The Big Three. Propecia, minox, and Keto

[Swimmy]

Thought this would be informative as well

 

1. Minoxidil

 

2. Finasteride

 

3. Ketaconazole

 

How do these medications work?

 

1. Minoxidil, This one works by saturating the scalp till it reaches the bloodstream. Originally treated for High Blood Pressure, many users of the product found that they would grow more hair, or re-grow hair. Once in the bloodstream, it dilates one of the potassium channels, and releases more blood and nutrients through the potassium channel which plays a major role in Hair growth.

(M.P.B. sufferers on average have 2% Blood flow in the scalp, as Non-M.P.B. Sufferers have 10%...)

 

Minoxidil, chemically is “potassium channel agonist.” Derived from the chemical structure of Nitric oxide (NO), a blood vessel dilator, is a nitric oxide agonist, Minoxidil may also act via release of Guanylate cyclase, an enzyme connected to vasodilation.

 

Minoxidil tricks the body into thinking it's preforming it's proper duty in ridding your blood system of LDL Cholesterol, Plague, Free-radicals etc..., since the body is receiving these compounds from an outside source, production lessons and becomes limited, hence, those who start rogaine then stop later, experience more shedding, and further hair loss. When the body is tricked this way, it cuts back on natural production and flushing of (NO).

 

2. Finasteride, This one targets the health of the prostate, changing it's hormonal activity, Originally tested for B.P.H., One of the side effects was hair retention and a lessened of shedding. Finasteride inhibits expression of the enzyme, 5-alpha reductase, which regulates production of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), through treating the enlarged prostate.

 

(Imbalanced hormone activity is most prevalent in the U.S., and is common among hair loss sufferers).

 

Finasteride halts production of this enzyme (expression), preventing it to be catalyzed by Testosterone. Though proven effective like rogaine, this should be considered only by older men 40+, Since younger men may develop semi-enlarged prostate during their 20-30's, and can recover naturally.

 

3. Ketaconazle, Ketoconazole inhibits synthesis of adrenal corticosteroids. Androgenic alopecia has a multi-factorial pathogenesis with an inflammatory reaction caused by a Malassezia fungal infection, Ketaconazole is therapeutic by reducing inflammation through its anti-inflammatory properties and by clearing the adjacent fungal infection.

Ketoconazole shampoo in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia is primarily a function of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) pathway disruption rather than an anti-inflammatory effect. The development of androgenetic alopecia in genetically susceptible individuals has been linked to an overproduction of 5 -reductase and an over expression of androgen receptor, and in rat studies, Ketoconazole has been seen to cause 5 -reductase inhibition.

Additionally, in humans Ketoconazole has also been shown to inhibit the binding of 5 -reductase to sex hormone globulins. All these clinical studies therefore suggest that Ketoconazole may inhibit the production of DHT just like Finasteride. In fact, the effect of Ketoconazole may be two fold, as it has been shown additionally to bind to human androgen receptor.

 

(Inflammation is a major problem among MPB sufferers, causing itchiness and heat, whilst choking the hair follicles, limiting their blood supply)

 

Ketaconazole, destroys any fungal activity at the same time releasing inflammation, it targets micro-flora in it's behavior, changing it's actions in relevance to hair.

 

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Now that we have an idea on what these medicines do, it's time we took a look the correlated diseases, which onset MPB, through 3 main functions;

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Atherosclerosis:

 

Atherosclerosis is a slow disease in which your arteries become clogged and hardened. Fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances form plaque, which builds up in arteries. Hard plaque narrows the passage that blood flows through. That causes arteries to become hard and inflexible (atherosclerosis is also known as hardening of the arteries). It leads to cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in people over 45. Soft plaque is more likely to break free from the artery wall and cause a blood clot, which can block blood flow to vital organs.

 

The effects of atherosclerosis differ depending upon which arteries in the body narrow and become clogged with plaque. If the arteries that bring oxygen-rich blood to your heart are affected, you may have coronary artery disease, chest pain, or a heart attack. If the arteries to your brain are affected, you may have a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or a stroke. If the arteries in your arms or legs are affected, you may develop peripheral artery disease. You may also develop a bulge in the artery wall (aneurysm).

 

This is what Minoxidil mainly assists with, Minoxidil's (NO) like behavior and vascilodating effect create a temporary relief from arterial plaque in the scalp.

 

Atherosclerosis occurs when Fat, cholesterol, calcium and other non-flushed substances don't get neutralized by anti-oxidents. In reality, it is LDL cholesterol and free-radicals which form plaque.

 

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Prostate Enlargement: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

 

The cause of BPH is not well understood. No definite information on risk factors exists. For centuries, it has been known that BPH occurs mainly in older men and that it doesn't develop in men whose testes were removed before puberty. For this reason, some researchers believe that factors related to aging and the testes may spur the development of BPH.

 

Throughout their lives, men produce both testosterone, an important male hormone, and small amounts of estrogen, a female hormone. As men age, the amount of active testosterone in the blood decreases, leaving a higher proportion of estrogen. Studies done on animals have suggested that BPH may occur because the higher amount of estrogen within the gland increases the activity of substances that promote cell growth.

 

Another theory focuses on dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a substance derived from testosterone in the prostate, which may help control its growth. Most animals lose their ability to produce DHT as they age. However, some research has indicated that even with a drop in the blood's testosterone level, older men continue to produce and accumulate high levels of DHT in the prostate. This accumulation of DHT may encourage the growth of cells. Scientists have also noted that men who do not produce DHT do not develop BPH.

 

Some researchers suggest that BPH may develop as a result of “instructions” given to cells early in life. According to this theory, BPH occurs because cells in one section of the gland follow these instructions and “reawaken” later in life. These “reawakened” cells then deliver signals to other cells in the gland, instructing them to grow or making them more sensitive to hormones that influence growth.

 

This is what Finasteride mainly assists with, Through halting the 5-alpha enzyme from being (expressed) properly , thus, there is no catalyst for tesosterone to become DHT. This is a very dangerous drug, petitioned to be removed, it is now banned in Canada, with a pending class action law suit, (which I'm sure propecia would love to settle our of court), and numerous warnings in the UK. I wouldn't be surprised if they banned it as well.

 

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Diabetes:

 

More and more research pinpoints inflammation as a root cause of type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes generally results from the combination of impaired beta cell function and insulin resistance acting on susceptible genes. Originally scientists correlated inflammation to obesity to diabetes, but now, it seems that inflammation even without obesity is the likely culprit. Research by scientists at the University of California, San Diego, and Switzerland's University of Fribourg discovered that inflammation provoked by immune cells called macrophages leads to insulin resistance and then to type 2 diabetes. Their research also showed that obesity without inflammation doesn't result in insulin resistance.

 

Causes of Diabetes

 

Diabetes mellitus occurs when the pancreas doesn't make enough or any of the hormone insulin, or when the insulin produced doesn't work effectively. In diabetes, this causes the level of glucose in the blood to be too high.

 

In Type 1 diabetes the cells in the pancreas that make insulin are destroyed, causing a severe lack of insulin. This is thought to be the result of the body attacking and destroying its own cells in the pancreas - known as an autoimmune reaction.

 

It's not clear why this happens, but a number of explanations and possible triggers of this reaction have been proposed. These include:

 

infection with a specific virus or bacteria;

exposure to food-borne chemical toxins; and

exposure as a very young infant to cow's milk

 

Type 2 diabetes is believed to develop when:

 

the receptors on cells in the body that normally respond to the action of insulin fail to be stimulated by it - this is known as insulin resistance. In response to this more insulin may be produced, and this over-production exhausts the insulin-manufacturing cells in the pancreas;

there is simply insufficient insulin available; and

the insulin that is available may be abnormal and therefore doesn't work properly.

 

The following risk factors increase the chances of someone developing Type 2 diabetes:

 

Increasing age, obesity, and physical inactivity.

 

This is what Ketaconazole mainly assists with, through destroying inflammation, and the fungi in it's prone moist and warm enviorment, healing becomes easier. By 'cleaning' the micro-flora in the scalp, it lets the hair 'breathe' and recieve proper nourishment.

 

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At this point, we now understand how the medicines work, the correlated diseases (being the precursors for needing to use the medicine to help w/ MPB)

 

Now it gets more important, as we observe the side-effects of "The Big Three", and how they begin to obstruct and potentially worsen these conditions;

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1. Minoxidil eases symptoms of arterial plaque through entering the bloodstream, although, once in the blood stream it must flow through the heart, (the heart is what suffers in atherosclerosis) and creating abnormally low blood pressure, (another problem, further inhibiting blood flow), affects the blood and could lead to palpitations. The sensation is akin to extreme tiredness. This will only stress the heart more. Due to it's unnatural chemical compound, the heart tries desperately to rid it by working harder to push it to the next organ in order to flush it (The 'water' system) or Kidney and bladder. this results in a heart over-worked with no real excersize, abnormally low blood pressure, and possibly further strain to the Lungs (due to increased oxygen intake to help the heart with it's duties in moving the blood toxin out).

This may further the onset of atherosclerosis, blood toxicity, heart failure, heart attack and stroke.

 

2. Finasteride eases the prostate enlargement, which is found in most men, and even in young men (although young men do not need finasteride at their age). After being processed by the liver, Finasteride makes it's way to the 'water' system, where it moves into the prostate and prevents an important natural enzyme from being (expressed) properly, through the unnatural down regulation of the 5-alpha reductase. This in turn effects the reproductive organs through not getting it's proper compounds to create healthy semen, thus, impotence, erectile dysfunction, decreased libido (sex drive), abnormal ejaculation, including decreased ejaculate amount. The real problem here is it's estrogen like factor, promoting poorer quality semen, which would naturally go to the prostate to regulate it, and in turn the prostate re-regulating the sexual center back. This then stresses the Kidneys, and hurts the adrenal glands. Besides it limiting your extremely important testosterone producer, and your organisms natural elixir, the liver can become strained from dealing with this chemical compund.

This may further the hormonal imbalance already seen in BPH sufferers, resulting in Infertility, Low T levels, High E levels, Liver toxicity and numerous problems in the reproductive organs. Long term may prove problems for the brain as well.

 

3. Ketaconazole relieves inflammation and wipes out all natural moisture (being a chemical anti-fungal compound) It deals with the micro-floras activities when applied to the scalp, and dries everything out (so no fungi can survive) through attacking white blood cells causing the inflammation. Since it dries out the skin so bad, the air system (lungs) can be affected, but really what ketaconazole effects most is the stomach through attacking the micro-flora, (the micro-flora are connection points to the flora in your stomach) Hence the stomach may revolt when it detects the medication, seeing it as an outside intruder, harming the micro-flora, in return, pushing more white blood cells, creating more inflammation.

 

This can hurt natural cooling and lubricant structures in the scalp, and can damage mucous membranes by killing off more than just fungi, this can hurt the breathing system through killing vital micro-components in the skin. Rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness and trouble breathing.

 

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Now we know the potential deadly short-long term effects of "the big three"

 

Finally, we look towards Natural Medicine, It's "Big three", and how these natural cures are just as effective (if not more), designed to reverse the 3 diseases, and re-gain hair, w/out worrying about life time use or side effects.

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1. Polyphenols - Main sources are pomegranete, dark chocolate 70%+ pure, apples, grapes, green tea and red wine. POM and red wine are highest content.

 

many evaluations have been done in Japan regarding polyphenols

Apple Polyphenols, a Potent Antioxidant- Health and Medical Information

it was found to be as much as 300% more effective than minoxidil.

 

Polyphenols act as a vascilodator and an anti-inflammatory, they encourage the release of (NO), in turn naturally dilating blood vessels, cleansing free-radicals (inhibiting the formation of plaque), and lower LDL-cholesterol, through these mechanisms, they body can stop inflammation.

 

2.Saw palmetto and Lycopene - Main sources of Lycopene are Watermelon, Grapefruit, and Tomatoes.

 

Harvard study (3) of 47,000 men in 2003 found that men who ate 10 servings per week of tomatos cut their risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer by 50%. Researchers believe this decrease in cancer risk is due to the lycopene in the tomatoes - the pigment that gives tomatoes their red color. We now know that lycopene is the most powerful carotene discovered yet, with 10 times more antioxidant power than beta carotene.

 

First, Saw palmetto should be taken if you are an older man, Lycopene rich foods for both young and old.

 

Lycopene when absorbed from the stomach, lycopene is transported in the blood by various lipoproteins and accumulates in the liver, adrenal glands, and testes. Lycopene enters the prostate and with it's anti-oxidizing properties, removes free-radicals, and unneeded hormones, thus, promoting better function.

 

Saw palmettos main source is beta-sisoterol, which acts similar to Finasteride, although, all the natural catalysts are still connected since it's in it's original form, this is safer, less side effects, and highly effective for the prostate, although should be considered more if mid-life+,

 

3. Aloe vera - Single source, power plant.

 

referenced in biblical texts, and torah. The Aloe vera plant was also depicted in 'the garden of eden', lined against the walk ways.

 

Aloe vera is an extremely powerful anti-inflammatory agent, and can be very nourishing for the stomach, and whole body. Aloe vera works by expelling excess heat and moistening dryness, though what is amazing about Aloe vera is it 'balances' Hot/cold & damp/dry, it acts as a dual effect if your too far one side of the spectrum. Earlier in regards to diabetes, researchers found a major precursor to be inflammation, since the insulin problems are caused by the spleen/pancreas, the stomach sufferers dearly, since the stomach/spleen/pancreas work together as a triad. Aloe vera heals the flora in your stomach, making it able to properly digest, and further assisting the spleen/pancreas in it's actions of producing good insulin. Aloe vera applied to the scalp works similarly in the micro-flora as to relieve the heat, but keeping the needed moisture in, making this extremely beneficial for inflammation and it's hair loss counterpart.

 

Finally the most important miracle elixer there is, your sperm.

By learning to retain said essence, the body will utilize it and it's properties designed specifically to help you.

 

First, the retained sperm flows through the prostate signaling no DHT needs to be had, or Estrogen be made, so the prostate goes on, non-enlarged, producing proper healthy enzymes without mutating Testosterone into a quick replacement part for it's sub-normal levels in the body.

 

Second, The essence enters the stomach region, as the stomach will soon distribute it through out the whole body as an energy source, healing flora, micro-flora, and removing inflammation.

 

Third, the essence enters the blood for full use, it's healthy T levels re balance the blood, and helps the heart pump strong, all along moving LDL, free-radicals and arterial plaque out!

 

Finally, the essence is sent to every part of the body to make it stronger, then when it has been used, circles into the kidney, where it can be re used again, with the same effectiveness!

Retention and Circulating this energy is Key.

 

The Big Three; (Use green tea as base to increase benefits, improve absorption, and attain better results,)

 

1. Polyphenols - Pomegranette w/Green Tea, Red Wine (French), Apples, Grapes, and Pears

2. Lycopene and/or Saw Palmetto, - Watermelon, Tomato (Juice too)

3. Aloe vera -- Gel topically, Drink unsweetend (2 weeks on, 1 week off)

 

References:

 

1. Diabetes, Hair loss, and Aloe Vera - HairlossTalk Support Forums

 

2. (B.P.H)-Prostate, Hair Loss, Lycopene and Saw Palmetto - HairlossTalk Support Forums

 

3. Diabetes, Hair loss, and Aloe Vera - HairlossTalk Support Forums

 

All links provide various articles submitted into PubMed, and are Credible from such source.

Edited October 24, 2010 by Swimmy

[j1j9j85]

great post swimmy, wil def be trying to inculde more of the big 3 foods etc mentioned even more than i do already

 

ive also just started to lower my oestrogen doing .5mg of adex every other day for 4 weeks to combate the high oestrogen that finest builds up!!! but i have to say after 3 weeks im feeling like superman increased energy,sexdrive, i just feel more power like a man could be plecebo but what ever it is i feel better tahn i have for while!!!!

 

minox ive switiched from topical to oral to help reduce scalp inflamation and irritation and havent noticedc any bad sides due to the oral minox form im on 5mg a day

 

nizoral is great stuff and has done wonders for my hair but, you have to be very carefull not to use to much as it does dry out alot! every 10 days minimum!

 

so far im very pleased buthe biggest benefit has been the anti oestrogen i strongly advise any one suffering sides from finest use to have a hormone test carried

 

LH,FSH,TEST,ESTRADOL,OESTROGEN,FREE TEST,ANDROGEN LEVELS

 

as somehting as simple as monitoring your oestrogen and regulating with your drs help can and does keep all other hormones stable

 

as oestrogen is the hormone in men that has a more controling effect on balance even more so that testosterone, so if you control oestrogen you keep all the others stable to....

 

think of it like a see saw,

 

high oestrogen low testosteron!!

 

you want them both in the middle but finest use lowers test and makes oestrogen higher, if you then control and lower oestrogen back down test will increase and you will back to normal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Swimmy]

You should try TRX2 when it comes out in place of Oral Minox. It should have a similar effect. Except that the product is specifically designed for hair. Then maybe add Topical minox and track your results!