Regular Member Marcelo Posted April 12, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted April 12, 2005 Is there anyway to measure when the DHT level is at peak? I believe propecia should be taken when the DHT level at peak to optimize the drug. Does anyone have any thoughts? Is there any benefit when the drug should be taken ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Marcelo Posted April 12, 2005 Author Regular Member Share Posted April 12, 2005 Is there anyway to measure when the DHT level is at peak? I believe propecia should be taken when the DHT level at peak to optimize the drug. Does anyone have any thoughts? Is there any benefit when the drug should be taken ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Robert_ Posted April 13, 2005 Senior Member Share Posted April 13, 2005 Not really. Testosterone peaks sometime during the middle of the night, if memory serves me correctly. So taking it right before bed would be most advantageous in that regard (again, IF my memory serves me correctly ). I take it right before bed because it fits into my regimen better like that. It may just be placebo effect, but when I take it in the morning I feel sluggish and detached from my surroundings. -Robert ------------------------------ Check out the results of my surgical hair restoration performed by Dr. Jerry Cooley by visiting my Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Smoothy Posted April 15, 2005 Senior Member Share Posted April 15, 2005 I echo Roberts comment. Testosterone peaks during the sleeping hours at night. SEveral sports medicine doctors have conducted scientific tests to measure a man's hormone levels and it does peak at night. That is why I personally take Propecia before I go to bed, but it doesnt say anything on the indication about taking it at night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member gillenator Posted April 18, 2005 Senior Member Share Posted April 18, 2005 Marcelo, Although there is some clinical evidence supporting higher testosterone levels at night, remember that DHT is produced by conversion of an intracellular enzyme 5a-reductase. The active ingredient in both Propecia and Proscar is finasteride and is a synthetic 4-azasteroid compound functioning as a speciific inhibitor of Type II DHT. Higher testosterone levels do not necessarily imply that there is a "greater" risk of genetic hairloss. And both types of DHT produced do not necessarily behave at the same corresponding levels of testosterone. In fact, testosterone levels begin to drop in men after reaching age 30 or so but that does not imply that genetic hairloss slows down after 30 either. Some men begin to see a dramatic increase in the effects of androgenetic alopecia post 30 years of age. Irregardless, Merck further states that it makes no difference at all which time the tablet is taken each day. The real key is being consistent in ingesting it. The residuals stay in our bodies for an average of eight days so even if you were to miss a day or two, that is not considered to be an issue. Personally I take mine at dinner time with all of the other meds I take daily. I have been "quartering" Proscar for years with absolutely positive effects. I just turned 50 this year and recently had a PSA test done with everything coming out normal. If you do feel more comfortable, confident, or simply prefer to take it at night, by all means do so. As long as it works for you! Gillenator Independent Patient Advocate I am not a physician and not employed by any doctor/clinic. My opinions are not medical advice, but are my own views which you read at your own risk. Supporting Physicians: Dr. Robert Dorin: The Hairloss Doctors in New York, NY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Gorpy Posted May 19, 2005 Senior Member Share Posted May 19, 2005 I am now 4 days into taking proscar (quarters). Funny, but only us hair loss guys would notice this, but I have a single hair that is below my now receded hairline. It seems it didn't want to fall out and has resisted receding more than my other hairs. However, it has grown weak and is short and looks about ready to die. It could be my imagination, but after only 4 days, I'd swear it is becoming more visible and longer. I'll keep you informed. ____________ 2700 Total Grafts w/ Keene 9/28/05 663 one's = 663 1116 two's = 2232 721 three's = 2163 200 four's = 800 Hair Count = 5858 1000 Total Grafts w/Keene 2/08/07 Mostly combined FU's for 2600+ hairs My Photo Album See me at Dr. Keene's Gallery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Robert_ Posted May 19, 2005 Senior Member Share Posted May 19, 2005 Gorpy, Good luck on your start of your medicinal regimen. You will find that taking Finasteride will greatly improve your chances of keeping what you already have. Don't expect too much in the way of regrowth, but any regrowth you have is certainly a great bonus! 4 days is way too short of a time span to assess its' efficacy. It will take about 4 months or even longer to see any results of Finasteride. However, don't let me quell your enthusiasm. You're on the right track, just keep it up and continue being diligent in taking it. -Robert ------------------------------ Check out the results of my surgical hair restoration performed by Dr. Jerry Cooley by visiting my Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Ailene Posted May 19, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted May 19, 2005 I checked with Dr. Cooley and he agrees that testosterone does peak at night but there is not any evidence he is aware of that suggests that DHT is also effected. As Gill stated DHT is the result of the conversion of DHT from testosterone by the 5A reductase enzyme. It is fine to take it at night and as far as we know there are no known drug to drug interactions. The question about dividing Proscar is that the pills are not designed to be divided so you are not getting the same amount of medication in each one. But theoretically if you are taking it daily that will not matter because the Finasteride stays "stuck" to the 5A reductase for a minimun of 72 hours and up to one week. Ailene Ailene Russell, NCMA Dr. Jerry Cooley's personal assistant and clinical supervisor for Carolina Dermatology Haircenter. My postings are my own opinion and may not reflect Dr. Cooley's opinion on any subject discussed. Dr. Jerry Cooley is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIMB Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 Has anyone experienced Propecia not working after 4 successful years of use? Any suggested alternatives? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Ailene Posted May 27, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted May 27, 2005 Have you looked into Avodart? The clinical trials for hair loss were not completed but it is supposed to block DHT much better than Propecia. We know that with Propecia you are going to peak. The tests show that you are still ahead of where you would be if you had not taken it. The biggest question with Avodart is the length of time it stays in your body. Ailene Ailene Russell, NCMA Dr. Jerry Cooley's personal assistant and clinical supervisor for Carolina Dermatology Haircenter. My postings are my own opinion and may not reflect Dr. Cooley's opinion on any subject discussed. Dr. Jerry Cooley is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member gillenator Posted May 31, 2005 Senior Member Share Posted May 31, 2005 Avodart is supposed to effectively inhibit both Type I and II DHT. That's the word anyway. Finasteride inhibits Type I DHT. And as Ailene pointed out, there are not any known fulfilled and/or ongoing clinical trials for treating MPB with dutasteride. Avodart seems to be the form of dutasteride that we most often hear about. There are a fair amount of patients trying Avodart especially when finasteride did not prove efficient for them. Consult your hairloss doctor for advice. Gillenator Independent Patient Advocate I am not a physician and not employed by any doctor/clinic. My opinions are not medical advice, but are my own views which you read at your own risk. Supporting Physicians: Dr. Robert Dorin: The Hairloss Doctors in New York, NY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Robert_ Posted May 31, 2005 Senior Member Share Posted May 31, 2005 Avodart is the brand name for Dutasteride. There are "generics" available online from reputable companies in India, but I question the legitamacy of many online distributors. It is basically "buyer beware" and I am not fond of playing around with rogue drug peddlers. -Robert ------------------------------ Check out the results of my surgical hair restoration performed by Dr. Jerry Cooley by visiting my Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member terry mitchell Posted June 3, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted June 3, 2005 If I read a couple of posts correctly, some ht patients are taking Propecia every other day. No dosage was stated. I currently take 1/1mg. tab each day. If this is correct, this would save considerable money. Anybody have any information? Thanks, Terry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member gillenator Posted June 6, 2005 Senior Member Share Posted June 6, 2005 Terry, It appears you are taking Propecia "exactly as prescribed" by your doctor. The daily dosage and strength of really any medication is almost always established from the resulting clinical trials performed and evaluated by physicians and obviously the drug manufacturer, which in this case is Merck. In fact you can read more about the findings and on-going trials at their website which basically explains the differentials of Propecia in a clinical setting. Some folks may choose to utilize a different approach regarding the frequency and dosage of ingestion. You may have read that some wish to "shock" their system from time-to-time by ceasing from taking it for a short time, etc. Whenever it comes to meds, elective or not, it's always the best recommendation to consult with your doctor. Best wishes. Gillenator Independent Patient Advocate I am not a physician and not employed by any doctor/clinic. My opinions are not medical advice, but are my own views which you read at your own risk. Supporting Physicians: Dr. Robert Dorin: The Hairloss Doctors in New York, NY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member terry mitchell Posted June 7, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted June 7, 2005 Gillenator, thanks for your reply. Hair restoration being an expensive endeavour, prompts us to try and save as much money as we can. I guess I was just hoping there would be a cheaper way. Thanks again for your reply. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Robert_ Posted June 7, 2005 Senior Member Share Posted June 7, 2005 Terry, There is a cheaper way. You could just get a prescription for Proscar, which is 5mg of Finasteride and quarter it which will give you 1.25 mg of Finasteride per day. Many users do this and save a bundle. -Robert ------------------------------ Check out the results of my surgical hair restoration performed by Dr. Jerry Cooley by visiting my Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member terry mitchell Posted June 7, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted June 7, 2005 Robert, thank you for your reply. I will certainly look into this possible solution. After all, this is why the forum exists. We all need to share information, so that we may help educate our peers. Again, thank you. Terry M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Robert_ Posted June 8, 2005 Senior Member Share Posted June 8, 2005 Hey, no problem Terry. You are right, this is why the forums exist. Oh, and since Proscar is usually prescribed for BPH, I have heard of some guys having it covered by their insurance...but you didn't hear that from me. -Robert ------------------------------ Check out the results of my surgical hair restoration performed by Dr. Jerry Cooley by visiting my Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Ailene Posted June 10, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted June 10, 2005 Many of Dr. Cooley's patients are taking Propecia every other day or three times per week. Finasteride attaches to the 5 alpha reductase enzyme which is the reason that DHT production is inhibited. This binding lasts for a minimum of 72 hours. It is like a bell curve and after 72 hours there are some active enzymes able to convert testosterone to DHT but not before. There will not be a clinical study by Merck to prove this but you can read and find the information. This is how Dr. Cooley takes it himself. We have found it to be effective. It is also more pocket book friedly. Dr. Cooley does not recommend splitting Proscar because the pills are not designed to be split. A scored pill can be split with equal amounts of medicine. An unscored split pill may have all of the medication in one dose. Ailene Ailene Russell, NCMA Dr. Jerry Cooley's personal assistant and clinical supervisor for Carolina Dermatology Haircenter. My postings are my own opinion and may not reflect Dr. Cooley's opinion on any subject discussed. Dr. Jerry Cooley is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Robert_ Posted June 12, 2005 Senior Member Share Posted June 12, 2005 Originally posted by Ailene: Dr. Cooley does not recommend splitting Proscar because the pills are not designed to be split. A scored pill can be split with equal amounts of medicine. An unscored split pill may have all of the medication in one dose. Ailene This is very true, Aileen, and let me take the chance to point out that it was pretty irresponsible of me not to point that out. Proscar pills are not 100% finasteride. They are mostly made up of inactive fillers. The actual medication may very well be dispersed quite unevenly throughout. This should be considered seriously before the approach of splitting Proscar is utilized. As always, thank you Ailene. -Robert ------------------------------ Check out the results of my surgical hair restoration performed by Dr. Jerry Cooley by visiting my Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member gillenator Posted June 13, 2005 Senior Member Share Posted June 13, 2005 Thanks for your input Ailene and Robert. A little while back I started to take mine every other day and yes it sure does save money while not compromising the inhibition benefits. Gillenator Independent Patient Advocate I am not a physician and not employed by any doctor/clinic. My opinions are not medical advice, but are my own views which you read at your own risk. Supporting Physicians: Dr. Robert Dorin: The Hairloss Doctors in New York, NY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member terry mitchell Posted June 15, 2005 Regular Member Share Posted June 15, 2005 Gillenator, when you say you are taking Propecia every other day, do you mean Monday, Wednesday, and Friday or literally every other day? I would appreciate your reply. Thank you. Terry Mitchell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Kez Posted June 16, 2005 Senior Member Share Posted June 16, 2005 Originally posted by Forum Moderator and Satisfied Patient:Terry, There is a cheaper way. You could just get a prescription for Proscar, which is 5mg of Finasteride and quarter it which will give you 1.25 mg of Finasteride per day. Many users do this and save a bundle. -Robert Yep, I'm one of them. After a 3500 graft HT, my surgeon recommended I do just this to preserve my non-transplanted hair. And it's quite cheap. Originally posted by Gorpy:It could be my imagination, but after only 4 days, I'd swear it is becoming more visible and longer. I'll keep you informed. Don't lt it get away. Love that little bugger! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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