Minoxytop 5 mg

When prescribed for the right type of hair loss, Minoxytop may:

• Reduce ongoing hair shedding

• Support thicker hair growth

• Improve scalp hair density

• Extend the active hair-growth phase

• Help maintain existing hair follicles

• Treat areas that are difficult to reach with a topical solution

• Avoid scalp irritation caused by some topical products

• Provide a simple oral treatment routine

A clinical trial found that oral minoxidil 5 mg produced improvement in men with pattern hair loss and had similar overall effectiveness to topical minoxidil 5%. Treatment results still differ from one person to another.

Hair grows in repeating stages. The anagen phase is the active stage in which a follicle produces and lengthens a strand of hair.

Minoxidil is converted inside the body and hair follicles into its active form, minoxidil sulfate. It opens potassium channels and sends signals that help weakened follicles remain in the anagen phase for longer. This gives them more time to produce hair.

With continued treatment, some small or weakened follicles can gradually produce longer and thicker strands. Minoxidil may also improve circulation around the follicles, but increased blood flow is not the only reason it supports hair growth.

Results develop gradually because hair grows slowly. The medicine does not create an immediate cosmetic change and cannot restore follicles permanently destroyed by scarring.

There is no single oral minoxidil dose suitable for every person with hair loss. The dose depends on sex, age, blood pressure, heart and kidney health, the type of hair loss and how the person responds to treatment.

A 5 mg once-daily dose is prescribed for some adult men with pattern hair loss. Women can also be treated with oral minoxidil, but dermatologists commonly select a lower individual dose because women may be more likely to experience unwanted facial or body hair growth. The full Minoxytop 5 mg tablet should therefore be taken only when that exact dose has been prescribed.

Swallow the tablet with water at the same time each day. Do not divide it unless a doctor or pharmacist confirms that the tablet is suitable for splitting. Never take an additional dose to speed up hair growth.

Blood pressure, pulse, body weight and ankle swelling may need to be checked during treatment, particularly after starting the medicine or changing the dose.

Common Side Effects: Minoxytop may cause increased facial or body hair growth, temporary hair shedding when treatment begins, headache, dizziness, light-headedness, ankle swelling, mild fluid retention or a faster heartbeat. These effects should be discussed with the prescribing doctor if they continue, become troublesome or appear to be getting worse.

Serious Side Effects: Obtain medical help for chest pain, fainting, severe dizziness, difficulty breathing, an unusually fast or irregular heartbeat, rapid weight gain, marked swelling of the feet or legs, swelling around the face or unusual tiredness. Oral minoxidil can rarely cause serious fluid to collect around the heart, so unexplained chest discomfort or breathlessness should not be ignored.

Minoxytop affects blood vessels, blood pressure and fluid balance. It should not be started without specialist assessment by:

• People with pheochromocytoma

• Pregnant women

• Breastfeeding women

• Children unless prescribed by a specialist

• People with untreated low blood pressure

• People with serious heart disease

• People with a history of pericardial disease

• People with severe kidney disease or receiving dialysis

• People with unexplained swelling or fluid retention

Tell the doctor or pharmacist about all medicines and supplements being used.

Important interactions may include:

• Blood pressure medicines

• Beta-blockers

• Diuretics or water tablets

• Medicines that cause fluid retention

• Other oral minoxidil products

• Topical minoxidil treatments

• Alcohol

Combining minoxidil with other blood-pressure-lowering medicines can increase dizziness or fainting. Using more than one minoxidil product can also increase the total dose and the likelihood of side effects.

Do not add a topical minoxidil solution or change another heart or blood pressure medicine without discussing it with the prescribing healthcare professional.

• Store Minoxytop below 30°C.

• Keep the tablets in their original blister packaging.

• Protect them from heat, moisture and direct sunlight.

• Do not store the tablets in a bathroom.

• Keep them out of the reach of children and pets.

• Do not use damaged or discoloured tablets.

• Do not take the medicine after its expiry date.

• Return unused tablets to a pharmacy disposal service when available.