Avodart vs. PROSCAR

[andy_+_+]

Just wanted to get some info on the advantages of avodart over proscar. Im currently on proscar and have been on it for 4 years. Has helped my crown not so much my hairline(which I belive is to be expected). I guess my question to the community is which pill you recommend and why?

[youngsuccess]

Avodart (dutasteride) has not yet been specifically FDA approved for the treatment of hair loss. The drug is more potent, inhibiting both isoforms of 5-alpha reductase (whereas Propecia/Proscar only stops type II), but the side effects may be stronger, too. Ultimately, more DHT is being blocked, but whether or not the drug is as safe/effective in the long run remains to be seen.

 

It sounds like you've benefited from Proscar without experiencing any complications, so I'd stick with it for the time being. I think Avodart is usually introduced after the patient has stopped responding to finasteride or in certain other cases. Might want to discuss the pros and cons with your doctor.

[bighosedragger]

andy, I believe advodart is strong and could be something to try if the propecia loses some efficiency. So far I dont recall seeing any case were advodart has helped anyone in hair line more than propecia....it seems advodart has the same limitations as propecia in with the hair line.

[hair_me_out]

So Spex, do you recommend Dut for the crown area?

[andy_+_+]

My doctor has told me that i have maintained my crown and it is stronger on proscar. However i've read blogs and studies that say that proscar has 3-5 year "shelf life". Any thoughts on this?

[Severn]

Avodart can be more effective on the crown, but be ready to kiss your hairline goodbye if you start that stuff.

[Dr. William Lindsey]

I personally prefer propecia. As I posted months ago, and one of the other docs posted similarly, there is some native population of an island out in the pacific that naturally does not have the very same enzyme that propecia blocks....and they have no significant balding population. This is an excellent control group to show that humans probably don't need the effects of DHT to live long natural lives... That information, that I heard at a meeting back in 2000 or so, was enough to get me to use propecia. Avodart, blocking both types of 5 alpha reductase, likely is an extremely safe, if not just as safe product. I personally like the "reassurance factor" that propecia has in that native population out there somewhere.

 

I have prescribed both and still do, but I personally only took propecia.

 

Dr. Lindsey McLean VA

[hair_me_out]

Originally posted by Severn:

Avodart can be more effective on the crown, but be ready to kiss your hairline goodbye if you start that stuff.

 

Eh? Do you know something we don't? Why would you kiss your hairline goodbye on Dut vs Fin?

[Raphael84]

Im as curious as hair me out. Could you please explain, you can kiss your hairline goodbye, or what are other peoples experience of this?

 

If Avodart really is so impressive in the crown area, it may well be worth considering myself. Especially as my first HT will be focusing on the hairline and frontal regions. This could really assist me. Especially after experiencing no results with 5 years on Propecia. At least things seem to have stabalised!

[Severn]

Originally posted by hair_me_out:

Originally posted by Severn:

Avodart can be more effective on the crown, but be ready to kiss your hairline goodbye if you start that stuff.

 

Eh? Do you know something we don't? Why would you kiss your hairline goodbye on Dut vs Fin?

 

Many years ago before I tried Avodart, I read the forums about other people's results while on the drug. They were quite varied and ranged from extreme success to dismal failure. Most experienced at least an initial shed, but some did not. However, many of those who had a good result still experienced a continued impact on the hairline and frontal core area.

 

My hairloss was all in the crown so I wasn't too worried. I figured my hairline was too strong to be affected. But after about 2 months on Avodart, my hairline receded roughly 1/3 to 1/2 inch and my frontal core thinned significantly. However to be fair, I was shedding over every square inch of my head.

 

The shedding might have eventually stopped but I had read on the forums that for some it had not stopped even after many months of use. I did not want to take the chance so I stopped taking it. It took about 5 months for most of the hair I lost to return.

 

However, even some of the consultants here will confirm this. One of Shapiro's consultants(not Matt) had mentioned that their patients who had success with Avodart but that many of them mentioned it was "hell on the hairline".

 

There was a lot of speculation on the fourms why some were being adversely affected on the hairline while having such good success in the crown. It was postulated that the frontal core area might be affected by testosterone more than DHT. Since Avodart was such a powerful DHT inhibitor, that meant less DHT created while leaving a lot more testosterone reaching the scalp.

[Maxxy]

This is actually the first time I've read of Dutasteride having such an effect solely on the hairline. I didn't notice this myself when I tried Dutasteride, though I was only on it for 4-6 months (I forget now). I'm not saying this effect on the hairline can't happen, I'm sure it does in some cases, though I don't think it's a certainty or even a very come occurrence. I'd suspect if you did a searched on the subject you would find some Finasteride users speaking of the same experience.

 

There was a recent, new poster on the forums who has recently started using Dutasteride; he seems to experiencing good regrowth in the hairline. He has made a site to record his progress, which can be found -here-.

[Severn]

True Maxxy. Even back then the results I was reading were all over the place. And you have to take into consideration that some of the posts were either intentionally or unintentially misleading and non factual. I can only speak on behalf of my results while on Avodart. I experienced a very very intense shed.

 

It would have been interesting to see if the shed would have stopped, but reports of some people continuing to shed many months into use was enough to make me quit.

[omy]

I have used proscar since the late 90's . I swithced over to Avodart for a few years around 2002-2005 . There was no shed during the switch or any big changes to hairloss . I did have more of a reduction in some sides while on Avodart . I use proscar now 1mg 5x per week just to reduce expenses . Hairloss is still progressing but very slowly over the last decade .

[1973kop]

Dr.Lindsey

 

I was just wondering what your views are on the information leaflet that comes with avodart.Basically i`ve been taking proscar for a little over 9 years and thought maybe it might be losing it`s effect now so decided to try avodart.I`ve just received a 3 month proscrption but after reading the leaflet i`m kind of put off and scared to take it.In part of the leaflet it says to use a condom during intercourse if you think your partner might be pregnant so not to expose her to your semen.My problem is that my wife and i arn`t trying for a baby at the moment but we are also not using protection so what if she became pregnant whilst i`m on avodart?is there a chance it could harm the baby? in another part of the leaflet it also mentions that it could reduce your fertility but how long will this last if you stopped taking it?

 

You mention that you prescribe avodart so i was just wondering if you`ve ever come across any of these problems or you know of any patients that have gone on to have healthy kids.

[Dr. William Lindsey]

1973kop

 

That adds to my personal thoughts that propecia is the drug that I would use myself. No, I don't know of any patient or other doc that I have any contact with whose had a problem like you bring up.

 

Dr. L

[Blond]

 

 

According to this graph there is an increase of 80+ hairs at 6 months when using 1mg of finasteride! That pretty impressive!

 

Spex or anyone, do you know what the units are (e.g. hairs per cm2), where the counts were taken (e.g. vertex) and also info about the plot (numbers of patients / whether the values are averages etc)?

 

Cheers,

[Jotronic]

I cannot say I've heard many of our patients on Avodart complain of accelerated hairline recession once their Avodart regimen began. Maybe a few but relatively no more than I've heard on Proscar.

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

I'm doing the avodart once a week, finasteride the rest. There is a thread on it somewhere. Seems to be working great for me.