{"ok":true,"entry":{"slug":"finasteride","kind":"medication","name":"finasteride","aliases":["Propecia","Proscar"],"brands_sg":["Proscar","Propecia","Finas 1","Finagen","Stercia"],"class":"5-alpha-reductase inhibitor","tags":["hormonal","skin"],"use_for":"enlarged prostate symptoms; male pattern hair loss in men","use_after":"nhs: once a day · with or without food · same time daily","use_duration":null,"take_with":"water · with or without food · tablets swallowed whole","pros":["nhs: eases trouble starting or finishing peeing","healthhub: slows balding, some regrowth after 3 months","nhs: one tablet once a day, taken long term"],"cons":["less interest in sex, erection problems (nhs)","nhs: can carry on even after stopping in some people","rare: low mood, depression, self-harm thoughts (nhs)"],"dose_note":"the us finasteride 1 mg label states 'the recommended dose of finasteride is one tablet (1 mg) taken once daily'; the us proscar label states 'one tablet (5 mg) taken once a day' for an enlarged prostate — 5 mg a day is the highest strength registered in singapore. nhs gives 5mg once a day for an enlarged prostate and 1mg once a day for hair loss. the prescriber sets the dose.","dosage":null,"ul_status":null,"sg_class":"prescription-only","cautions":["nhs: generally not recommended for women or children","past depression or thoughts of self-harm (nhs, healthhub)","liver problems or severe bladder problems (nhs)","healthhub: pregnant women or women of childbearing age should not handle the tablets"],"clashes":[{"src":["nhs_fin_other"],"note":"nhs: might stop finasteride working as well as it's supposed to · nhs otherwise says finasteride is not affected by other medicines","with":"st john's wort"},{"src":["nhs_fin_psa","hh_fin_precaut"],"note":"nhs: finasteride can affect psa results · healthhub lists the same effect on this prostate marker","with":"psa blood test (prostate cancer screening)"}],"sources":[{"id":"hsa_register","url":"https://data.gov.sg/datasets/d_767279312753558cbf19d48344577084/view","label":"HSA — Listing of Registered Therapeutic Products (data.gov.sg open dataset, 5,511 rows, full dataset pulled once via datastore_search and filtered locally)","quote":"10 registered finasteride products, every one Forensicclassification 'Prescription Only': SIN07513P PROSCAR TABLET 5 mg, SIN09921P PROPECIA TABLET 1 mg, SIN13869P FINASTERIDE TABLETS USP 1mg (FINAS 1), SIN14423P FINAGEN 5, SIN14865P STERCIA 1MG, and five more","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nhs_fin_about","url":"https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/finasteride/about-finasteride/","label":"NHS Medicines A-Z — Finasteride (brand names: Proscar, Propecia), 'About finasteride', page last reviewed 2 August 2023","quote":"Finasteride is used to treat an enlarged prostate (benign prostate enlargement). It can help ease your symptoms if: it's difficult to start peeing … Finasteride is available on prescription only. It comes as tablets.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nhs_fin_psa","url":"https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/finasteride/about-finasteride/","label":"NHS Medicines A-Z — Finasteride, 'About finasteride' key facts: PSA testing","quote":"Finasteride can affect the results of PSA testing (a blood test to check for prostate cancer). If you need to have a PSA test, tell your doctor that you're taking finasteride.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nhs_fin_how","url":"https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/finasteride/how-and-when-to-take-finasteride/","label":"NHS Medicines A-Z — Finasteride, 'How and when to take finasteride'","quote":"For an enlarged prostate the usual dose of finasteride is 5mg, taken once a day. For hair loss, the usual dose is 1mg, taken once a day. You can take finasteride with or without food.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nhs_fin_who","url":"https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/finasteride/who-can-and-cannot-take-finasteride/","label":"NHS Medicines A-Z — Finasteride, 'Who can and cannot take finasteride'","quote":"Most men aged 18 years old or over can take finasteride. It's generally not recommended for women or children … have ever had depression or thoughts about harming yourself … have severe bladder problems … have liver problems","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nhs_fin_se","url":"https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/finasteride/side-effects-of-finasteride/","label":"NHS Medicines A-Z — Finasteride, 'Side effects of finasteride': common side effects","quote":"Problems getting an erection and less interest in having sex … Problems with ejaculating, such as little or no semen … they can sometimes carry on even after you stop taking finasteride","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nhs_fin_serious","url":"https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/finasteride/side-effects-of-finasteride/","label":"NHS Medicines A-Z — Finasteride, 'Side effects of finasteride': serious side effects","quote":"Serious side effects are rare and happen in less than 1 in 1,000 people … any lumps, pain or swelling in your chest area … low mood (depression) … you have thoughts of harming yourself","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"nhs_fin_other","url":"https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/finasteride/taking-finasteride-with-other-medicines-and-herbal-supplements/","label":"NHS Medicines A-Z — Finasteride, 'Taking finasteride with other medicines and herbal supplements'","quote":"Finasteride is not affected by other medicines. St John's wort (a herbal remedy sometimes taken to help with depression) might stop finasteride working as well as it's supposed to.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"hh_finasteride","url":"https://www.healthhub.sg/medication-devices-and-treatment/medications/finasteride","label":"HealthHub (MOH Singapore / National Medication Information workgroup) — Finasteride leaflet, article last reviewed 25 May 2026: uses","quote":"It is used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate) … This medication is for use in men only … Finasteride can also be used to treat male pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia).","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"hh_fin_hair","url":"https://www.healthhub.sg/medication-devices-and-treatment/medications/finasteride","label":"HealthHub — Finasteride leaflet: effect on male pattern hair loss","quote":"it usually occurs after the medication has been used for at least 3 months and lasts only as long as the medication continues to be used. Hair loss will begin again within 3 to 6 months after stopping the medication.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"hh_fin_admin","url":"https://www.healthhub.sg/medication-devices-and-treatment/medications/finasteride","label":"HealthHub — Finasteride leaflet: how it is taken","quote":"You may take this medication with or without food. Take this medication at the same time of the day. This medication should be swallowed whole.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"hh_fin_precaut","url":"https://www.healthhub.sg/medication-devices-and-treatment/medications/finasteride","label":"HealthHub — Finasteride leaflet: precautions and what to tell your healthcare professional","quote":"You have heart or liver problem … it may affect prostate specific antigen (PSA), which is a prostate-specific marker in the blood … You have abnormally low mood or have depression","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"hh_fin_preg","url":"https://www.healthhub.sg/medication-devices-and-treatment/medications/finasteride","label":"HealthHub — Finasteride leaflet: handling and pregnancy exposure","quote":"This medication should not be touched or handled by pregnant women or women who are of childbearing age as the active ingredient of the medication (Finasteride) can be absorbed through the skin","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"fda_finasteride_1mg","url":"https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=01b88593-99d3-4dd6-a7b6-5438c15bd7b7","label":"FDA DailyMed SPL — Finasteride tablets 1 mg (Rising Pharma Holdings), label effective 19 Apr 2024, read via the openFDA drug-label API","quote":"Finasteride tablets may be administered with or without meals. The recommended dose of finasteride is one tablet (1 mg) taken once daily. In general, daily use for three months or more is necessary before benefit is observed.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"fda_proscar","url":"https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=6f988153-fc74-4ca4-b29a-111f750c4a4b","label":"FDA DailyMed SPL — PROSCAR (finasteride) 5 mg tablets, Organon LLC, label effective 18 Mar 2026, read via the openFDA drug-label API","quote":"PROSCAR may be administered with or without meals. Monotherapy: One tablet (5 mg) taken once a day. Combination with Doxazosin: One tablet (5 mg) taken once a day in combination with the alpha-blocker doxazosin.","accessed":"2026-08-27"}],"brand_certs":null,"updated_at":"2026-08-29T16:16:19.87501+08:00"},"disclaimer":"kozen-x is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. it lists what published sources have written down. absence of a record is not the same as safe."}