PSA - Beware Generic Proscar

[Jotronic]

I think I've mentioned this before but I think it bears repeating.

 

I was just on the phone with a gentleman that wanted to speak to me after he submitted his virtual consultation. He had been taking Proscar 2.5mg daily for twelve years with great efficacy. However, he noted that the last 12 to 18 months of taking the medication saw a stark decline in it's effectiveness so his GP prescribed Avodart, which is turning things around for him.

 

We were discussing the issue of long term Proscar use and how so many people online talk about how the effects diminish. We agreed that most people tend to say that the drop off occurs after roughly 5 years of use. My thoughts were that this was greatly over exagerated and that while it is certainly possible I chalk it up more to urban myth due to many repeating the experiences of a few. We just don't really see this in our clinic with the tens of thousands of prescriptions we've written.

 

However, since the FDA cleared the way for legitimate generics we've had an alarming number of patients report that their hair loss has resumed even while on "finasteride". After investigating further these patients had switched to the "real" generics (not the generics found for years on the internet). We used to write prescriptions for "5mg finasteride" as this is how scripts needed to be written so that the patient gets Proscar and not Propecia (higher cost). The issue alarmed us to the point that we trashed our original scripts and reprinted scripts that indicate "Proscar, no generic substitutes". Since this change we have had reports from the same patients that were previously affected now saying that the loss has ceased and/or reversed itself.

 

The gentleman I first mentioned said that he too had switched to the generic about the same time that he noticed his hair falling out so he feels better knowing that most likely it was the generic not working as opposed to the medication simply "wearing off".

 

This is not to say that all generics are not as effective as name brand Proscar but with the relative low cost of Proscar it doesn't really make sense (to me anyway) to switch to generics. Consider this your Hairy PSA for the day:)

[haircut]

I too saw a decline in the effectiveness of Finesteride 1.25mg after 15 years. My HT doctor moved me up to up to 2.5mg. It seems to have slowed the loss down and allowed some hair to return.

[RCWest]

Jotronic, this is an alarming situation across the entire pharmaceutical industry. I believe that you are taking a big chance when it comes to generics. First off, generics are allowed a -20% to + 15% tolerance of active ingredient. Therefore a 5 mg generic Proscar could contain as low as 4 mg or as high as 5.75 mg of Finasteride. And the larger doseage prescriptions vary a lot more. My 200 mg. generic Tegretol could be as low as 160 mg or as high as 230. That is scary with a med that you need to dose closely or you either get worsened side effects or seizures. IMO there are way too many foreign imported drugs. A lot of stuff my pharmacy carries comes from India and even though the company is FDA approved in my eyes that doesn't account for much these days.

[bonkerstonker]

Hmm now you come to mention it i had 8 years with merk proscar with good effect then 2 years ago i switched to generic from my Dr and my hairline did start fading around then but i never thought of that till now, i have also been back on merck for a year but didn't get my hairline back. Very interesting pal!!

[Speegs]

My experience the American generic finasteride made by the company Teva is trustworthy and carried by Walgreens pharmacy at 12.99 for 30 pills for those with a 20 dollar membership. Makes it very cheap otherwise i was still paying 80 bucks for it because my insurance refused to cover it because at 27 they deem me using it cosmetically and not for prostate.

[bonkerstonker]

My experience the American generic finasteride made by the company Teva is trustworthy and carried by Walgreens pharmacy at 12.99 for 30 pills for those with a 20 dollar membership. Makes it very cheap otherwise i was still paying 80 bucks for it because my insurance refused to cover it because at 27 they deem me using it cosmetically and not for prostate.

 

Lmao speegs i have to applaud you for trying to make out it was for your prostate at 27 years old, in the uk you'd get laughed out of the doctors office for trying to pull a stunt like that and banned from ever coming back. Quality that pal ha ha

[gabrieljose43]

I had been taken generic proscar for a 2 years now, from different suppliers (usually canadian pharmacies). In the beginning I saw a little growth, but it eventually faded to the point that I was just taking it for safety sakes. I always bought generics since they were cheaper, but in my last order I got propecia. The difference is noticable. I am actually seeing improvement...and could not put the two together until I read this thread. Now it all makes sense.

[Jotronic]

I have received an email from another patient that has been losing his hair while taking generic finasteride. PLEASE, if you happen to be using generics and are seeing ANY negative differences I urge you to ditch the generic and begin a regular intake frequency of name brand Propecia or 5mg Proscar cut into quarters. The lower price of generics hardly makes it worth it.

[Guest jjhere]

It's all about finding the right site. I've never had any problems buying generic proscar without a prescription here (promotional link removed by moderator) and its worked. They have always delivered

Edited June 6, 2013 by TakingThePlunge

[Spanker]

This is very interesting and very concerning. I have never even considered the generics not being as effective.

 

Anyone know the price of Proscar non-generic?

[KO]

I've heard this, but this is quite surprising and hard to believe. Surely, with taking branded you'll get the real thing, but in many places around the world, the "generic" is the standard medication. Perhaps you can avoid this buy using reputable generic manufacturers like Teva, Sandoz, Reddy, Cipla etc.

[greatjob]

This is very interesting and very concerning. I have never even considered the generics not being as effective.

 

Anyone know the price of Proscar non-generic?

 

I price checked it at walmart and the said name brand proscar was about $160 for 30 pills. Not bad for a four moth supply but when you compare it to the generic at $9 a month for 30 pills it is quite a contrast

[Spanker]

I price checked it at walmart and the said name brand proscar was about $160 for 30 pills. Not bad for a four moth supply but when you compare it to the generic at $9 a month for 30 pills it is quite a contrast

 

 

That is quite a difference. I use TEVA generic from a local pharmacy. I really don't know of it is working well or not to be honest. I was really surprised to read this.

[Bill - Seemiller]

I've been using generic Proscar, ironically, with a prescription from Dr. Hasson using McDonald's pharmacy for about a year plus now and it appears to be just as effective for me. That said, perhaps they've modified the formula for the pill since initial concerns were raised?

 

Joe, do you have any additional information on this?

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

[Jotronic]

Guys,

 

I understand the confusion. I'm only reporting what I'm hearing from multiple sources. This isn't only one or two patients reporting issues. There are at least thirty or forty reports directly back to me or the doctors in the past few years. When I brought this up on another forum there were several members that reported similar experiences when switching between generic finasteride and name brand Proscar/Propecia. It is so concerning that our prescriptions explicitly say "no generic substitutes" unless the patient has specifically indicated they prefer the generic.

 

I discussed this issue recently during a consultation. The patient was a pharmacist with 20 years of experience. He told me that he does not doubt what I told him as he said generics in general simply are not as reliable. When I asked him why this is he stated that an individual medication may have multiple patents but a generic does not need access to all of these patents to be allowed distribution. He pointed out Lipitor as an example. He told me that Lipitor actually has 52 patents awarded to it but the generics only have cracked 13 of those patents and they are allowed on the market as generic substitutes. So chemically, the generic Lipitor only need be 25% similar to the original to be allowed distribution. My jaw dropped.

 

There are several manufacturers of generics that are very reliable and I do not question their authenticity. Some generics are made with the direct blessing (through licensing deals) from Merck such as Cipla in India. Western pharma companies will do this to maintain a presence in third world countries where the original name brand is too costly. Many times however the quality controls will not be as stringent but that is another issue.

 

If anyone reading this doubts me then that is your prerogative. I have no incentive whatsoever to discuss this other than the fact that I don't want anyone taking finasteride and not getting the real stuff. In British Columbia 30 tablets of Proscar only costs 80 bucks so when a quarter pill is taken 30 tablets lasts for four months which equates to 20 bucks a month. That is more than affordable.

 

Bill, if the generic is working fine for you then of course stick with it but if you ever have any doubts tell MacDonald's to send you the name brand and they will.

[Spanker]

Well.....this is all a bummer to read. I will monitor things closely. If anyone has a similar experience, please chime in.

 

I think a story like this, especially the Lipitor story, should be on Nightline or something. It would be great if there were organizations that did independent studies. I think if they market a generic is should be 100 percent the same drug, or don't allow the generic, which would alleviate the confusion.

[StaggerLee123]

As somebody that has been taking generic Finasteride for the past year I am glad this post has come up again. I was always under the impression that generics were exactly the same as the brand names, as are most people. Good to know, I will switch over to Proscar!!

[TomCruise]

I'm pretty sure the generics sold by Walgreens, Costco and Target here in America are grade A, double plus good.

[cwr2427]

I'm pretty sure the generics sold by Walgreens, Costco and Target here in America are grade A, double plus good.

 

How much is fin at Walgreens and Target without insurance?

 

Also, where is proscar sold, and how much is it without insurance?

 

I've been using fin from Walmart for almost a month, and have noticed no improvement, and now after reading all of this it has me concerned.

[greatjob]

How much is fin at Walgreens and Target without insurance?

 

Also, where is proscar sold, and how much is it without insurance?

 

I've been using fin from Walmart for almost a month, and have noticed no improvement, and now after reading all of this it has me concerned.

 

I'm not sure how much it is at those stores but a lot of pharmacies price match. I get mine at Fry's pharmacy and they price match walmart @ $9 for 30 pills of generic 5mg proscar. Any pharmacy will sell proscar. One month is far to early to evaluate the effectiveness of the medicine. I have never had any issues that I am aware of with fry's generic proscar, it is by Dr. Reddy's lab brand, however when I run out of my last prescription I think I might get the name brand proscar and give it a run, but it is like $160 for 30 pills

[Jotronic]

I'm not sure how much it is at those stores but a lot of pharmacies price match. I get mine at Fry's pharmacy and they price match walmart @ $9 for 30 pills of generic 5mg proscar. Any pharmacy will sell proscar. One month is far to early to evaluate the effectiveness of the medicine. I have never had any issues that I am aware of with fry's generic proscar, it is by Dr. Reddy's lab brand, however when I run out of my last prescription I think I might get the name brand proscar and give it a run, but it is like $160 for 30 pills

 

160.00 for 30 pills?? Sweet Mary that is pricey. It should be closer to half that. I suggest you do some comparison shopping.

[Spanker]

if it is half that, I may switch too, just for peace of mind. is name brand proscar round? I have gotten some pills that are difficult to cut.

[greatjob]

160.00 for 30 pills?? Sweet Mary that is pricey. It should be closer to half that. I suggest you do some comparison shopping.

 

Yeah it is pretty pricey, but that was the price walmart quoted me and usually I have found them to be the cheapest pharmacy, but I will shop around.

[okforever]

I don't believe this. I buy generic here without a prescription it's only about 1 dollar a pill here http://best-preparation-online.com and it seems to be full strength as my local pharmacy.

Edited July 8, 2013 by okforever

[bluemile]

I started on generic finesteride for 4 months. Lost more hair than usual but I thought this was part of the normal shed.

 

I've had no side effects, but recenly have been getting sore and painful joints, I'm sure its related to fin as I'm a healthy person.

 

Anyone have any similar experiences? Im going to get off generic.