trspl

gillenator, That was beautifully said. Great post. trspl

Biff Merck submits the research data to the FDA. All pharmaceutical company research works this way. The drug companies are the only ones with the incentive to do the research because they are the only ones who will profit from it. Thats why an independent FDA review process is so important. These days a new drug has to be able to sell at a bare minimum $500 million during the patent life, or the pharmaceutical co. won't even start the approval process with the FDA because of the expense of getting a drug to market. Arfy, Beleive it or not, the FDA gives a stern warning to pregnant women not to touch the (broken or crushed) pills. Refer to the PDR. I think it is a theoretical risk to the fetus. I am not aware of any human cases of fetal genital malformation directly traced to finesteride, although there may be. That would be an interesting question to ask Merck. Tom Spruill, M.D.

Biff, I hope you don't mind me submitting a bit of information. This is the data submitted to FDA re: safety. Not the most comprehensive info in the world, but a start. I'm certain Dr. Feller has an opinion on this. Tom Spruill, M.D. "Semen levels have been measured in 35 men taking finasteride 1 mg daily for 6 weeks. In 60% (21 of 35) of the samples, finasteride levels were undetectable. The mean finasteride level was 0.26 ng/mL and the highest level measured was 1.52 ng/mL. Using this highest semen level measured and assuming 100% absorption from a 5-mL ejaculate per day, human exposure through vaginal absorption would be up to 7.6 ng per day, which is 750 times lower than the exposure from the no-effect dose for developmental abnormalities in Rhesus monkeys"

Dr. Feller, Your position is cautious but legitimate and defensable. However there is another side to the issue. We tamper with the hormonal equilibrium to a much larger degree when dht blockers are used to treat benign prostatic hypertrophy. Perhaps in this case the benefits outweigh the risks, whereas the benefits of incremental hair growth does not outweigh the risk. This is a judgement call for sure. I am not aware of any current evidence of risk beyond the adverse effects mentioned in the drug insert (significant as they are). The FDA has looked at the evidence and finds the drug safe and effective for its intended use. Of course, new evidence could surface over the years and that opinion could change. Also, in contrast, the hormonal manipulation that women endure for birth control, menstrual pain, fertility, menopause, etc. is on a totally different scale than dht blocking- synthetic hormone analogs, horse estrogen, etc. The calculus is different because it is used for vastly different reasons, but we do have a decades long medical legacy of hormonal manipulation- for better or worse. Tom Spruill, M.D.

I had four scalp reductions in the early nineties. I regret having done it. I was over-promised, downside was not addressed, etc. It was before good information was available on the internet. It left a very unnatural balding pattern that draws attention to my hair (in a negative way). I am scheduled for repair in August. Your scalp condition may cause some aesthetic difficuties, but please proceed with caution. It is possible to make a bad situation worse. Get multiple consults from recommended HT physicians before proceeding. tom

I doubt it will help your hair, but Omega 3's have been shown to reduce heart disease...12 world studies on treating depression...ongoing studies on bipolar disorder..possibly Alzheimer's....It is also generally anti-inflammatory. Standard american diet is composed of excess omega 6 fatty acids and deficient in omega 3's. I like the supplements IF they have been purified to remove heavy metals. Studies usually dosed from 1500 to 3000mg per day. Too much seafood or predator fish can expose you to mercury. Flaxseed is 50% omega 3's, Plain old raw walnuts are 12% omega 3's..keep them both in the freezer because they go rancid quickly...omega 3's are easily oxidized. probably more than you wanted to know

MSM is basically organic sulfer (essential nutrient) This is usually found in raw, unprocessed foods. The standard american diet is processed/cooked etc. Basically the worse your diet, the more potential this supplement will help. Glucosamine comes from shellfish exoskeletins. Be careful if allergic to seafood. tom

The hairline is ever so slightly pluggy, but he only had 2000 graphs. I think he got a huge bang for his buck. I'll bet Dr. Feller could refine his hairline with a second proceedure. Not many people look finished after 2000 graphs. Also, with the long hair, earrings, shirt..he looks like he is having fun with it. tom

You usually have to sign a form specific to each doctor and list your doctors' names in order for your current physician or dentist to get copies of your records. With HIPPA, original signature is needed for each doc. Not giving your doctor this info could be a mistake, IMO. If you had a recent HT and then a dental proceedure, what about the risk of infection or cross contamination? Also you will probably have a scar on your head. If you were brought into an ER unconcious, they would probably want to know the reason for the scar..type of surgury, etc. I would at least have the info in my primary care doc's file. my .02 Tom