Can Minoxidil Be Taken Internally?

Dear Dr. Rassman and Medical Staff

I had used minoxidil 5% for 2 years without good result So I switched to Provillus a month ago. Can minoxidil be taken internally? Most of them are sold as topical product. Would Scalpmed work for me? Thank you

Minoxidil was originally an oral preparation for the treatment of high blood pressure. It was unreliable for its intended use, but the observation that some women grew facial hair while taking this caught the attention of the drug company. Good drugs are often discovered this way and through serendipity, the observations are made and new applications evolve. The oral form of the drug is not available nor is it approved by the FDA today.

Provillus and ScalpMed apparently use minoxidil as their active ingredient, and both products have been discussed on this site before.