Finasteride 1mg Tablets

Male Hair Loss Doctor Service

Finasteride is an effective treatment with just one tablet a day for men with mild to moderate hair loss.

Finasteride 1mg tablets contain finasteride. Finasteride belongs to the group of medicines called 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. Your doctor may prescribe Finasteride 1mg Tablets because you have male pattern hair loss (also known as androgenetic alopecia). Finasteride 1mg Tablets prevent further hair loss in men.

How Does Finasteride Work?
Finasteride 1 mg Tablets block an important enzyme (Type II 5α-reductase), which is involved in the regulation of the hair follicle. In the scalp, Finasteride 1 mg Tablets specifically lower the levels of DHT, a major cause of male pattern hair loss. In this way, Finasteride 1 mg Tablets help to reverse the balding process and prevent further hair loss.

It can take three to six months of treatment with finasteride 1mg before hair regrowth is seen. The balding process usually resumes within six to 12 months if treatment is stopped. side effects for Finasteride 1mg are uncommon.

Finasteride Results
While effectiveness varies from patient to patient, studies have shown that after 5 years of use, 90% of men taking finasteride will either have more hair, or the same amount of hair as they had at the start of treatment. In comparison, only 25% of men who did not take Finasteride had more or the same amount of hair. 

It will usually take at least 2 months for you to notice an effect from taking Finasteride. Hair regrowth can occur for up to 2 years after starting the medication.

What Is Finasteride?
Finasteride 1 mg Tablets prevent further hair loss in men. It is only suitable for men and should never be taken by women.

How To Take Finasteride?
Take just one tablet a day. The film-coated tablets can either be taken on an empty stomach or with a meal.

How Effective Is Finasteride?
In the scalp, Finasteride 1 mg Tablets specifically lower the levels of DHT, a major cause of male pattern hair loss. In this way, Finasteride 1 mg Tablets help to reverse the balding process and prevent further hair loss.

In general, daily use for three to six months may be necessary before you notice any increase in the hair density or reduction in hair loss.
Your doctor will help you to assess if Finasteride 1 mg Tablets are working. It is important to continue taking Finasteride 1 mg Tablets for as long as your doctor prescribes them.

What Are The Side Effects of Finasteride?
Finasteride is a well-tolerated drug, at the low dose of 1mg daily, used to treat male hair loss, side effects from Finasteride are uncommon. For a full list of side effects, please read the patient information leaflet.

What Is The Difference Between Propecia and Finasteride?
They both contain the active ingredient Finasteride 1mg.

Will Finasteride Help An Area of Complete Baldness?
No. Men with mild to moderate, but not complete hair loss, can benefit from using Finasteride 1 mg Tablets.

Is Improvement With Finasteride Permanent?
No. Continued use of Finasteride 1 mg Tablets is recommended to obtain maximum benefit. If the treatment is stopped in between, you are likely to lose the hair you have gained within the next 9 to 12 months.

Is Finasteride Available on the NHS?
No. The NHS does not prescribe this medication for hair loss.

Does Finasteride Work In Women With Hair Loss?
No. Finasteride 1 mg Tablets are only intended for men.

Can I Take A Higher Dose of Finasteride For Quicker Results?

No. Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. The recommended dose is one Finasteride 1 mg tablet daily. Finasteride 1 mg Tablets will not work faster or better if you take them more than once a day. 

Finasteride is a well-tolerated drug, at the low dose of 1mg daily, used to treat male hair loss, side effects from Finasteride are uncommon. 

Like all medicines, Finasteride 1 mg Film-coated Tablets can cause side effects, however, this may be less likely.

• Do not use it, if you are allergic to any of the ingredients.
• Advised to report any changes in breast tissue such as lumps, pain or nipple discharge to their doctor immediately.
• For a full list of side effects, please read the patient information leaflet.

Common Side Effects

• Decreased libido / Reduced sex drive (this side effect will subside after stopping the medication in nearly all cases)
• Erectile Dysfunction. (this side effect will subside after stopping the medication in nearly all cases)
• Runny / Blocked Nose
• Drowsiness
• Sneezing

The side effects listed below are more serious, and you should stop taking Finasteride, and report these to your GP immediately.

• Chills or cold sweats
• Episodes of confusion
• Dizziness / Fainting
• Lumps in your breast area. There have been rare reports of breast cancer in men taking finasteride.
• Suicidal Thoughts

If you suffer from an allergic reaction to any of the ingredients, stop taking the medication.

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, our Rightdose pharmacists or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet.

You can help to make medicines safer by reporting any side-effects to the Yellow Card Scheme at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard.

Before using any medication, it is important to read the Patient Information Leaflet. You can find information leaflets for your medicines by typing them into the search bar at medicines.org, or by contacting us.

Patient Information Leaflet Finasteride 1mg Film-coated Tablets

Finasteride is the generic form of Propecia and is a head hair loss treatment which can reduce hair loss and increase hair growth. Hair growth on other parts of the body will not be affected.

For some men, hair follicles can be damaged and lead to hair loss due to hypersensitivity of a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Finasteride works by acting as a DHT blocker and reduces DHT levels in the body to reverse balding. 

Finasteride should not be taken by women or children.

• It is vital that pregnant women do not touch crushed or broken Finasteride or Propecia tablets. 

What you need to know before you take Finasteride 1 mg Film-coated Tablets:
Do not take Finasteride 1 mg Tablets:

• If you are allergic to finasteride or any of the other ingredients of this medicine.
• If you are a child or adolescent.
• If you are a woman (see also under ‘Pregnancy and breast-feeding’). Finasteride 1 mg Tablets have been found to be ineffective in the treatment of hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) in women in clinical studies.
• If you are already taking finasteride or any other 5α-reductase inhibitor for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or any other condition.

Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility:  Finasteride 1 mg Tablets are only intended for men.
Women who are or may potentially be pregnant should not handle Finasteride 1 mg Tablets especially if broken or crushed. If finasteride is absorbed through the skin or taken by mouth by women pregnant with a male foetus, the child may be born with malformed genital organs.

When the patient’s sexual partner is or may become pregnant, the patient should either avoid exposure of his partner to semen (e.g. by use of a condom) or discontinue treatment with finasteride.

Driving and using machines: There is no information to suggest that Finasteride 1 mg Tablets affect the ability to drive and use machines.

How to store Finasteride

• This medicine does not require any special storage conditions.
• Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the label, carton, bottle after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
• Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

Before using any medication, it is important to read the Patient Information Leaflet. You can find information leaflets for your medicines by typing them into the search bar at medicines.org, or by contacting us.

How to take Finasteride 1 mg Tablets:

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

• The recommended dose is one Finasteride 1 mg tablet daily (equivalent to 1 mg finasteride).

The film-coated tablets can either be taken on an empty stomach or with a meal. The film-coated tablets should be swallowed whole and should not be divided or crushed.

Finasteride 1 mg Tablets will not work faster or better if you take them more than once a day. Male pattern hair loss is a condition that develops over a long period of time.

Directions:

• Take one tablet daily and it can take 3-6 months before any results are seen. If you stop taking Finasteride your hair will revert to its previous state within 6-12 months.

Your doctor will help you to assess if Finasteride 1 mg Tablets are working. It is important to continue taking Finasteride 1 mg Tablets for as long as your doctor prescribes them.

Patients with impaired liver function: There is no experience of the use of Finasteride 1 mg Tablets in patients with impaired liver function.

Patients with impaired kidney function: No dosage adjustment is required in patients with impaired kidney function.

If you take more Finasteride 1 mg Tablets than you should:

• If you have taken more Finasteride 1 mg Tablets than you were told to, or if someone else has taken any Finasteride 1 mg Tablets, contact the accident and emergency department of your nearest hospital. Take any leftover tablets or empty boxes with you for easier identification.

If you forget to take Finasteride 1 mg Tablets:

• If you forget to take a dose of Finasteride 1 mg Tablets, just carry on with the next one as usual.Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.

If you stop taking Finasteride 1 mg Tablets:

• Continued use of Finasteride 1 mg Tablets is recommended to obtain maximum benefit. If the treatment is stopped in between, you are likely to lose the hair you have gained within the next 9 to 12 months.

If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

This medicinal product contains lactose: 

If your doctor has told you that you have intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product. 

If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Finasteride is the generic form of Propecia and is a head hair loss treatment which can reduce hair loss and increase hair growth. Hair growth on other parts of the body will not be affected.

For some men, hair follicles can be damaged and lead to hair loss due to hypersensitivity of a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Finasteride works by acting as a DHT blocker and reduces DHT levels in the body to reverse balding. 

Finasteride should not be taken by women or children.

It is vital that pregnant women do not touch crushed or broken Finasteride or Propecia tablets. 

Warnings and Precautions:

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Finasteride 1 mg Tablets.

• Determination of prostate–specific-antigen (PSA) in serum should be carried out prior to initiating therapy with finasteride and during treatment.
• Finasteride may affect male fertility. Patients who are planning to father a child should consider stopping treatment.
• Mood alterations and depression
• Mood alterations such as depressed mood, depression and, less frequently, suicidal thoughts have been
  reported in patients treated with Finasteride 1 mg. If you experience any of these symptoms stop taking Finasteride 1 mg and contact your doctor for further medical advice as soon as possible.

Other medicines and Finasteride 1 mg Tablets:

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.

Finasteride 1 mg Tablets do not usually interfere with other medicines.

• No information is available on the use of Finasteride 1 mg Tablets together with topical (applied to the
• skin) minoxidil in male pattern hair loss. The combination is not recommended.

Taking Finasteride 1 mg Tablets with food and drink: Finasteride 1 mg Tablets can be taken with or without food.

Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility:  Finasteride 1 mg Tablets are only intended for men. When the patient’s sexual partner is or may become pregnant, the patient should either avoid exposure of his partner to semen (e.g. by use of a condom) or discontinue treatment with finasteride.

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

Ingredients:

What Finasteride 1 mg Tablets contain: 

The active substance is finasteride. One film-coated tablet contains 1 mg of finasteride.

The other ingredients are:

Tablet core: Lactose monohydrate; cellulose, microcrystalline (E460); Starch, pregelatinised (maize); sodium starch glycolate (type-A); lauroyl macrogolglycerides; magnesium stearate (E572).
Film coating: Hypromellose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, talc, titanium dioxide (E171), red iron oxide (E172), yellow iron oxide (E172).

What Finasteride looks like and contents of the pack

Finasteride film-coated tablet is brown coloured, octagonal, biconvex, film-coated tablets debossed with ‘J’ on one side and ‘81’ on the other side.

Finasteride film-coated tablets are available in white opaque PVC/PE/PVdC – Aluminium foil blister pack and HDPE bottle with polypropylene cap containing silica gel as desiccant.

The tablets are provided in blister packs containing 28, 56, 84, & 98 film-coated tablets, HDPE bottle pack: 30 & 1000 film-coated tablets.