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New to these forums! I started Propecia (brand) around 4 years ago (at age 27). I was thinning moderately on my crown and decided it was time to do something about it. I used it for 3.5 years along with Kirkland Minoxidil once per day (at night- the liquid, not the foam). Also shampooed with Nizoral twice per week. The results were incredible. Within 2 years, my hair had fully grown in, super thick. After around 3.5 years on Propecia, I decided to bite the bullet and switch to generic finasteride (Actavis brand from Costco). I changed nothing else in my regimen.
For the first 2 weeks on the Actavis, I noticed no difference. Then I started getting an itchy scalp with some dandruff. I honestly didn't even think it was the Finasteride. I just thought it was dandruff and a dry scalp. I have now been on the Actavis for 4 months and a week ago, my hair started falling out like crazy. Maybe 200 hairs a day if I were to guess. My scalp is itching like crazy. I have lost around half of the hair that I grew with Propecia over 3.5 years of use, so I guess I have taken a huge step backwards here. Friends and family have started to notice and have been asking if I have changed something I was doing.
I'm paying $16 for 3 months of Actavis from Costco. Propecia is $276 for 3 months. It's a hell of a price difference but between the itching and the sudden loss of hair, I'm thinking that I may have to go back to the brand. Does any one have any suggestions of whether or not I should wait it out a little longer or is the generic just not working for me? I have heard about these shedding stories but never experienced it myself with Propecia brand (not did I experience an itchy scalp), so I'm not sure if this is an adjustment period or my body just rejecting the generic version. Has anyone else had issues (or successes) with Actavis?
This is incredibly frustrating, and after reading about all of the successes of the generic, I'm a bit puzzled. I really tried to keep an open mind and genuinely believed I wouldn't see a difference like this. My thought now is that you get what you pay for and this was a complete failure of an experiment (to save money) for me. Thanks for any advice!
For the first 2 weeks on the Actavis, I noticed no difference. Then I started getting an itchy scalp with some dandruff. I honestly didn't even think it was the Finasteride. I just thought it was dandruff and a dry scalp. I have now been on the Actavis for 4 months and a week ago, my hair started falling out like crazy. Maybe 200 hairs a day if I were to guess. My scalp is itching like crazy. I have lost around half of the hair that I grew with Propecia over 3.5 years of use, so I guess I have taken a huge step backwards here. Friends and family have started to notice and have been asking if I have changed something I was doing.
I'm paying $16 for 3 months of Actavis from Costco. Propecia is $276 for 3 months. It's a hell of a price difference but between the itching and the sudden loss of hair, I'm thinking that I may have to go back to the brand. Does any one have any suggestions of whether or not I should wait it out a little longer or is the generic just not working for me? I have heard about these shedding stories but never experienced it myself with Propecia brand (not did I experience an itchy scalp), so I'm not sure if this is an adjustment period or my body just rejecting the generic version. Has anyone else had issues (or successes) with Actavis?
This is incredibly frustrating, and after reading about all of the successes of the generic, I'm a bit puzzled. I really tried to keep an open mind and genuinely believed I wouldn't see a difference like this. My thought now is that you get what you pay for and this was a complete failure of an experiment (to save money) for me. Thanks for any advice!