Regular Member Mike75 Posted December 21, 2006 Regular Member Share Posted December 21, 2006 Anyone have any experience with Propecia? Are there any side-effects or anything else to worry about. My doctor will give me the prescription, but I am not sure if I should take it. How much should I spensd a month on this? Thanks, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Mike75 Posted December 21, 2006 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 21, 2006 Anyone have any experience with Propecia? Are there any side-effects or anything else to worry about. My doctor will give me the prescription, but I am not sure if I should take it. How much should I spensd a month on this? Thanks, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member HK500 Posted December 21, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted December 21, 2006 If you run a search on this forum you will find more information than you need on Propecia. I have been taking it for over 3 years and I've had no side effects, it seems to have kept my hairloss to a minimum and maybe even regrown some. I found the best prices at Costco Pharmacy until recently, my HT Doc was able to get me a lower price per unit because of the free sample program. I am going to switch to 1/4 Proscar as soon as I run out of this batch for economic reasons. My Hair Loss Website - Hair Transplant with Dr. Siporin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cousin_It Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 Mike.. I would go along with Spex, its basically an individual thing. Most people have absolutely no side effects from the medication, some do. In those that do, in many instances, side effects subside over time. You really will not know how you react to it until you take it. I also agree that you will not grow a substantial amount of hair using it. Its main purpose is to stop the hair loss. If used in conjunction with Rogaine you have a much better chance of increased hair growth. Only way to find out is to try it for for a least 6 months to a year and draw your own conclusion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairbank Posted December 22, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted December 22, 2006 If you'll research this site using the "find" feature you'll find more answers to your questions than you can imagine. As most here have already share, it's main use is for further loss prevention. You can/may regrow some, but even the best cases of regrowth normally are not that cosmetically significant. Personally, I have used it for close to one year and do see evidence that it's working for me. I quarter proscar. Since I have opted to take it every other day, and I purchase 30 5mg pills from Walmart Pharmacy for around $78 the supply lasts me for 8 months. So, even if you opt for taking it daily as most do, it'll cost you around $20 per month for generic proscar. Hope this helps. Hairbank 1st HT 1-18-05 - 1200 FUT's 2nd HT 2-15-06 - 3886 FUT's Dr. Wong 3rd HT 4-24-08 - 2415 FUT's Dr. Wong GRAND TOTAL: 7501 GRAFTS current regimen: 1.25mg finasteride every other day My Hair Loss Weblog Disclaimer: I'm not a Doctor (and have never played one on TV ) and have no medical training. Any information I share here is in an effort to help those who don't like hair loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Mike75 Posted December 22, 2006 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 22, 2006 Thanks for the responses, I have decided to start with the propecia and will go to my doctor next week ofr a prescription. What are the possible side effects? Thanks, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Mike75 Posted December 22, 2006 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 22, 2006 How long should it take for the propecia to start working? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill - Seemiller Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 Mike, You should stay on it at least 6-12 months to see if it's working for you. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Mike75 Posted December 26, 2006 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 26, 2006 Ok, I picked up the Propecia and my regular doctor told me to take every day. Should I start with every other day? Any advise on where to buy it would be great. Thanks, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cousin_It Posted December 26, 2006 Share Posted December 26, 2006 Mike... That would have to be your decision. One thing I can tell you, actual clinical studies, including those by Merck, showed doses as low as 0.2mg were as effective in lowering DHT as 1 mg. Also a number of the highly regarded Coalition doctors prescribe and actually use 1mg every other day themselves. Still, Merck and many doctors stick by the 1 mg per day dose. Personally I started using 1mg about 2 months ago, but I have changed to .5mg per day. I feel if half will do the job why take more and possibly get side effects. The choice is yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Proactive Posted December 26, 2006 Regular Member Share Posted December 26, 2006 Any tips on how to effectively half Propecia? Do you just use a decent razor blade or is their a special tool for the job? If so, where can this be obtained? I've been on Propecia 4 months and am definitely noticing less morning erections. Thanks, Proactive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill - Seemiller Posted December 26, 2006 Share Posted December 26, 2006 You can use a pill cutter to cut Propecia in half, or you can just take it every other day. HOWEVER, though research may indicate that taking .2 mg of finasteride a day will work, I kind of feel like why take the risk. If you want to save money, get Proscar...if you have medical benefits, you can probably get it prescribed from your local physician and pay $10 every 4 months. It's up to you though. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cousin_It Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 Proactive... Though some sexual side effects can be temporary, in some cases they are not. Perhaps a reduced dose may solve the problem. No way of knowing unless you experiment a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Proactive Posted December 27, 2006 Regular Member Share Posted December 27, 2006 Thanks a lot. I may go down to half a pill a day, anyone know where online I can buy a pill cutter? Thanks, Proactive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cousin_It Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 Proactive.. Why don't you try a local pharmacy, it may end up being cheaper since you don't have to pay shipping charges. All pharmacies have them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member biscuit Posted December 27, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted December 27, 2006 If you are going to start on Propecia you should commit to annual blood tests to make sure all of your levels are within the safe range. Tell the doctor what you take so that he can add testing as needed. Some of these drugs mask potential problems (prostate cancer etc.) so your doctor needs a heads-up to look for those. You should read the manufacturers warnings carefully so that you know what you are getting into, they all have in-depth study results that go far beyond the marketing hype you see on TV or on the front page of their web sites. And, make sure you understand that the effects of the drugs only last as long as you take them. You're locked in for life, once you stop taking them you lose everything that you would have lost without the drugs, and it usually happens quickly. If you have to stop taking them due to some kind of medical or physical reason, everything will be lost and you can't get it back. Also, some patients become immune to the benefits after 5 years, which means they either need to find a new drug or they will lose the hair. If you bank on the meds as part of your HT strategy, it will mean more work later if you stop the meds or become immune to them. For example, some doctors don't touch the crown if you say you are going to start meds. I'm not against anyone taking meds, they have their place and have benefited lots of people. I just wanted to share a slightly different view on them after I researched them. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - My HT Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Mike75 Posted December 27, 2006 Author Regular Member Share Posted December 27, 2006 I started with the full pill but I think I am going to just take half. Taking pills never really appealed to me. My prescription plan did not cover the Propecia. How will it cover the generic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cousin_It Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 Mike... Bisquit has given you some good advice to take into consideration. Once you start, you may have to stay on them forever, if you want to keep the results. Also a blood test would not be a bad idea, depending on your age if you are considering future prostate examines with the PSA blood test, the use of Propecia can throw it off. So it may be a good idea to get a baseline test for future comparison. As far as insurance coverage, depending on your age you may be able to get it write it up for Proscar or its generic for use in BPH. That would certainly qualify under drug plans. If not just get the generic 5mg finesteride and split them, its much cheaper this way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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