Senior Member KO Posted July 8, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted July 8, 2014 Neither I nor the Gillenator were trying to warn the OP of not taking the med, I actually mentioned he should try it and see what his individual experience is.Shedding is something that is a real possibility, and we tried to relay that information to him. That's what hairloss sufferers on this forum do. No need for anyone to argue strongly about that possibility as it does exists, or to make multiple repetetive posts trying to refute others' personal experiences because of so-called lack of scientific evidence. Anyway, I hope the OP if he has aggressive hairloss does have the chance to try Propecia as it's one of only two proven drugs out there (as I mentioned previously in this thread), and sheds are part of the process where miniaturized hairs shed and thicker darker hair grows. In that case, we are in agreement, and I take it back. 3382 FUE Lupanzula http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/185463-3382-grafts-lupanzula.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member ridge9 Posted July 19, 2014 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 19, 2014 You know, after reading all the replies in these 3 pages I honestly still don't know what to do. I've had my hair transplant and do believe I've experienced aggressive loss recently (6 months ago I had a bit more hair than I did 1 day pre-op). That being said, I'm still not sure what to do from the perspective of taking fin. I'm leaning towards 'yes' because I don't want to experience loss 9 months down the road when I should be seeing the majority of my transplant results. What do you guys think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member KO Posted July 19, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted July 19, 2014 This picture will guide you: Frankly you should have experimented with the drug before, so you would know whether you get sides or not, etc. but maybe just start off with a low dose i guess. 3382 FUE Lupanzula http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/185463-3382-grafts-lupanzula.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member FUE2014 Posted July 19, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted July 19, 2014 Garageland and Gill, at the risk of going slightly off topic, have you noticed any difference from patient reports on the effectiveness of generic fin compared with the branded stuff? I am on NHS licenced generic proscar from Dr Ashford in the UK and am wondering whether or not it is as effective as the real thing? Do you advise your patients to only take branded fin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Garageland Posted July 19, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted July 19, 2014 fue2014, Absolutely we only advise the branded Propecia or Proscar. I personally have dabbled with generics in the past and wasn't happy with the results I felt different and I think I lost some ground hair wise. I have been suggesting to many guys that they ditch the generic and go onto branded for the last couple of years now. I have had good feedback from a number of patients now on branded that tried generic in the past but quit due to sides that they are not reporting any issues and their hair is improving. Dr Ashcroft will supply branded Proscar which is the most cost effective way to get the medication and then cut into quarters. --- Former patient and representative for Hasson & Wong. Dr. Victor Hasson and Dr. Jerry Wong are esteemed members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. My opinions are my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hasson & Wong. My Hair Loss Website - Hair Transplant with Dr. Hasson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Garageland Posted July 19, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted July 19, 2014 And to ridge, If you are going to get on the medication start sooner rather than later. I actually waited a couple of months after my surgery to get on it and had no problem with shedding or slow growth as a result. --- Former patient and representative for Hasson & Wong. Dr. Victor Hasson and Dr. Jerry Wong are esteemed members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. My opinions are my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hasson & Wong. My Hair Loss Website - Hair Transplant with Dr. Hasson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member FUE2014 Posted July 19, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted July 19, 2014 fue2014, Absolutely we only advise the branded Propecia or Proscar. I personally have dabbled with generics in the past and wasn't happy with the results I felt different and I think I lost some ground hair wise. I hav TVe been suggesting to many guys that they ditch the generic and go onto branded for the last couple of years now. I have had good feedback from a number of patients now on branded that tried generic in the past but quit due to sides that they are not reporting any issues and their hair is improving. Dr Ashcroft will supply branded Proscar which is the most cost effective way to get the medication and then cut into quarters. Garageland, thanks for the advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member gillenator Posted July 21, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted July 21, 2014 Garageland and Gill, at the risk of going slightly off topic, have you noticed any difference from patient reports on the effectiveness of generic fin compared with the branded stuff? I am on NHS licenced generic proscar from Dr Ashford in the UK and am wondering whether or not it is as effective as the real thing? Do you advise your patients to only take branded fin? Been using the generic form of Proscar for years and have not noticed any difference whatsoever regarding any side effects or efficiency. As long as the manufacturer is reputable, there is really no difference except the shape and marketing of the pills. In other words, 5mg finasteride is 5mg finasteride whether your purchasing a label or generic. The thing we have to be careful about is purchasing the meds online because there is a huge disparity between drug manufactures worldwide and the various countries they are produced. Gillenator Independent Patient Advocate I am not a physician and not employed by any doctor/clinic. My opinions are not medical advice, but are my own views which you read at your own risk. Supporting Physicians: Dr. Robert Dorin: The Hairloss Doctors in New York, NY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member ridge9 Posted July 23, 2014 Author Regular Member Share Posted July 23, 2014 I think after reading all the replies what I've decided to do is go on fin (Proscar) in a few weeks (just had my surgery). What gillenator said did scare me a bit, but I feel the chance of it having an advertise affect on the implanted grafts is rare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member FUE2014 Posted July 23, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted July 23, 2014 Been using the generic form of Proscar for years and have not noticed any difference whatsoever regarding any side effects or efficiency. As long as the manufacturer is reputable, there is really no difference except the shape and marketing of the pills. In other words, 5mg finasteride is 5mg finasteride whether your purchasing a label or generic. The thing we have to be careful about is purchasing the meds online because there is a huge disparity between drug manufactures worldwide and the various countries they are produced. Thanks for your perspective Gillenator. Perhaps the people who have noted differences between generic and branded are the ones who have ordered their generic meds online where as you say there can be a huge disparity in quality, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member gillenator Posted July 25, 2014 Senior Member Share Posted July 25, 2014 You're welcome FUE2014, and my point was that many countries around the world do not regulate drug companies and online pharmacies. So I still see young men and even older guys who jump on the internet to purchase finasteride without first seeing a doctor for proper diagnosis and guidance. I heard from a guy about five years ago who purchased generic finpecia online from an internet based supplier. He never experienced any efficiency so he then purchased finasteride from a licensed pharmaceutical supplier in the US. He said he had the opposite results with amazing efficiency. This does not imply that all internet drug suppliers are a hoax but unless the suppliers are regulated, it's a greater risk in assuring what you're purchasing IMHO. ridge9, The last thing I want to do is to scare anyone yet I felt compelled to at least mention the possible occurrence of shedding when using finasteride for the first time. And yes as we discussed, it is the exception and not the rule so I wish you good success with it without a shed. IMHO, KO makes a sensible recommendation in starting the drug at a lower dose and then gradually bringing the frequency up to the recommended daily levels. That may potentially help reduce the initial impact of the med and possibly help to minimize or prevent the onset of a shed cycle. But I really want to also emphasize that any of this should first be consulted with a doctor experienced with treating MPB/hair loss because there are varying opinions on this topic and we lay people have to be careful that we are not giving medical advice. Gillenator Independent Patient Advocate I am not a physician and not employed by any doctor/clinic. My opinions are not medical advice, but are my own views which you read at your own risk. Supporting Physicians: Dr. Robert Dorin: The Hairloss Doctors in New York, NY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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