Finasteride - Indications, Dosage, Side Effects and Precautions

USDailyMed:Finasteride AU:X (High risk) G04CB01(WHO)D11AX10(WHO) AU:S4(Prescription only)CA:℞-onlyUK:POM(Prescription only)US:℞-only (1S,3aS,3bS,5aR,9aR,9bS,11aS)-N-tert-butyl-9a,11a-dimethyl-7-oxo-1,2,3,3a,3b,4,5,5a,6,9b,10,11-dodecahydroindeno[5,4-f]quinoline-1-carboxamide 98319-26-7Y 57363 6818 DB01216Y 51714Y 57GNO57U7G D00321Y CHEBI:5062Y ChEMBL710Y DTXSID3020625 Interactive image O=C(NC(C)(C)C)[C@@H]2[C@]1(CC[C@H]3[C@H]([C@@H]1CC2)CC[C@H]4NC(=O)\C=C/[C@]34C)C InChI=1S/C23H36N2O2/c1-21(2,3)25-20(27)17-8-7-15-14-6-9-18-23(5,13-11-19(26)24-18)16(14)10-12-22(15,17)4/h11,13-18H,6-10,12H2,1-5H3,(H,24,26)(H,25,27)/t14-,15-,16-,17+,18+‍​‍‍‍​‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍​‍,22-,23+/m0/s1YKey:DBEPLOCGEIEOCV-WSBQPABSSA-NY Finasteride, sold under the brand namesProscarandPropeciaamong others, is a medication used to treatpattern hair lossandbenign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH).It can also be used to treatexcessive hair growthin women.It is usually takenorallybut there aretopical formulationsfor patients with hair loss, designed to minimize systemic exposure by acting specifically on hair follicles. Finasteride is a5α-reductase inhibitorand therefore anantiandrogen.It works bydecreasingtheproductionofdihydrotestosterone(DHT) by about 70%. In addition to DHT, finasteride also inhibits the production of several anticonvulsant neurosteroids includingallopregnanolone,androstanediol, andtetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone. Adverse effectsfrom finasteride are rare in men with already enlarged prostates;however, some men experiencesexual dysfunction,depression, andbreast enlargement.In some men, sexual dysfunction may persist after stopping the medication.It may also hide the early symptoms of certain forms ofprostate cancer. Finasteride was patented in 1984 and approved for medical use in 1992.It is available as ageneric medication.In 2023, it was the 91st most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 7million prescriptions.