My Generic Finasteride Manufacturer Has Changed

Hello Dr Rassman,

Ive been on propecia for about 2 years now, for the first year i was taking the brand name tablets but i read on here that i would be able to get the generic 5mg finasteride tablets and just cut them up into 4 pieces. So since then ive just been cutting up the pills. The last time i went to pick up my prescription the actual tablet had changed and was manufactured by a different company. Ive been taking the new pill for about a month now and i feel like my hair is starting to thin at the sides again. Is this just paranoia or could a switch to a different manufacturer make a difference?

Thanks

The manufacturer shouldn’t make a difference, but I’d ask your pharmacist about the credibility of the new manufacturer, explaining to him/her what you told me here. If you buy Proscar (genuine Merck product) I would think that it is finasteride 5mg as reflected on the label. As for the other manufacturers, I’d hope for the same, but I don’t know where your pharmacy got their supply. There are counterfeit drugs out there (particularly generics, which vary in shape and size of the pill), so the only way you could be sure is to buy a brand name such as Proscar.

Here’s a list of generic finasteride makers that I’ve mentioned before. Cipla and Dr. Reddy’s are two of the more common generic makers, and although there could be other manufacturers since that post was created, it’ll give you a good starting point.