Should i use finasteride

It's available on prescription only. You'll usually take finasteride tablets once a day. The main side effects are losing interest in sex and difficulty getting an erection. Finasteride can affect the results of PSA testing a blood test to check for prostate cancer This medicine gets into semen and can harm an unborn baby. Use a condom when having sex if your partner is pregnant or could get pregnant.

If you're pregnant or trying to get pregnant, do not touch crushed or broken finasteride tablets. If the tablets are broken, the medicine can pass through your skin and can harm your baby. Finasteride can be taken by men aged 18 years or over. It's generally not recommended for women or children. To make sure this medicine is safe for you, tell a doctor if you: have had an allergic reaction to finasteride or any other medicines in the past have severe bladder problems have liver problems are trying for a baby or have a pregnant partner — this medicine passes into semen and can affect an unborn baby.

Swallow your finasteride tablets whole with a drink of water. Do not break or crush them. Important Pregnant women must not touch crushed or broken finasteride tablets. Dosage For enlarged prostate the usual dose is 5mg, taken once a day. For hair loss, the usual dose is 1mg, taken once a day. What if I forget to take it? Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.

What if I take too much? Finasteride is generally very safe. Taking too much is unlikely to harm you. Urgent advice: Contact for advice now if:. Common side effects These common side effects happen in more than 1 in people. However, talk to your doctor or pharmacist if these side effects bother you or do not go away: problems getting an erection and less interest in having sex problems with ejaculating, such as little or no semen Serious side effects Serious side effects are rare and happen in less than 1 in 1, people.

Speak to your doctor if you get: any lumps, pain or swelling in your chest area or discharge from your nipples — these may be signs of a serious condition such as breast cancer unusually low mood depression or thoughts of harming yourself Serious allergic reaction In rare cases, finasteride may cause a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis. What to do about: problems getting an erection and less interest in sex — these side effects should improve with time.

If they do not get better, speak to your doctor. Talk to a doctor if it does not get any better. Finasteride is not affected by other medicines. Mixing finasteride with herbal remedies and supplements St John's wort a supplement sometimes taken to help with depression might stop finasteride working as well as it's supposed to. Like Propecia, it can take while to see results—up to six months—so be patient. Even power donuts can look good when worn with confidence.

Should you want to avoid Propecia or Rogaine, though, there's always hair transplants or micropigmentation. Watch Now:. Related Stories for GQ Hair. Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Many men even notice a significant degree of hair regrowth in areas of the scalp affected by male pattern baldness after starting treatment with finasteride.

So, does finasteride produce results? For most men, absolutely. Numerous studies have found that finasteride can slow down or stop hair loss from male pattern baldness, and even stimulate hair growth. In one study involving two one-year clinical trials, researchers found that finasteride produced a more than 15 percent increase in hair count at the vertex scalp the crown, or area at the top of the scalp in men with male pattern baldness. Another study from Japan, which covered 10 years of finasteride use, found that more than 90 percent of men with androgenetic hair loss who use finasteride experience improvements.

In short, finasteride works, with most men experiencing improvements in their hair growth and density with treatment.

This level of hair shedding occurs as part of your natural hair growth cycle. As hair grows to its full length, it starts to transition from active growth to rest. Currently, finasteride is approved by the FDA to treat male pattern baldness, which is the most common type of hair loss in men. Other types of hair loss that can affect you may include:. Telogen effluvium. Alopecia areata. This is a form of autoimmune hair loss, in which your hair can fall out in small, round patches.

Tinea capitis. Also referred to as scalp ringworm, this is a type of fungal infection that can cause patchy hair loss. Like almost all medications, finasteride can cause side effects.

Most of the adverse effects of finasteride are mild, although some may have an impact on your quality of life. Inability to get or maintain an erection erectile dysfunction. Sexual side effects, such as erectile dysfunction, difficulty ejaculating and a weaker sex drive, can sound alarming. Even in studies of Proscar, a high-strength 5mg version of finasteride, only a small percentage of men report these side effects. For example, in clinical trials of finasteride for BPH, just over eight percent of men reported an effect on their erections, with 6.

However, the side effects of a medication usually go away when you stop taking it. To continue reading this article, you must log in.

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Most men eventually develop some type of prostate problem, and when they do there are usually no easy solutions. More than a primer on prostate conditions, this Special Health Report, the Annual Report on Prostate Diseases, includes roundtable discussions with experts at the forefront of prostate research, interviews with men about their treatment decisions, and the latest thinking on complementary therapies.

This report will provide you with the information you need to understand the current controversies, avoid common pitfalls, and work with your doctor to make informed choices about your prostate health. Thanks for visiting.