Adult Dosing
Benign prostatic hyperplasia
- Recommended dose: 5 mg PO qd with or without meals
- Used as monotherapy or in combination with doxazosin
Androgenetic alopecia
- Recommended dose: 1 mg PO qd with or without meals, used generally for 3 months or more; withdrawal leads to reversal of effect within 12 months
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) [Non-FDA Approved]
Pediatric Dosing
- Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been established
[Outline]
- Avoid finasteride therapy in pediatric patients and women
- Women should avoid handling crushed or broken finasteride tablets when they are pregnant or may potentially be pregnant, as there is a possibility of absorption of the drug and can cause risk to a male fetus
- Breast changes including tenderness, enlargement and neoplasm have been reported during therapy. Advise patients to promptly report their physician if they notice any breast changes such as pain, lumps, or nipple discharge
- Finasteride reduces serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentration by approximately 50% within 3-6 months of treatment. However, any confirmed increase in PSA while on dutasteride therapy may signal the presence of prostate cancer and should be evaluated, even if those values are still within the normal range for untreated men
- Percent free PSA remains constant, even under the influence of finasteride, and if percent free PSA is used as an aid in the detection of prostate cancer in men receiving finasteride, no adjustment to its value is required
- Finasteride therapy may increase the risk of development of high-grade prostate cancer
- Before initiating therapy, perform appropriate examination to identify other conditions such as infection, prostate cancer, stricture disease, hypotonic bladder or other neurogenic disorders that might mimic BPH
- Monitor for obstructive uropathy in patients with large residual urinary volume and severely diminished urinary flow; finasteride therapy may not be recommended for these patients
Caution: Use cautiously in
Pregnancy Category:X
Breastfeeding: Therapy is not indicated for use in women. It is unknown whether finasteride is excreted in human milk.
Pricing data from www.DrugStore.com in U.S.A.
- Proscar 5 MG TABS [Bottle] (MERCK SHARP & DOHME)
30 mg = $120.79
90 mg = $330.29 - Propecia 1 MG TABS [Bottle] (MERCK SHARP & DOHME)
90 mg = $214.99
120 mg = $286.66 - Finasteride 5 MG TABS [Bottle] (ACTAVIS)
30 mg = $39.99
90 mg = $78.97
Warning: This pricing information is subject to change at the sole discretion of DS Pharmacy. For the most current and up-to-date pricing information, please visit drugstore.com.
