Blood work before taking propecia?!

[zo1279]

Hey Everyone...quick question...i am really on the fence about propecia...I currently take Saw Palmetto...for about 6-7 years now...I think it has held my vertex and crown as I have a good amount of coverage (I mainly have hairline issues). The problem is I don't know how good it is keeping my hair...not sure if i should switch to propecia. Is it possible to get blood work done to see how low/high my DHT is? What is a normal level that would indicate DHT is too high? Also, is it customary to take a blood test of certain levels before beginning? What are normal levels? Has anyone else taken Saw Palmetto and switched with good/bad results? Thanks!!!

[TakingThePlunge]

zo1279,

 

I didn't have nay blood work prior to starting finasteride. I don't believe this is standard. However, you can definitely have your DHT levels tested if you want to.

[RCWest]

You don't have to, but I think it's a good idea to do a DHT/PSA test before and 6 months after starting Finasteride. It's just a nice thing to know, but scalp DHT is the biggie and I don't think they can measure that in the doctors office.