Hello Dr,
Is it the same Propeshia as Propecia? Here in mexico they only sale Propeshia with a “sh” instead of “c” in between. It’s supposedly run by Merck also.

Thanks!

I’ve never seen any packaging or mention of Propeshia (with that spelling), but I did find a reference to it on Drugs.com that basically just confirms that it is from Mexico.

The only other mentions of it with that spelling that I can find are from Mexican pharmacies selling it online, which isn’t exactly the most trustworthy source of information. I thought Merck was selling it in Mexico as Propecia, not Propeshia… but anyone can print a label that says otherwise. It’s possible that it is the real deal, but I’m not sure.

There are so many names that generic Propecia is sold as internationally that I can’t keep up. Some that come to mind include Finpecia, Finax, Finalo, and Gefina. Plus, I have no way to know if there’s even finasteride in the pills you found.

I have been taking propecia for 8 months now and feel my hair loss is ten times worse than when I started.my hair has gone from thick shafts to almost baby type thinness.I have seen a hair specialist who has told me to sit it out another 3 months but I am in a terrible state of mind,please help.

ps will this affect my chances of a hair transplant if I choose.

First and foremost, there is no drug that will completely stop genetic hair loss. Propecia (finasteride) can help, but in the long run your genetic fate will take its course. We have wrote about this concept over and again on this site.

Many people who take Propecia do notice benefits in their first year as they see hair loss slow down. Unfortunately for a few like you, they lose the battle, so to speak. This does not mean the the medication made it worse, but it most likely means you were rapidly losing hair as you were pre-programmed to lose (with or without Propecia). Although it works for a majority of men, it doesn’t work for every man.

I know these aren’t exactly words of encouragement, but it is an unfortunate fact. The good news is that a hair transplant may be an option still as a last resort. I’d have to see you to make that determination, though.

Dr. Rassman-
This question can be answered by you or any other M.D. working on the site, I do not mind. I am a 25 year old 4th year medical student who has been on propecia for 4 years and have had great results with no side effects. Stopped my hair loss completely at a Norwood 2 and have maintained since starting.

My problem is that the Dr. that prescribes to me, a prominent hair guy in New Jersey, has recently been unavailable for reasons that I can not figure out. I recently had to get an family doc that I did not know from my school to write me a temporary 90 day script, but with my future move to residency and the time constraints on a surgical resident (which I will be), makes me worry I will be left in the lurch if this keeps happening.

My question is basically this: can I write myself scripts for propecia every 90 days when I get my prescription pad this July? Is their anything ethically/legally wrong that will prevent me from doing this?

All the best

I understand that dealing with doctors can be difficult, but in your generation of medical students I am sure you are ingrained in the medical ethics of medicine.

In addition, the American Medical Association suggests, “Physicians should generally not treat themselves or members of their immediate family“.

So as harmless it may seem, you should not be prescribing medications to yourself. If you are so motivated, I suppose you can ask a colleague or another physician if they would mind (or feel comfortable) prescribing you the medication.