Generic Finasteride Switch (will This Affect Me Negatively?)

[MoBishop]

Hey guys,

After over two years of taking generic brand 5mg Finasteride produced by Teva my pharmacist switched to an Indian manufacturer, Aurobindo.

I am nervous given that I have responded well to the Teva pills and I haven't found much regarding the efficacy of the new brand. Anyone have success with Aurobindo?

The new pills are smaller and harder to split, meaning that I need to take a little over 2.5 mg (I was taking 2.5 previously).

For those wondering, I'm get my meds through Walgreens. Not sure if this is company wide or just my particular store.

Thanks guys

 

[kj6723]

Logic says you will be fine, finasteride is finasteride and given that it's from a reputable pharmacy (Walgreens) you can be sure you're getting the right drug

We do have anecdotal reports of people having issues when they switch brands, although it doesn't really make sense....

I wouldn't worry about it too much

 

[Wiseboi]

2.5 mg are you still a guy?

 

[mjp92]

TL;DR the manufacturer should not make a difference.

I fill my prescriptions at Costco and the manufacturer changes with each refill depending on which manufacturer is, at the time, selling the drugs at the most cost-effective price. It should not make a difference so long as the active ingredient is the same and the dosage is not changed. I am highly skeptical of anyone who claims that this makes a difference. For me, it has not.

I am just starting month 7 with generic finasterides and my first 3 months were using Aurobindo. I responded well, and noticed after about 3 weeks that I was losing significantly less hair in the shower. Before I began treatment at all, I was losing up to 20 hairs in the shower when running my hand through my hair and rinsing with shampoo. After beginning treatment, this was down to 5 to 8 hairs on average. Now, I notice 2 or 3 hairs if any.

As finasteride takes time to show real change, I can say that I began noticing a physical difference in my hairline around the end of month 4/beginning of month 5 which is likely not because of switching manufacturers but because hair regrowth takes time. My last 3 months were with Actavis (a subsidiary of Teva) and my latest refill, which I received today, is from a US subsidiary of an Indian company called Alkem Laboratories.