Gadgetine

Dr. Reddy's finasteride vs Propecia vs Proscar vs Finpecia

dehoha

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My Regimen
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I realized today that Dr. Reddy's finasteride is the generic version of 1mg finasteride, which was the medication I took for 50 days (Oct ~ Dec).
When I started finasteride, I also began minoxidil, Lipogaine specificially. During those times, my hair shed consistently and my hairline severely receded.
I have done some internet research and read several posts mentioning the ineffectiveness of Dr. Reddy's finasteride compared to Propecia.
Some people even report sexual side effects from Dr. Reddy's finasteride, not just more shedding.
Dr. Reddy's finasteride I have been using is round shape, pinkish color, and very small. I felt lethargic and mellow while I was on medication.
Some people say generic version can vary up to 25%, which may be the root cause. However, I am not completely sure.
There are more generic versions such as Finpecia and Proscar. I notice that a lot of people choose Proscar for cost saving.
I would like to save money if possible as well, but for me, getting depressed and losing more hair does not justify the saving.

Here are some links I found from Google.

http://www.**********************.com/eve/171519-dr-reddys-finasteride.html
One guy switched from Dr. Reddy's finasteride to Propecia to get rid of sexual side effects. There's another guy who used Finpecia that worsened hair loss.

http://www.hairlosshelp.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=10&threadid=103940
One guy even stated there will be a lawsuit over this issue. Inefficacy of generic finasteride over Propecia.

There are a couple of things going in my mind.

1. How can generic versions and Propecia be THAT DIFFERENT if they contain SAME active ingredients?
2. Even if different labs have unstandardized ways of producing synthetic element (finasteride), shouldn't the drugs be same when digested? I am not a chemistry expert, but that is just my opinion.
3. How can some people report worse hair loss, while other people notice no difference and enjoy their savings? Is this because each person's body chemistry is different?
4. From a marketing perspective, maybe Propecia manufacturers are hiring people to make posts over this issue, which will likely keep people away from using generic versions. Aesthetics market seems to be easily exploited because people (including myself) often associate their physical appearance with self-confidence and even self-esteem. I have tried many snake oil products for hair loss, which made me become very skeptical about hair loss products in general.

I want to hear people's opinion who have been using finasteride, whether generic or Propecia. Thanks in advance.
 

tbst594

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I am fairly new to attempting propecia for hairloss.
I was given Dr. Reddy Propecia from my local pharmacy (Bartells) without me even realizing it.
Looked up on the internet what the brand Propecia was meant to look like and it wasn't even close.
The Dr. Reddy pill is smaller, round pink with the letter 'R' on it. I was stuck with it for 3 months.

Ate 2 months of Dr.Reddy's and then read too many comments about generic not being as effective (fake or not ... I didn't want to take a chance).
I got the next refill with the brand Propecia and have started eating it for past 1 week. (I have no intention of eating the remaining 1 month of Dr Reddy).

Some things I noted:
- I was shedding a lot of hair before I started taking the Dr. Reddy's. This is what motivated me into taking Propecia in the first place.
- After taking the generic, my shedding did reduce but never completely stopped. I did notice my leg muscles felt weak after starting Dr. Reddys. I also felt weaker and never had enough energy to go to the gym.
- After switching to brand Propecia (only 1 week now), my shedding seems to have reduced further ... but I still see thin hair falling out when shampooing or combining my hair. The center of my scalp hurts a little bit now. I used to have this pain before taking Dr. Reddys (Dr. Reddy did seem to get rid of this center scalp pain). On the plus side, my leg muscles feeling weak and not having enough energy seems to have almost disappeared.
 
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