Finasteride and Alcohol: What the Label Says About Drinking
Can you drink alcohol on finasteride? What the Propecia label says about interactions and the liver, where drinking still matters, and what the tablets cost.
By Julian Caraulani · Last updated
SafetyReviewed by Dr. A. Goher, MBBS
- FDA-approved and compounded
- LegitScript seal ID shown
- No state list published
This page covers what the label says, where alcohol can still get in the way, and what to tell a clinician. We do not give doses, and we do not tell anyone to start or stop a medicine. For prices, see our finasteride price page.
Can you drink alcohol on finasteride?
The short answer from the label is that no alcohol warning exists. The drug interaction section lists the medicines that were actually tested with finasteride: "Compounds that have been tested in man include antipyrine, digoxin, propranolol, theophylline, and warfarin and no clinically meaningful interactions were found" (DailyMed: Propecia label).
Alcohol is not on that list. That means it was not studied as a pair, not that it was proven safe. The label is silent on drinking, and so is the MedlinePlus patient page for finasteride, which lists no special diet (MedlinePlus: finasteride, read 14 Nov 2026).
The federal alcohol institute keeps a long table of medicines that react with alcohol. It covers drugs for sleep, pain, blood pressure, an enlarged prostate and more. Finasteride, Propecia and Proscar do not appear in it (NIAAA: Harmful Interactions, read 14 Nov 2026).
Finasteride with alcohol: the liver question
The one place the label points toward alcohol is the liver. Your liver breaks finasteride down before your body clears it. The label says "Caution should be exercised in the administration of PROPECIA in those patients with liver function abnormalities, as finasteride is metabolized extensively in the liver" (DailyMed: Propecia label).
In plain words: if your liver is not working normally, taking finasteride needs more care. Heavy drinking over years is one common way a liver gets damaged. The NIAAA notes that alcohol can harm "organs such as the liver" (NIAAA: Harmful Interactions).
MedlinePlus gives the same advice from the patient side. Before you start, it says to "tell your doctor if you have or have ever had liver disease or prostate cancer" (MedlinePlus: finasteride). An online visit asks about this too. Answer honestly, including how much you drink.
For a normal liver, finasteride clears fairly fast. The label says its "Mean terminal half-life is approximately 5-6 hours in men 18-60 years of age" (DailyMed: Propecia label). Half-life means the time it takes for the amount in your blood to fall by half.
- FDA-approved and compounded
- LegitScript seal ID shown
- No state list published
Alcohol, finasteride and erections
This is where the two can overlap in daily life. Finasteride has known sexual side effects, though they were uncommon in trials. Alcohol can cause erection trouble on its own.
| What | Finasteride | Dummy pill (placebo) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decreased libido | 1.8% | 1.3% | Propecia label, Table 1 |
| Erectile dysfunction | 1.3% | 0.7% | Same label, Table 1 |
| Ejaculation disorder | 1.2% | 0.7% | Same label, Table 1 |
Those rates come from three one-year hair loss trials, where some men got a dummy pill (a placebo) for comparison.
On the alcohol side, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases lists lifestyle causes of erectile dysfunction. It says "Certain lifestyle behaviors may contribute to ED", and the list includes "drinking too much alcohol" (NIDDK: causes of ED, read 14 Nov 2026).
So if erections change after you start finasteride, the tablet may not be the only cause. A heavy weekend can do it too. Tell the prescriber both facts, so they can sort out which is which. Our finasteride side effects guide has the full trial table.
Mood: a reason to be honest with your prescriber
The label lists depression among reports made after the drug was approved. It names "depression, suicidal ideation and behavior" in that section (DailyMed: Propecia label). Reports like these do not prove the drug caused the problem. Still, if your mood drops, the prescriber should hear about it, along with any change in how much you drink.
When your plan includes other drugs
Many men do not take finasteride alone. Two common partners matter more for drinking than finasteride does.
- Oral minoxidil. This is a blood pressure tablet that clinicians prescribe off-label for hair loss, which means it is not approved for that use. The NIAAA table warns that alcohol with blood pressure drugs can cause "Dizziness, fainting, drowsiness". Minoxidil is not named in that table, so ask your prescriber how drinking fits with it.
- Tamsulosin (Flomax). Men taking finasteride for an enlarged prostate often take this too. The NIAAA table lists Flomax under enlarged prostate with "Dizziness, light headedness, fainting" (NIAAA: Harmful Interactions). Our finasteride and tamsulosin guide covers that pair.
Compounded sprays and capsules that mix finasteride with minoxidil are not FDA-approved, and their makers publish no alcohol testing. Our finasteride and minoxidil guide explains how those differ from plain tablets.
Does drinking undo finasteride's hair results?
We did not find a trial that tested whether alcohol changes how well finasteride works on hair. The label's results come from men taking it every day for a year or more, and it says "daily use for three months or more is necessary before benefit is observed" (DailyMed: Propecia label). What does hurt results is missing doses, so a night out that ends with a skipped tablet matters more than the drink itself. Our finasteride timeline shows what to expect month by month.
What finasteride costs
Generic finasteride tablets are FDA-approved and cheap. The lowest per-tablet price we track is $0.83 at Strut Health, and the cheapest hair loss plan overall is Keeps at $14 a month, as checked November 14, 2026. Every program is on our finasteride price page, and the ranked list is on Best men's health programs.
Questions
FAQ
Is it safe to mix finasteride and alcohol?
The Propecia label lists no alcohol interaction and says no drug interactions of clinical importance have been found. Alcohol was simply not tested with it. The label does ask for care in men with liver problems, since the liver breaks finasteride down. Moderate drinking with a healthy liver is a question for your prescriber, who knows your history.
Can I take finasteride after drinking?
Nothing on the label says to wait after a drink. Finasteride is taken once a day, with or without food, and the label sets no timing rule around alcohol. The bigger risk is forgetting the tablet after a late night. If heavy drinking is common for you, say so at your visit.
Does alcohol make finasteride side effects worse?
No study we found measured that directly. Both can affect erections: finasteride's label lists erectile dysfunction in 1.3% of men in trials, and NIDDK lists drinking too much alcohol as a cause of ED. When symptoms show up, cutting back on drinking and talking to the prescriber helps sort out the cause.
Is finasteride hard on the liver?
The label does not list liver damage among its trial side effects. It does ask for caution in men whose liver already works abnormally, because the drug is processed there. MedlinePlus asks you to tell your doctor about any past liver disease before starting.
Can I drink on finasteride and minoxidil together?
Finasteride has no alcohol warning, but oral minoxidil is a blood pressure tablet. The NIAAA warns that alcohol with blood pressure drugs can cause dizziness and fainting, though it does not name minoxidil. Ask the prescriber how drinking fits your full plan, especially when you stand up fast.
Does alcohol cause hair loss?
We found no trial on alcohol and male pattern hair loss to quote, so we leave that claim out. What the finasteride label does show is that results take months of daily use, and that the gain fades within a year of stopping. Skipped doses work against the result. For every finasteride plan and price, see our finasteride cost page or the ranked list on Best men's health programs.
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