In this populace, tallies improved drastically for most of men after finasteride stopping. The chemical boundaries, sperm motility, and sperm morphology were unaltered after suspension.
19. What causes hair loss?
Hair loss, medically known as alopecia, is a commonly diagnosed disorder. The most common cause of hair loss worldwide is androgenic alopecia. The shrinking of hair follicles (miniaturized), eventually leads to decreased hair coverage on the scalp. This shrinking is caused by the body's excessive response to hormones called androgens and is heavily influenced by genetics. It can start as early as the teenage years or later in life. In men specifically, it typically begins with a receding hairline or bald spots at the top of the head.
20. Can hair loss be treated?
Yes, treatment can help slow or stop hair loss and even promote hair regrowth. It’s important to start treatment as early as possible for the best results. Without treatment, hair loss will continue. However, if the hair follicle loses attachment to the small muscle in the skin (the arrector pili muscle), hair loss can become permanent.
