Can You Drink Alcohol on Finasteride?

Finasteride and Alcohol Interaction

Finasteride is a type of medicine that's used to treat male pattern hair loss and a non-cancerous enlarged prostate, otherwise known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

The drug finasteride is also known as Propecia.

By blocking the production of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) from testosterone, finasteride can improve hair growth and limit excessive prostate growth.

Although it's a popular treatment, finasteride isn't suitable for everyone and can interact with certain medications and drugs.

Importance of Understanding Drug Interactions

Before taking any medication, it's important to discuss your current medications with a healthcare professional, including herbal remedies, supplements, and recreational substances like alcohol.

Alcohol may interfere with how medications work or can worsen certain side effects, like dizziness, low blood pressure, and liver problems. Drinking a lot of alcohol can also make people forget to take their medication or lead to vomiting, which can stop medication from working.

But what about the specifics around finasteride and alcohol? To understand the relationship between the two, we need to first talk about how finasteride works.

How Does Finasteride Work?

Finasteride works by stopping testosterone being turned into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This mechanism can increase the levels of testosterone in the body.

Finasteride works by blocking the enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase which is responsible for the process of converting testosterone into DHT. So finasteride works to significantly reduce DHT levels. As DHT is related to both hair loss and excessive prostate growth, this medication is an effective treatment for both of these conditions.

Finasteride Use in Treating Male Pattern Baldness and Enlarged Prostate

In the scalp, DHT binds to the hair follicles, causing them to miniaturise and making it more difficult for hair to grow. Over time, hair falls out and is either replaced by thinner, shorter hairs or isn't replaced at all. This eventually leads to hair loss. By blocking the production of DHT, finasteride can reduce hair follicle miniaturisation and slow down hair loss.

Prostate tissue naturally produces DHT. Although DHT is unlikely to cause the prostate to become enlarged by itself, it does increase tissue growth in the prostate. Finasteride can reduce the amount of DHT in the blood by 70%, which can limit prostate growth and improve BPH symptoms like poor urine stream.

Can You Drink Alcohol While Taking Finasteride?

There is no official warning to avoid alcohol when on treatment with finasteride in the summary of product characteristics or patient information leaflet. The NHS website also advises that it is acceptable to consume alcohol while taking finasteride.

However, this doesn't mean there are no risks if you combine alcohol with finasteride.

Potential Effects of Alcohol on Finasteride’s Efficacy

There's currently no evidence that alcohol consumption makes finasteride less effective for treating male pattern hair loss. However it may impact finasteride's effectiveness at reducing the risk of prostate cancer when used to treat BPH.

Although evidence is mixed, some studies suggest that men with BPH are already at an increased risk. Taking finasteride may reduce this risk, but heavy alcohol intake may change things.

According to the findings of one study found that heavy drinking made finasteride ineffective for reducing prostate cancer risk, with heavy drinking classified as drinking 50g of alcohol a day or more (which is just over 6 units). This may be because heavy drinking every day increases the risk. Further research and more studies are needed to investigate this link further.

Another study found that heavy drinkers who took finasteride were more likely to have higher levels of the drug in their blood. This may alter how effective the drug is and possibly worsen side effects, although more data is needed to say for certain.

Let's explore this relationship in more detail.

Potential Side Effects of Mixing Finasteride with Alcohol

General Side Effects of Finasteride

The most common side effect of this medicine is sexual dysfunction, which includes things like erectile dysfunction, decreased libido, and issues with ejaculation.

Depression is an uncommon side effect of finasteride that may affect between 1 in 100 and 1000 men who take the medication.

The following side effects have been recorded, but there's not enough data to say how often they happen:

• Allergic reactions (including anaphylaxis which is a medical emergency)

• Anxiety

• Heart palpitations

• Increased liver enzyme levels

• Breast growth and soreness

• Testicular pain

• Blood in the semen

• Infertility

Although most side effects get better with time or after stopping finasteride, some may experience persistent sexual side effects and mood adverse effects may continue long-term.

Effects of Alcohol on These Side Effects and Risk Factors

Although low and moderate alcohol intake can help with performance anxiety, heavy alcohol consumption is linked to erectile dysfunction and can affect sexual function. Drinking alcohol when on treatment with finasteride may intensify this side effect.

Alcohol is linked to liver problems, mental health issues, and to changes in testosterone levels. Finasteride may also heighten the risk of developing depression and anxiety, and increase liver enzyme and testosterone levels. Combining alcohol and finasteride may further increase the risk of developing related health issues.

We also previously discussed the increased risk of prostate cancer in heavy alcohol drinkers and men with BPH. Although finasteride usually helps manage this risk when taken for BPH, large amounts of alcohol may reduce finasteride's ability to do this.

Men taking finasteride for hair loss may also find drinking alcohol impacts the results they see.

Alcohol’s Effect on Hair Loss and Hormonal Balance

Although alcohol isn't proven to cause hair loss directly, it can lead to hormonal imbalances and nutritional deficiencies that can worsen hair loss.

A recent 2024 study discussed that men with male pattern baldness had higher levels of testosterone than men without. As excessive alcohol consumption can increase testosterone levels, this may worsen hair loss, although further research is needed to say for sure.

Drinking large amounts of alcohol can negatively affect hair health. One study found a direct link between having more than 4 alcoholic drinks a week and hair loss from the temples, although this link hasn't been confirmed by other studies.

High alcohol consumption is known to disrupt the levels of certain minerals and nutrients that are essential for hair health, like zinc. Learn more about the role vitamins and minerals play in hair health in our article about which vitamin deficiencies cause hair loss.

How to Safely Use Finasteride if You Consume Alcohol

Although drinking a moderate amount of alcohol occasionally while taking finasteride is unlikely to cause problems, excessive consumption may worsen side effects or limit how effective finasteride is (especially at reducing the risk of prostate cancer in men with BPH).

If you're experiencing any of the side effects of finasteride above and drinking more than the recommended maximum 14 units a week, consider cutting down.

When to Consult a Healthcare Provider

Seek advice from your pharmacist or doctor if you're suffering with regular or worrying side effects associated with finasteride treatment. The team at Quick Meds are always available to answer any questions or issues about finasteride, whether you've purchased the medication from us or not.

A healthcare provider will also be able to offer advice if you're worried about how much you're drinking or if you're struggling to cut down.

If you think you may be having an allergic reaction and are struggling to breathe, becoming confused, or experiencing airway swelling, call 999.

Alternatives to Finasteride if Alcohol is a Concern

If you're worried about combining finasteride with alcohol, you can always discuss the alternative options with your doctor or healthcare provider.

Summary: Is Drinking Alcohol on Finasteride Safe?

Although there are no official warnings about combining alcohol and finasteride, it's possible that taking this medication while consuming large amounts of alcohol may lead to side effects and impact how well finasteride works.

Try to limit your alcohol consumption to within the recommended maximum 14 units of alcohol a week to experience the best benefits from finasteride.

Finasteride is an effective medication for both BPH and male pattern hair loss. Learn more about the results you can expect from finasteride or buy finasteride from Quick Meds through our discreet online hair loss clinic.