My Doctor Suggested I Increased My Finasteride Dose to 2.5mg Daily

I have been on propecia for about 4-5 years with success. I have recently been getting rapid thinning and spoke to my doctor who said I could take generic finasteride at 2.5 mg per day to see if this would help.( the generic approach was to save some income at a higher dosage as 2 propecia pills would be way too expensive)

Have you seen anyone get any benefit from the increased dose? I know on your blog there has been talk of increasing but no word on if it has helped. Also is there any advantage or disadvantage to taking 1.25mg twice daily or 2.5mg once daily? Thanks so much and keep up the work. I also will be contacting you soon to make an office visit to look at future options. Thanks again.

I’m sure most everyone on this site knows, but just to make it clear for the few that may not… The recommended dose of finasteride is 1mg daily for the treatment of genetic androgenic alopecia. Propecia is the brand name for finasteride in 1mg strength. Some patients take the 5mg finasteride and break it into quarters (taking 1.25mg daily) since this method can save them hundreds of dollars a year (over the brand name). There is no clinical difference if you take the generic medication and break it up in quarters as long as you take it consistently daily.

Taking an increased dose of the medication will likely not do much for hair loss/growth. Some doctors and patients have tried it, but there is no evidence that this really helps. Taking it twice a day is also not a recommended dose, and probably would not have any benefit. In the end, it’s not the dose or the frequency of taking finasteride that determines its efficacy. 1mg a day everyday is good enough. If you believe the drug is not working as it should, then it means your genetic predisposition is winning out over the medication’s limit.

If you still feel taking more of the drug will help, talk with you doctor. I can’t say that I’ve seen any additional benefits in patients who have taken double the dose.