Update on Dutasteride

Finasteride, which is the generic name for Propecia, has been approved for the treatment of Male Pattern Hair Loss since 1998. Finasteride works by inhibiting the enzyme ,5 alpha reductase type II, that forms DHT. There has been a lot of interest by both patients and physicians in dutasteride, which is a drug that inhibits both type I and type II 5 alpha reductase enzyme. Read more

Wife Won’t Let Me Take Propecia - Can Women Touch It Safely?

I want to try Propecia but my wife is afraid to have it in the house since women are not allowed to touch the pills. Are her fears valid and if so why can’t women handle Propecia?

The official warning is that women should not touch or handle crushed or broken tablets. Finasteride is also used for enlarged prostate gland in men. Some elderly men in long term care facilities or nursing homes that can’t swallow have feeding tubes and finasteride is crushed into a powder to put into feeding tubes to be administered orally. This warning stems from the possibility of a pregnant pharmacy worker who is crushing finasteride tablets to be exposed to a large amount of the powder on her hands with the risk of absorption in amounts that may affect the male fetus. So you wife’s fears are not valid. The intact pills can be touched without the possibility of absorption. There is no reason for a female to touch the pills. Women should not take Propecia and its use is absolutely contraindicated in women who are pregnant due to the possible deforming effects on the external genitalia of an unborn male.

Bradley R. Wolf, MD
Medical Advisor, IAHRS

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