Weighing in on the Weights of Oral Medications

How does 200 mg of Spironolactone compare to 2.5 mg of Finasteride?

Oral medications which block androgens are often used in the treatment of hair loss in women. These include off-label use of medications such as spironolactone, finasteride and flutamide. Other anti-androgen medications are available in some counties as well, such as cyproterone acetate in Canada.

When given a choice between 200 mg of spironolactone, 62.5 mg of flutamide or 2.5 mg of finasteride, what sounds like a better choice? Many individuals assume that 2.5 mg of finasteride is a much lower dose and hence less likely to have side effects than 200 mg of spironolactone or 62.5 mg of flutamide.  However, this is not an accurate interpretation.  These oral medications are different, and metabolized differently by the body. They can not be directly compared simply based on a weight by weight basis. 200 mg of spironolactone is not 80 times stronger than 2.5 mg of finasteride.  Each medicine has potential benefits and potential risks that need to be discussed with a physician.