Finasteride Dosages for Adults: Your GoodRx Guide

Finasteride is a prescription medication that belongs to a class called 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. It’s available in two different versions: Proscar and Propecia.

Proscar is used to treat men who have benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with an enlarged prostate. Propecia is a lower-dose version used to slow hair loss in men with male pattern hair loss (androgenic alopecia). Both versions are only available as tablets taken by mouth once daily. 

In this guide, we’ll review typical finasteride dosages for Proscar and Propecia. Remember that these recommendations come directly from the manufacturers. Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions if they have you taking finasteride differently.

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What’s the typical finasteride dosage for adults?

Finasteride is available as 1 mg and 5 mg tablets. Your typical finasteride dosage will depend on why you’re taking it. But with either use, you’ll typically take it by mouth once daily, at the same time every day. You can take your dose with or without food.

Note: Although finasteride has been studied for hair loss in women, this use is considered off-label. What’s more, finasteride can be harmful to an unborn baby. The tablets are coated to prevent exposure, but pregnant women shouldn’t touch them if they’re broken or crushed. 

Benign prostatic hyperplasia

For BPH, the typical finasteride dosage is 5 mg by mouth once daily. Your healthcare provider may have you take finasteride on its own. They may also have you take it with a medication called doxazosin (Cardura, Cardura XL) to prevent your BPH symptoms from getting worse.

Male pattern hair loss

For male pattern hair loss in men, the typical finasteride dosage is 1 mg by mouth once daily. You’ll likely need to take it for a few months before you start to notice any visible effects.

Are there any dosage adjustments for medical conditions?

No. There aren’t any recommended dosage adjustments if you have certain medical conditions. However, finasteride is broken down by your liver. If you have liver problems, your healthcare provider may monitor you more closely during treatment.

What happens if you miss a dose of finasteride?

If you forget to take your finasteride dose, take it as soon as you remember that same day. But don’t take two doses together to try and make up for a missed dose. 

So, if you realize that you skipped yesterday’s dosage, skip that dose and continue with your regular schedule. You can also discuss missed dose management with your healthcare provider and pharmacist if you find that it’s happening regularly.

If you’re having difficulty remembering to take finasteride every day, you may benefit from a medication adherence tool. Medication reminder apps and pill organizers are a few examples. 

What should you do if you take too much finasteride?

In clinical trials, high doses of finasteride (such as 400 mg as a single dose) were well-tolerated. Even so, it’s important to take finasteride as prescribed. In general, taking too much of a medication can increase the risk of side effects.

If you think you’ve taken too much finasteride, contact your healthcare provider right away as a precaution. You can also call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

How to save on finasteride

Both Proscar and Propecia are available as lower-cost generics. GoodRx can help make your prescription more affordable with free discounts.

GoodRx can help you save over 60% off the average retail price of the generic versions. At certain pharmacies, generic Proscar’s price is as low as $20.00 and generic Propecia’s price is as low as $9.30 with GoodRx.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Brian Leonard, PharmD, BCACP, BCGP

Brian Leonard earned his doctorate in pharmacy from the University of Florida College of Pharmacy and is board certified in Ambulatory Care and Geriatric Pharmacy.

Edited by:

Alyssa Billingsley, PharmD

Alyssa Billingsley, PharmD, is the director of pharmacy content for GoodRx. She has over a decade of experience as a pharmacist and has worked in clinical, academic, and administrative roles.

Reviewed by:

Joshua Murdock, PharmD, BCBBS

Joshua Murdock, PharmD, BCBBS, is a licensed pharmacist in Arizona, Colorado, and Rhode Island. He has worked in the pharmacy industry for more than 10 years and currently serves as a pharmacy editor for GoodRx.

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