Propecia Brand to Generic - Any Problems

[gnate12]

I've been on propecia brand for years. On my last bottle and considering switching to generic because it is considerably cheaper. Costco has generic manufactured by Camber for $36 (versus $200+ for brand).

I heard horror stories initially of some people switching from brand to generic but nothing recently. Is this a safe move?

 

[zzzzz]

the horror stories are placebo effect/people imagining things. There is no difference in generics, the only way there would be is if they were fake, but from a pharmacy as legit as Costco this is pretty much almost an impossibility

 

[kirk]

I've been on generics for over a year after being on Propecia for the same amount of time. I get mine at Costco as well, but for a little cheaper than you apparently. Target changed me from Propecia to Dr. Reddy's, but it cost about $65 mo, and they had no other generic options. Costco started me out on Camber for $15 mo. Now they give me Actavis for $11 mo. I have been able to keep everything I regrew on Propecia, so no problems here

I genuinely think there are people out there with a vested interest in steering folks away from generics. Maybe they profit from it somehow idk.

 

[gnate12]

Thanks. Kirk - is your Actavis 1mg? If so, where is your Costco located? The Costco here in Southern California (Los Angeles area) only had Camber. I'd be interested in purchasing Actavis because it is not made in India.

 

[californiaoceans911]

I just got my prescription filled at Costco a little north of LA in California. $25 for 90-1mg pills (3 month supply if you take 1 mg a day). This is my first time taking the drug. I am not sure if everything is "fear" mongering here. I have a PhD in materials, but I am not a chemist....so I asked one of the guys in my department that are chemists, and more specifically polymer science chemists. He works on cancer drug delivery so I trust his advice.

He said that generics can, at times, be different from the name brands in that the inactive ingredients can cause poor drug delivery vs the brand name. Keep in mind all the FDA trials and literature publications that have shown a proven track record of finasteride working were done on propecia. I think most people are fine on generics but for some people it causes sheds and loss. Take it for what it's worth. In my personal opinion, I think the generics would only differ in that they may not be absorbed as effectively as Propecia. I don't even plan on taking a full 1 mg per day, more like 0.125 mg/day to start and maybe work up to 0.25 mg. With that being the case even propecia would be cheap for me.

I'm kinda at a loss. People say Dr. Reddy's caused loss when they switched to it from Propecia. My brother, having taken Dr. Reddy's from day 1, said he has maintained his hair, with very little regrowth. So maybe Propecia is just better in its delivery.

Remember, when the patent runs out, the generics just have to be bio-equivalent, not therapeutically equivalent. Not sure if I'm going to have the prescription changed to propecia or just try the generic.


EDIT: Picked up the Finasteride today, it was Actavis 1 mg. $26 out the door for 90 - 1mg pills. Super cheap. Haven't heard anything on these forums about people's experience with Actavis. I keep staring at the bottle, terrified to take it.

 

[kirk]

Thanks. Kirk - is your Actavis 1mg? If so, where is your Costco located? The Costco here in Southern California (Los Angeles area) only had Camber. I'd be interested in purchasing Actavis because it is not made in India.


I'd just go for the cheapest one man. They are all the same.

 

[-jp-]

californiaoceans911 very informative post and from everything I have read it can be do to the delivery system.

I have been on Propecia by Merck for 10 years with great success. Tried Dr. Reddys for a short time when they first came out. Hairloss increased dramatically. Switched back to Merck and things settled.

Cost has increased for Merck now $267 90 day supply. I decided to try the generics again from walmart $135 for 90 into day 40 with bad shedding again. Switching to Costco Actavis $25 for 90. Hoping it is better then current generic. If not I am going back to Merck at full price.

There must be something with the delivery system like californiacean pointed out.

 

[keepmyhairmore]

So how is the Costco Actavis working for you?

californiaoceans911 very informative post and from everything I have read it can be do to the delivery system.

I have been on Propecia by Merck for 10 years with great success. Tried Dr. Reddys for a short time when they first came out. Hairloss increased dramatically. Switched back to Merck and things settled.

Cost has increased for Merck now $267 90 day supply. I decided to try the generics again from walmart $135 for 90 into day 40 with bad shedding again. Switching to Costco Actavis $25 for 90. Hoping it is better then current generic. If not I am going back to Merck at full price.

There must be something with the delivery system like californiacean pointed out.

So how is the Costco Actavis working for you?

 

[Oriol]

If it's working, i wouldn't change. But i understand you, it's much cheaper.

 

[ydahman]

Hi Kirk have you tried the Costco brand Finasteride? Any positive results? Ive been using Accord brand of Finasteride and not seeing any good results yet. Thanks

 

[abcdefg]

If there is no costco around you anyone know any other cheap places to buy it? I was thinking of trying it soon, but I am not paying 90 a month for the rest of my life. Would sams club be one of the cheapest? Ideally I want to be under 30 dollars for 30 pills. I dont like wasting money because im not a millionaire and your talking something u might be on for 20 years. (Hopefully not). Of course once they set the hook they could jack up prices nothing u can do buy keep paying it

 

[Rolandgothair]

I have been using the same generic finasteride 1mg from online. It works fine for me exactly the same as the branded one the only difference is the price, the generic is cheaper.

 

[Artisan]

I tried generic finasteride for a few days when I first started treating my male pattern baldness, I couldnt get on with it, in fact it made me worse as I started feeling more depressed. Now I can’t say for definite it was the generic but I thought I’d try propecia and was soon feeling back to normal. Noticed visibily clear results after a couple months too. Now thinking of using proscar and cutting the tablets up due to cost reasons.

 

[Finjunkie]

I started a little while before the generic was out, so I switched from brand then maybe 4 different generics over the years, never noticed a difference. 5 and a half years or so on finasteride.

You guys need to get your scripts for 180 or 360 days at a time. There's usually a fee on top of rx cost for labor. At Costco I get 360 days worth of finasteride for a little over $40. Need to make sure your Doctor writes the script so you can get it all at once though.

 

[Joseph Lloyd]

I tried generic finasteride for a few days when I first started treating my male pattern baldness, I couldnt get on with it, in fact it made me worse as I started feeling more depressed. Now I can’t say for definite it was the generic but I thought I’d try propecia and was soon feeling back to normal. Noticed visibily clear results after a couple months too. Now thinking of using proscar and cutting the tablets up due to cost reasons.

This is the thing - a lot of the “pharmacies” online people buying from are unregulated and there are many, many instances of counterfeit drugs being shipped into the USA even from reputable sellers such as Canada Drugs, let alone the likes of companies based in Asia where most of the counterfeit meds originate.

I think it’s highly likely having said that that an offshore manufactured generic will be what it says but for me that 1-2% risk isn’t worth it and I’ll only go with a branded product which is made in either the USA, Canada or EU.

In terms of sellers out there now which meet these criteria, here are a few (notwithstanding prior comments on CD).

https://www.doctorfox.co.uk/hair-loss-treatments/#_medical_information_tab

http://www.evopharmacy.com/pd-hairloss-propecia-finasteride.cfm

https://www.canadadrugs.com/products/propecia

Personally, based on price, and the product being made for certain in the UK, I’d go with one of the top two.

 

[Finjunkie]

This is the thing - a lot of the “pharmacies” online people buying from are unregulated and there are many, many instances of counterfeit drugs being shipped into the USA even from reputable sellers such as Canada Drugs, let alone the likes of companies based in Asia where most of the counterfeit meds originate.

I think it’s highly likely having said that that an offshore manufactured generic will be what it says but for me that 1-2% risk isn’t worth it and I’ll only go with a branded product which is made in either the USA, Canada or EU.

In terms of sellers out there now which meet these criteria, here are a few (notwithstanding prior comments on CD).

https://www.doctorfox.co.uk/hair-loss-treatments/#_medical_information_tab

http://www.evopharmacy.com/pd-hairloss-propecia-finasteride.cfm

https://www.canadadrugs.com/products/propecia

Personally, based on price, and the product being made for certain in the UK, I’d go with one of the top two.

I would say your chances of getting counterfeit are even higher with brand name, much more profitable. Those online pharmacies don't have monitored suppy chains like US based ones and could be buying all their drugs off Craigslist for what we know.

If you're in the US there's absolutely zero reason why you shouldn't go to Costco. It's cheaper, easier, and zero chance of fake drugs

 

[Joseph Lloyd]

^Maybe in general but for the Proscar I got I can assure you it was legit. I think brand name fakes are more likely from sites operating in Asia etc.