Dr. Keene (Shapiro Medical)--My experience (long post)

[Guest]

Long Post...Sorry

 

Well, it is finally over! I just flew back from Shapiro Medical in Minneapolis, where Dr. Keene performed a mega-session on my entire frontal region 11/1/02. Although I paid for 2000 grafts, she placed approximately 2300 (at no extra charge). Being 33 years old, I was lucky that I had a stable and relatively healthy crown, but my frontal area was GONE!! Not any more....

 

After spending several weeks on the Internet contemplating about who, where, why, and how, I finally chose Shapiro Medical Group in Minneapolis (for obvious reasons). I spoke with Matt Zupan for my initial phone conversation. He was able to schedule my appointment during a crucial window of opportunity for me between vacation time and my occupation (which was a very nice!!). I was scheduled with Dr. Keene, who travels from her private hair restoration practice (Physician's Hair Institute) in Tucson, Arizona (www.hairrestore.com) where she works at Dr. Shapiro's office one week each month. Nevertheless, she is well respected as anyone else in Shapiro's practice or on a national level. I spoke with her briefly via phone conversation and sent her self-digital photos of my hairline for her preoperative evaluation.

 

I flew in the night before and stayed at the Country Inn Suites. Make sure you tell them you are with Shapiro Medical to get the $69/night rate or you will pay more. The Hotel was great! The room was extremely comfortable with lots of pillows on the bed. It had a complementary breakfast, workout center, and pool and hot tub (but Dr. Keene told me no exercising 1-2 weeks prior to the procedure). I wasn't too nervous and fell asleep in no time. The next morning, Matt Zupan picked me up at 8:20 AM and took me to their office a few minutes away. Shapiro's office is comfortably decorated with modern art and soothing corner-based waterfalls. One thing I remember that Matt told me..."this is your day!...you are our only patient...so we will concentrate on you!!" That made me feel extra special. Matt's office is full of before and after pictures, including Pat's. We sat down and went over the basics including signing my consent and making payment. I was told by Matt that having traveled from out of town and having my procedure performed by Dr. Keene, the procedure would cost me $4 per graft, including tax and medications (roughly a little over $8000). He took a few preop digital pictures, then drew out my new hair line with a grease pencil, based upon my specific facial angles. Next, I met with Dr. Keene and we proceeded into the surgery room. All in all, she agreed with the hairline Matt constructed, with only a few variations. Right off, I could tell she was very professional and organized. One thing I liked about Dr. Keene was her board certification as a general surgeon with special emphasis in endocrine surgery (as well as her training as fine hair restoration surgeon). Being a general surgeon myself, I was able to talk "shop" and understand the procedure a little easier.

 

The staff instantly greeted me and we all began speaking on a first name basis right away. The room was surrounded with windows overlooking a large, picturesque lake. Along the windows were a series of 5-6 huge microscopes for cutting the grafts. I took my seat in a dentist-type chair, then took Valium, Erythromycin (being penicillin allergic), and Prednisone. They took my blood pressure and placed a continuous pulse-oximetry device on my finger. My initial BP was 130/80, but after a while it returned to my normal range 118/78. They gave me menu to pick out something for lunch and then we started.

 

Dr. Keene made a few more marks on my head. The donor site was prepped with betadine and then locally injected with an anesthetic. It hurt a little, but the tech was very contentious of my pain. We chuckled a little, as I told them I had a high pain tolerance as nothing hurt more than having "braces" during junior highschool!! They all agreed.

 

After the back of my head was completely numb, the tech proceeded to anesthetize my forehead for a ring block...that kinda smarted However, there were no surprises! They talked me through every step of the way. The made sure that I had NO pain! They were very serious about that. Because pain releases a barrage of inflammatory mediators and kinins that impair wound healing and promotes bleeding. Dr. Keene then removed my donor strip from the back of my head...couldn't feel a thing...very comfortable. I was told I had "excellent density". That's good to know.

 

One thing in particular about Dr. Keene's technique is how she closes the donor site. (I have seen this question posted several times on this site...so let me describe). First of all she doesn't use staples. She performs her closure using a two-layered approach. I mean, she places a deep layer of absorbable or disolving suture (Vicryl) to close the subcutaneous fat and promote hemostasis. Next, she places a running suture (Ethilon) to close the skin. This is what will have to be removed by a nurse or physician in seven days. As a surgeon myself, I agree with this closure as it gives the best cosmetic look and prevents wound dehiscence or spreading which can promote scar formation.

 

As I looked out of the corner of my eye, I could see the technicians, one by one, begin to slice my donor graft into "one's, two's, three's, and four follicular grafts". They slowly began to call out numbers in some sort of hair restoration code??? Dr. Keene replied "excellent".

 

Next, Dr. Keene began to place the micro-incisions into my scalp to create my new frontal hairline. I couldn't feel anything, but it sounded like small "crunches"...a very weird feeling??

 

Now it was time for lunch and a break. I have an iron bladder, so I didn't need to go the bathroom. Because I was figidity in the chair, I was given another dose of Valium...that basically put me into a superficial sleep. Probably the worst part of the procedure was sitting in the chair as my butt went to sleep. However, every once in a while I asked if I could shift my fanny. If you like, you can watch a movie. We watched the best of Saturday Night Live with Chris Farley...very funny.

 

Dr. Keene (mainly) and a few of her most skilled and experienced technicians began to place the grafts one by one. Just a little FYI...Dr. Keene was in the room for the ENTIRE procedure!! (Unlike some posts that I have read about other surgeons).

 

Well, it was finally over. It took approximately 7-8 hours total. I got off the chair...yep my butt was asleep!!! They gave me a mirror to see the results. My entire frontal half had been restored and transplanted. It was slightly bloody with prickly neo-grafted hairs. I was a bit tipsy from the medication, but not too bad. They went over my postoperative instructions word by word, and I was given 4 days of Prednisone and several days of Vicodin. Jane, one of the senior technicians, drove me back to my hotel on her way home...which was very nice!!! I was able to wear a regular baseball cap out of the office, without it rubbing on any grafts. Make sure you get a cap that can adjust in the back. FYI--Don't wear a fitted cap.

 

After returning to the hotel, I took several postoperative digital pictures. I went across the parking lot to the Hilton (behind the Country Inn Suites) to grab a bite to eat, as it is not a good idea to take Vicodin on an empty stomach. Truthfully, the pain really wasn't that bad...more of a general discomfort. Honestly, the donor site is where you will have the most pain. The grafted site is pain free! (at least for it was for me). I was able to sleep without any problems. I woke up several times thru the night to spray Graftcyte on my donor site and take another Vicodin or two. So far I haven't had much forehead or facial swelling or bruising as reported on previous posts. I think everyone heals differently. That's just me.

 

My flight back wasn't too bad. I was very worried that I was going get randomly searched at the airport and have to remove my cap...that would have been very embarrassing. I was lucky...and went through security without any problems.

 

Well, that about does it. That was my experience at Shapiro Medical with Dr. Keene. Luckily, I will have 9 days off for vacation prior to returning to work at the hospital. At least, I can wear a surgeons cap to cover any post surgical healing during the next several weeks. I am very satisfied so far...and look forward to the next several months as my entire appearance will change before my eyes. I want to thank everyone's posts, thoughts, and opinions on this website. More importantly, thank you Pat for providing this forum!

 

Mike

 

[Guest]

Long Post...Sorry

 

Well, it is finally over! I just flew back from Shapiro Medical in Minneapolis, where Dr. Keene performed a mega-session on my entire frontal region 11/1/02. Although I paid for 2000 grafts, she placed approximately 2300 (at no extra charge). Being 33 years old, I was lucky that I had a stable and relatively healthy crown, but my frontal area was GONE!! Not any more....

 

After spending several weeks on the Internet contemplating about who, where, why, and how, I finally chose Shapiro Medical Group in Minneapolis (for obvious reasons). I spoke with Matt Zupan for my initial phone conversation. He was able to schedule my appointment during a crucial window of opportunity for me between vacation time and my occupation (which was a very nice!!). I was scheduled with Dr. Keene, who travels from her private hair restoration practice (Physician's Hair Institute) in Tucson, Arizona (www.hairrestore.com) where she works at Dr. Shapiro's office one week each month. Nevertheless, she is well respected as anyone else in Shapiro's practice or on a national level. I spoke with her briefly via phone conversation and sent her self-digital photos of my hairline for her preoperative evaluation.

 

I flew in the night before and stayed at the Country Inn Suites. Make sure you tell them you are with Shapiro Medical to get the $69/night rate or you will pay more. The Hotel was great! The room was extremely comfortable with lots of pillows on the bed. It had a complementary breakfast, workout center, and pool and hot tub (but Dr. Keene told me no exercising 1-2 weeks prior to the procedure). I wasn't too nervous and fell asleep in no time. The next morning, Matt Zupan picked me up at 8:20 AM and took me to their office a few minutes away. Shapiro's office is comfortably decorated with modern art and soothing corner-based waterfalls. One thing I remember that Matt told me..."this is your day!...you are our only patient...so we will concentrate on you!!" That made me feel extra special. Matt's office is full of before and after pictures, including Pat's. We sat down and went over the basics including signing my consent and making payment. I was told by Matt that having traveled from out of town and having my procedure performed by Dr. Keene, the procedure would cost me $4 per graft, including tax and medications (roughly a little over $8000). He took a few preop digital pictures, then drew out my new hair line with a grease pencil, based upon my specific facial angles. Next, I met with Dr. Keene and we proceeded into the surgery room. All in all, she agreed with the hairline Matt constructed, with only a few variations. Right off, I could tell she was very professional and organized. One thing I liked about Dr. Keene was her board certification as a general surgeon with special emphasis in endocrine surgery (as well as her training as fine hair restoration surgeon). Being a general surgeon myself, I was able to talk "shop" and understand the procedure a little easier.

 

The staff instantly greeted me and we all began speaking on a first name basis right away. The room was surrounded with windows overlooking a large, picturesque lake. Along the windows were a series of 5-6 huge microscopes for cutting the grafts. I took my seat in a dentist-type chair, then took Valium, Erythromycin (being penicillin allergic), and Prednisone. They took my blood pressure and placed a continuous pulse-oximetry device on my finger. My initial BP was 130/80, but after a while it returned to my normal range 118/78. They gave me menu to pick out something for lunch and then we started.

 

Dr. Keene made a few more marks on my head. The donor site was prepped with betadine and then locally injected with an anesthetic. It hurt a little, but the tech was very contentious of my pain. We chuckled a little, as I told them I had a high pain tolerance as nothing hurt more than having "braces" during junior highschool!! They all agreed.

 

After the back of my head was completely numb, the tech proceeded to anesthetize my forehead for a ring block...that kinda smarted However, there were no surprises! They talked me through every step of the way. The made sure that I had NO pain! They were very serious about that. Because pain releases a barrage of inflammatory mediators and kinins that impair wound healing and promotes bleeding. Dr. Keene then removed my donor strip from the back of my head...couldn't feel a thing...very comfortable. I was told I had "excellent density". That's good to know.

 

One thing in particular about Dr. Keene's technique is how she closes the donor site. (I have seen this question posted several times on this site...so let me describe). First of all she doesn't use staples. She performs her closure using a two-layered approach. I mean, she places a deep layer of absorbable or disolving suture (Vicryl) to close the subcutaneous fat and promote hemostasis. Next, she places a running suture (Ethilon) to close the skin. This is what will have to be removed by a nurse or physician in seven days. As a surgeon myself, I agree with this closure as it gives the best cosmetic look and prevents wound dehiscence or spreading which can promote scar formation.

 

As I looked out of the corner of my eye, I could see the technicians, one by one, begin to slice my donor graft into "one's, two's, three's, and four follicular grafts". They slowly began to call out numbers in some sort of hair restoration code??? Dr. Keene replied "excellent".

 

Next, Dr. Keene began to place the micro-incisions into my scalp to create my new frontal hairline. I couldn't feel anything, but it sounded like small "crunches"...a very weird feeling??

 

Now it was time for lunch and a break. I have an iron bladder, so I didn't need to go the bathroom. Because I was figidity in the chair, I was given another dose of Valium...that basically put me into a superficial sleep. Probably the worst part of the procedure was sitting in the chair as my butt went to sleep. However, every once in a while I asked if I could shift my fanny. If you like, you can watch a movie. We watched the best of Saturday Night Live with Chris Farley...very funny.

 

Dr. Keene (mainly) and a few of her most skilled and experienced technicians began to place the grafts one by one. Just a little FYI...Dr. Keene was in the room for the ENTIRE procedure!! (Unlike some posts that I have read about other surgeons).

 

Well, it was finally over. It took approximately 7-8 hours total. I got off the chair...yep my butt was asleep!!! They gave me a mirror to see the results. My entire frontal half had been restored and transplanted. It was slightly bloody with prickly neo-grafted hairs. I was a bit tipsy from the medication, but not too bad. They went over my postoperative instructions word by word, and I was given 4 days of Prednisone and several days of Vicodin. Jane, one of the senior technicians, drove me back to my hotel on her way home...which was very nice!!! I was able to wear a regular baseball cap out of the office, without it rubbing on any grafts. Make sure you get a cap that can adjust in the back. FYI--Don't wear a fitted cap.

 

After returning to the hotel, I took several postoperative digital pictures. I went across the parking lot to the Hilton (behind the Country Inn Suites) to grab a bite to eat, as it is not a good idea to take Vicodin on an empty stomach. Truthfully, the pain really wasn't that bad...more of a general discomfort. Honestly, the donor site is where you will have the most pain. The grafted site is pain free! (at least for it was for me). I was able to sleep without any problems. I woke up several times thru the night to spray Graftcyte on my donor site and take another Vicodin or two. So far I haven't had much forehead or facial swelling or bruising as reported on previous posts. I think everyone heals differently. That's just me.

 

My flight back wasn't too bad. I was very worried that I was going get randomly searched at the airport and have to remove my cap...that would have been very embarrassing. I was lucky...and went through security without any problems.

 

Well, that about does it. That was my experience at Shapiro Medical with Dr. Keene. Luckily, I will have 9 days off for vacation prior to returning to work at the hospital. At least, I can wear a surgeons cap to cover any post surgical healing during the next several weeks. I am very satisfied so far...and look forward to the next several months as my entire appearance will change before my eyes. I want to thank everyone's posts, thoughts, and opinions on this website. More importantly, thank you Pat for providing this forum!

 

Mike

 

[ttaco]

How did you remember all those details after taking the Valium? Impressive. Care to post your post-op pics?

[HarryLemon]

I'll be having my first HT (2000+ FUs) with Dr. Shapiro this coming Friday (11/8/02) myself, so I am especially glad to hear such approving details from a patient with the medical know how to boot!

One thing concerns me about your post, though: You inferred that wearing a fitted cap , instead of an adjustable one, was a bad idea... My hat size is a whopping size 8! I find that most adjustable caps, even though I may be able to get them on with the loosest length, are actually a bit tight around my forehead none-the-less. The only caps I've found that fit, with room to spare up front, are size 8 and size 7.75 fitted caps!

Does the head swell up so much that you actually need to wear an adjustable with the back unlatched entirely?

I might be having some temple work as well...

[Guest]

This response answers "HarryLemon's" question about postoperative baseball caps. When I stated in my initial post about "not wearing a fitted cap"...well that wasn't an complete absolute, but more of a practical consideration.

 

After my procedure, Dr. Keene placed a gauze around my donor site and placed a small Ace-type bandage around my head to hold it into place. At that point, I had to readjust my cap so it would fit...thus, I think your "fitted" cap may be a little tight at that point. Moreover, the next morning, you may experience some postoperative swelling. If you take into account a few millimeteres of swelling here and there...it all adds up, and could make a slight difference.

 

You can try wearing your fitted cap, but it may be too tight?? I would hate for some of your fragile grafts to come out, especially if you have some temporal work performed. Why don't you try this...get an adjustable cap and secure the back with a few pieces of good tape. Even if the little plastic hooks don't line up, you can bridge the gap with the tape???

 

Good luck. It will be well worth it.

[NW]

Mike,

 

Nice account of what happened....I had to laugh pretty hard when you said

 

"I was worried about having to take my hat off when going through security at the airport"...

 

I too had that fear when in BC Canada...LOL, it is funny how the little things can bother us.

They did NOT ask me to take off my hat either....whew!!!

 

Out of curiosity ???? Do you take Propecia/Proscar or have any opinions of it ??? I am 41 and had great results as far as "holding" onto my hair, but since I am a bit older, I only take 1/2 dose (.5 mg daily)....what is your opinion ??

 

Thanks !! & Great story.

 

NW

[johne]

Hey, can any of you guys tell me what you paid for 2000 grafts at Shapiros office.......and is this price affected by who does your surgery? Is it more for Shapiro or the same if you go with Keene, Rose or Charles? Let me know.....thanks for your time.....

[Guest]

Matt Zupan can explain the exact pricing schedule for the different docs at Shapiro Medical (so please contact him directly). However, for the most part, they will give you a break if you travel from out of town (like myself). That will cover any travel and hotel related expenses to offset the price.

 

I was scheduled with Dr. Keene and was charged $4/graft, which included my travel expenses. It would have been more if I were from Minneapolis. If you want to go with Dr. Shapiro himself, I think he charges 50 cents more per graft. It really doesn't matter!!

 

All of the surgeons at Shapiro Medical are top caliber and considered the best in their field. Remember, each surgeon at Shapiro Medical uses the same facility, staff, equipment, and expert technicians, which is just as equally important. The surgeon is not the only factor that counts...but it's the whole process. Sometimes, we get too caught up in the "surgeon", but don't forget the little people too. His expert staff and talented assistants maintain the consistency!!

 

MT

[Guest]

I want to begin by stating, although I am a physician, I am by no means a proclaimed expert on this subject, as there more qualified physicians or HT surgeons who can give you better advice on Propecia and/or finasteride. Please refer to other forum discussions and websites on this topic. You can also visit www.propecia.com.

However, I have reviewed most of the current medical literature (compiled from Medline) and have a general understanding of finasteride in reducing male androgenic alopecia (balding). There are many well designed, multi-center, randomized, and placebo-controlled studies all demonstrating finasteride's effectiveness with both clinical and statistical significance (Considered Level 1 evidence).

 

In brief, it has been well documented, that finasteride 1 mg/day is the dose currently recommended by the FDA for male patients in treating male pattern baldness. Finasteride not only improves total hair counts, but also converts the hairs from the "telogen" into the "anagen" phase, which contributes to a more visible improvement. To make it easier to understand, "anagen" means actively growing hairs, and "telogen" means resting hairs. Your hair follicles cycle through phases between anagen and telogen (growth to rest) every 2-4 months, thus the average person looses approximately 100 hairs/daily.

 

For all of us, male pattern baldness depends on the presence of male hormones, mainly testosterone. 5-alpha reductase, an enzyme found in skin cells and hair follicles, converts testosterone into a more potent hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Nonetheless, men with male pattern baldness have high levels of DHT in their scalp hair follicles. As a direct consequence, after DHT binds to the hair follicle, it slows down hair production, causing more hairs to enter into the telogen (resting) phase, thus producing follicles that are weaker, thinner, and shorter. For us, the worse case scenario is that the hair follicle then completely arrests its development leading to irreversible baldness...and "that's all folks".

 

So how does finasteride fit into the mix? Well, finasteride is a specific inhibitor of the isoenzyme, type II 5-alpha reductase, that blocks the peripheral conversion of testosterone to DHT directly at the hair follicle in genetically predisposed men. So, male pattern balding depends primarily on DHT and 5-alpha reductase levels and their binding effect on hair follicles, which gives the characteristic pattern of balding men.

 

Finasteride makes the hair stronger and thicker by promoting the "anagen" or growth phase. The longer the use, the better the results; moreover, long term treatment, over five years, was well tolerated and led to durable improvements in scalp hair growth, and slowed the further progression of hair loss that occurred without treatment. Finasteride works the best if you start EARLY, when you have thinning hair, especially in the crown region. I doubt a "slick-bald" who takes finasteride will completely regrow their lost hair, but it will produce favorable results for us who have thinning spots. Most HT surgeons like to use finasteride in combination with a transplant procedure(that is what Dr. Keene and I decided). She used a 2000+ mega-session to restore my frontal half, but also recommended that I continue to take finasteride to stabilize my crown.

 

As for me, I don't take Propecia, because it is too damn expensive!! You are basically paying for overhead and marketing from the convenience of a manufactured pill of exactly 1 mg (which is the recommended dosing by the FDA). Moreover, most insurance companies don't allow for prescription plans.

 

So let me tell you what I do instead...I buy Proscar 5 mg tablets (which ARE covered by my insurance plan. Proscar, developed by Merck, is a 5 mg pill that is FDA approved for male patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), but has the same active ingredient as Propecia (also developed by Merck), which is "finasteride". The only difference is the marketing strategy... 5 mg vs. 1 mg pill. As a physician I prescribe it myself and order it online through a web-based pharmacy for added convenience. Each bottle of Proscar 5 mg comes pre-packaged by Merck with 30 pills ($70-75). Next, buy a pill cutter (less than $5) from the drug store. Cut the Proscar 5 mg pill into fourths, thus giving you roughly 1.25 mg of finasteride. The pill is blue and funny-shaped (somewhat like a prostate gland). Some say, cut it into "fifths", but I find that difficult because of the odd-shaped pill. After cutting all 30 pills into fourths, that yield's me approximately 120 finasteride 1.25 mg segments. Basically, that's a four-month supply of medication (about $200/year). On the contrary, one single bottle of Propecia 1 mg with 30 tabs (also supplied by Merck) costs $45-50 (about $600/year, and ALL out of pocket!!). That's crazy!!!

 

Although the medical literature currently recommends finasteride 1 mg / day as marketed from Merck as Propecia, I have found no convincing evidence that taking finasteride 1.25 mg / day will cause any harm or promote physical side-effects. Consequently, Roberts et al.(1) [see reference below] performed a randomized controlled trial, where men from ages 18 to 36 with moderate vertex balding received finasteride 5, 1, 0.2, or 0.01 mg/day vs. placebo (sugar pill) based upon random assignment. Their results demonstrated that for all endpoints, finasteride at doses 0.2 to 5 mg/day was clinically superior to lower doses (0.01 mg/day). Clinical efficacy, however, of the 0.01 mg dose was similar to placebo and considered too small of a dose. It was concluded that finasteride 1 mg/day was the optimal dose for the treatment of men with male pattern hair loss...so Merck marketed Propecia. However, if one extrapolates the published data...you will find that cutting Proscar into small finasteride 1.25 mg/day segments makes no difference!! Many HT surgeons also agree with this concept.

 

Please be advised that the above testimony is base upon my own personal appraisal of the documented medical literature. Although I am a physician, I am not a HT surgeon; however, I am a recovering "bald guy"... just like everyone who is reading and learning from this forum. There are many other physicians and HT surgeons who can provide more information on the above topics. Hopefully, I have provided a reasonable interpretation of the basic facts concerning finasteride, Propecia, and Proscar.

 

Furthermore, there has been some "buzz" about a new drug developed by GlaxoSmithKline, "Dutasteride". It differs from finasteride (Propecia / Proscar), in that dutasteride dual inhibits both Type I AND Type II 5-alpha reductase isoenzymes. Remember, finasteride only inhibits the Type II isoenzyme, thus making dutasteride more effective per dose. However, it may cause more side-effects in treating male pattern baldness...the jury is still out??? Please, read more about dutasteride from their website, www.dutasteride.com.

(1) Roberts JL, Fiedler V, Imperato-McGinley J, et al. Clinical dose ranging studies with finasteride, a type 2 5alpha-reductase inhibitor in men with male pattern hair loss. J Am Acad Dermatol 1999 Oct; 41(4): 555-63.

 

All the best,

 

MT

[johne]

Thanks for your input MT.....as well as for the propecia/proscar info......I am currently on propecia at the cost of about $150 every 3 months....I knew proscar was a little cheaper, but had no idea it was sooooo much cheaper.....Tell me, you mentioned getting it from a web site.....How would I do this....?....would I have to mail them a perscription wrote by a doctor?.......As for the information on Shapiro Medical doctors.....I understand what you are saying about the other aspects of the surgery......same equipment, same techs, same training, etc. I was just wondering what ball park was.....I have heard in the neighborhood $8000 for 2000 fu's......I would be from out of town so hopefully they would cut me some slack......If I could get it for around $7000 give or take I would be very greatful .......I know money should not be the deciding issue, and its not......but it is a factor...due to wanting to stay within budget.....thanks again for your reply MT..........

[HarryLemon]

If you're flying in from out of town and are being treated by Dr Shapiro himself, it will cost you $4.50 per graft (x2000=$9,000.00) (w/ $1,000.00 down-payment to hold the appointment).

[vocor1]

Those generics for real?

I'm really skeptical. The patents that Merck and Pfizer haven't run out. So that operation is either illegal or there is something that they are not disclosing about what they are selling.

Has anybody for sure used these guys' products? I'd be interested to hear that one.

I just paid $300 for 100 Proscar, and thought that was a pretty darn good price. The proscar is working great for me so far.

No to be combative, but this "generic operation" sounds really fishy.

[Guest]

I would have to agree... about receiving those generic drugs from that on line pharmacy without a physician prescription.

 

Realize that Merck has the official US patent on both Proscar and Propecia (both with the active ingredient, finasteride). However, there are BIG overseas and South American pharmaceutical companies, manufacturing and distributing generic finasteride. So, in fairness...yep, you can get the "cheap" stuff, no problem....without all the big names and US marketing...but that's an individual's choice.

 

I realize that money is tight, especially when you are spending hundreds of dollars/year on Rx just to reclaim your hair (not to mention the several thousands for HT), but that's life.

 

As for me, however, I'm staying with "real" stuff (as marketed by Merck) and take my losses.

 

MT