Can no longer afford Propecia

[mikey79]

I have been on P for about 8 months, not sure if it has been working, at best it may have reduced the shedding. At this time i cannot afford to stay on it. Is it ok to stop with P then continue again when i have more money?

I thought about trying Rogain Foam as its cheaper?

[Coligion]

You should consider switching to generic 5 mg Finasteride/Proscar. It is much cheaper than 1 mg Propecia (I pay $15 for 4 months supply). You will need to cut the pills into fourths, leaving you with 1.25 mg, but this is common practice. If you stop taking Propecia, you will have "catch up loss" where you may lose the hair that Propecia was retaining.

[mikey79]

ohh thanks for the info, so in order to get this would I need to see my family doctor for another prescription?

[Coligion]

I am no expert on the medications, but 5 mg Finasteride is for prostate treatment. Propecia was derived after seeing benefits to patients using this medication, and it was determined 1 mg Propecia/Finasteride was the appropriate dosage specifically for hair loss. How are you currently getting your prescription for Propecia? Some physicians will be reluctant to prescibe 5 mg Finasteride for hair loss because, like I said above, it's the dosage to assist in prostate health. You will have to convince your physician that you will be using it for hair loss and will be cutting the pill into fourths. You should call around to different pharmacies and ask what the cost is for 5 mg Finasteride/Proscar.

[mikey79]

hey thanks for that 411, the propecia I have now was prescribed by my family doctor.

[mikey79]

I got the prescription for the Proscar, so by cutting this up into 4's is ok, its safe?

[Coligion]

[url]http://www.baldingblog.com/2007/04/16/propecia-vs-generic-finasteride

That site has a ton of information on Propecia/Finasteride and is mantained by Dr. Rassman in California. Do some searches, and you will find all kinds of inquiries relating to Propecia/Finasteride.

You should be perfectly fine cutting the Proscar pill into fourths. The medication is the same, sans the dosage. Propecia is prescribed in 1 mg dosages, while Finasteride/Proscar is prescribed in 5 mg dosages. Cutting the pill into fourths will essentially give you 1.25 mg. The dosage is close enough to merit the savings in cost. Also, only cut one pill at a time (don't cut all 30 and store them).

[mott02]

I found the best way to cut them into quarters is to stand the tablet upwards on its side, then cut in half in the middle. Then lay it flat and cut in half longways.

[mikey79]

thanks that post on the blog section is interesting, but a lot of people seem against it?? Is it safe are the side affects similar to Propecia?

[Coligion]

It is the same drug, just different dosages. The side effects, if any, will be exactly the same. The only thing that changes is that you'd be taking 1.25 mg as opposed to 1.00 mg. If you feel that the .25 mg extra of the drug will be detrimental, try shaving each fourth a bit more when you cut them. Unfortunately, there's no easy way to cut a small 5 mg pill into four perfect 1 mg pills.

[bighosedragger]

in my honest opinion stay finasteride! I am on the generic proscar and slit it like the others above have said. it definitelyhas slowed my hair loss down and i think has maybe completely in the crown! for some reason it is not as effective in the hairline but seems to really slowed my loss. i have been noticing loss in the temples since i was 28....i got on propecia in 2003 and recently switched to generic proscar early this year. i also just had 1767 graphs placed in my hair line by Dr. Paul Shapiro on january 4th. i had an awesome experience and hope to post some results soon....i have nothing but time to while i heal so i should get some up soon! lol i definite believe i will be one of the lucky ones and have to think the finasteride for keeping my in good shape. also i have noticed no side effects since being on the drug since 2003....i just hope it never looses its effects!

[mikey79]

great thanks for the post, so you are saying its ok to switch from propecia?

[bighosedragger]

mikey, imho i believe so. I only recently switched from propecia to generic proscar about 6 months ago. so far it seems to be working in the same manner. i was always losing some ground in the temples even on propecia and i assume it is the same with the generic proscar. also with the little extra bit of medicine you get by splitting the pills in quarters has had no side effects whatsoever! hope this helps!

[mikey79]

great thanks soo much, i got mine today..wow great savings as well!