Brand and Generic Propecia

Propecia is a prescription drug that is most commonly prescribed to help men who suffer from pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia). Brand name Propecia is manufactured by the pharmaceutical company – Merck and Co. Inc. It works by blocking the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which in turn decreases the amount of DHT in the body. One of the main factors affecting baldness is the production of DHT. By decreasing the DHT levels it can minimize the baldness, and help regrow hair. It has only been proven to be effective for pattern baldness at the top and front of the head, but not at the temples or sides.

Several factors can lead to hair loss. Some of these include: genetics – most men who go bald do so as they have a balding gene that runs in the family; hormones – different hormones in the body can affect hair loss including testosterone and thyroid hormone; medications – many medications have side effects of hair loss; cancer treatment such as chemotherapy can lead to hair loss in patients; and also some infections can lead to hair loss.

Generic medicines are a popular choice for those purchasing drugs, mostly as they are significantly cheaper than the original brand name versions of the drug. Once a drugs patent has run out (usually after 20 years), other pharmaceutical companies can then reproduce the drug and sell it as a generic version. They can afford to sell them so cheap because they did not have the original costs of researching and designing the drug. They just need to reverse-engineer the drug to replicate the original active ingredients. Generic medicines must have the exact same quality, strength and usage as the original. In the USA, generic medicines have different labels. Those that are exact replicas of the original and use the same active ingredient are labelled AB.

Generic Propecia has been licensed for sale in the USA, yet it is not yet available in pharmacies. It will be available under the name Finasateride and will be available in one dose – 1 mg. It is currently available in 5 mg strength; however this is the wrong dosage for hair loss treatment, and is used for treating patients with an enlarged prostate. The 1 mg dose is the correct strength for hair loss treatment. Generic Propecia is currently only manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Inc.

Propecia Side Effects

As with most prescription drugs there are always potential side effects. Generic and original Propecia is generally considered a very safe drug, and very few people have reported side effects. Most of those that do notice side effects are only very mild. The most common side effects of Propecia are: decreased libido or sex drive, with up to 1.8 per cent of users reporting this; erectile dysfunction occurs in around 1.3 per cent of users; whilst decreased ejaculate amount occurs in around 1.2 per cent of users.

Some of the more serious side effects include testicular pain, breast tenderness or enlargement, and signs of an allergic reaction such as a rash, wheezing, difficulty breathing and swelling. Those that experience these symptoms should see their doctor.

How To Take

Generic Propecia should be taken just once a day, and should also be taken at the same time every day to ensure that there are equal levels of the drug in the blood stream at all times. Generic Propecia can be taken with or without food and results can take up to three months to become noticeable. Once people stop taking generic Propecia the effects will wear off in approximately one year, and hair loss will continue.

Generic and original Propecia should not be taken or even touched by pregnant women, as it can cause severe birth defects to an unborn male foetus. DHT is very important for the development of the male genitals, so any change in these levels during pregnancy can have adverse effects.