Precautions and Warnings With Finasteride

Before starting a new medication, it is important to be aware of all its precautions and warnings. With finasteride 5 mg tablets, you should make sure your enlarged prostate symptoms are not caused by another condition before taking the medicine, and it is important to know that the drug cannot prevent prostate cancer. Finasteride 1 mg and 5 mg tablets should not be used by women who are pregnant or people who are allergic to any components of finasteride.

 

Finasteride: What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?

Prior to taking finasteride (marketed under the brand names Propecia® and Proscar®), you should talk with your healthcare provider if you have:
 
  • Liver disease or liver failure, including cirrhosis
  • Any allergies, including allergies to foods, dyes, or preservatives.
     
Also, let your healthcare provider know if you:
 
  • Are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant
  • Are breastfeeding.
     
It's also important to tell your healthcare provider about all other medicines you may currently be taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
 

General Finasteride Warnings and Precautions

Some finasteride precautions and warnings to be aware of with both the 1 mg and 5 mg strengths include:
 
  • Finasteride is considered a pregnancy Category X medication. This means that finasteride is very dangerous for use during pregnancy. Pregnant women (and women who may be pregnant) should not take finasteride and should not come in contact with broken or crushed finasteride tablets (see Finasteride During Pregnancy for more information).
     
  • It is not known whether finasteride passes through breast milk. Therefore, if you are breastfeeding or plan to start breastfeeding, be sure to talk with your healthcare provider about this.
     
  • People with liver problems, including liver failure or cirrhosis, should talk to their healthcare provider before taking finasteride. The liver helps to clear finasteride from the body, and finasteride could build up in people with liver problems.
     
  • Report any breast changes to your healthcare provider right away. Finasteride has been reported to cause breast changes (such as breast enlargement, breast tenderness, or tumors).
     
(Precautions and Warnings With Finasteride Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;