Propecia Dosage - half Life and Frequency

[eternaldenied]

Guys,

 

I have been on generic Finasteride 1mg every alternate days since July 2013. I am 31 and reading through horrendous Side Effects on propeciaeffects.com, I ask this question.

 

I read a study somewhere that even 0.2 mg of Finasteride can reduce the Serum DHT to same level as 1 mg does.

 

I don't know if we get 0.2 mg Finasteride out there and if its possible to cut 1mg finasteride in 5 pieces. 1 mg pill itself is so small.

 

Questions.

 

 

1. Is the Study true ?

 

2. Which would be more effective - taking 1 mg Finasteride once in 5 days

 

OR taking 0.2 mg every day ?

 

3. Which would do more damage to the System in terms of side effects - taking 1 mg Finasteride once in 5 days

 

OR taking 0.2 mg every day ?

propeciasideffects.com has scared the shit out of me.

[KO]

I would advise you to stop reading that site. If you are tolerating the drug well, there is no reason to mess with the dosage. Secondly, you have to remember that our goal is to not reduce serum DHT, but to improve hair counts, you willl not find data that says that 0.2 mg is as effective.

 

Are you suffering side effects? If not, then continue as you were, if you are, then consider lowering dosage.

[TakingThePlunge]

In general, I support taking the FDA approved dose of any drug, as that is what the clinical trials showed to be effective. However, when it comes to a non-life-threatening condition like hair loss, I see no harm in adjusting the dosage in the face of side effects. If you have been taking 1mg on alternating days for over a year with no side effects, why change the dose?

[eternaldenied]

KO and David,

 

Thanks much for your response. I have stopped Finasteride from past 1 week. After reading through all the permanent side effects that it could potentially cause, I realized that I was having few of those side effects but I could not notice them.

 

Moreover I consulted my HT Dr who prescribed me Finasteride at the first place. He said that he never suggested to take Finasteride longer than 6 months. I am not confident to continue with this drug without any medical supervision. Hence the decision.

 

I have got back on Rogaine 5% alternate days.

 

I am aware that without Finasteride, Rogaine would not do much of anything;however, I am happy to loose more hair to save my stuff down there.

[mikeey]

hey eternal is your Ht improving ? I know u had a Bad result till 7 Months , so is it finally growing ?

Pls update us if possible !

 

I have serious reservations of propecia , and I think its a fair evaluation by your doc to say that 6 months hence stop it for good . so that u are generally safe at that time line and if the side effect do kick in ... then can be reversed easily as 6 mnths is a very small period , I say as you say ..... Save your Manhood ... let the hair be gone , after all if you ask any Man on this Planet .... we will all say "Sex" first and primal need .,..... hair can wait !!!!

[KO]

KO and David,

 

Thanks much for your response. I have stopped Finasteride from past 1 week. After reading through all the permanent side effects that it could potentially cause, I realized that I was having few of those side effects but I could not notice them.

 

Moreover I consulted my HT Dr who prescribed me Finasteride at the first place. He said that he never suggested to take Finasteride longer than 6 months. I am not confident to continue with this drug without any medical supervision. Hence the decision.

 

I have got back on Rogaine 5% alternate days.

 

I am aware that without Finasteride, Rogaine would not do much of anything;however, I am happy to loose more hair to save my stuff down there.

 

 

Pardon me if I'm skeptical but which of these side effects were you experiencing without noticing?

[eternaldenied]

Pardon me if I'm skeptical but which of these side effects were you experiencing without noticing?

 

 

Brain Fog. - I use to think I am just tired until I came to know that it could be propecia.

 

Lower Back Pain. - I use to think its general pain but now I know that osteoporosis is another side effect of propecia.

 

Difficulty focusing/concentration - I use to think I am just tired but now I know it could be propecia.

 

Loss or Morning Erections - Didn't bother much about it until I came to know about PFS and that propecia could lead to permanent erectile dysfunction

 

Loss of Spontaneous Erections.

 

Hard to maintain erection.

 

Testicular pain - This I did notice But I chose to ignore.

 

 

Now you can say that its all in my head

[hairweare]

Based on it's pharmacokinetics, 1mg QOD is very likely to be efficacious although as David points out has not been clinically tested. Since enzyme inhibition is permanent, unless the body is manufacturing new 5 alpha reductase faster than it is being inhibited, DHT levels will decrease. As with any other drug prescribed, the lowest effective dose should always be favored but again in this situation, lowering it from 1mg/day is empiric and not scientifically proven.

 

Many of the reported side effects are confounded by similar psychosomatic complaints. It will take more time and honest scientific inquiry to ultimately shed more light on this important issue.

[hadenough2014]

 

Brain Fog. - I use to think I am just tired until I came to know that it could be propecia.

 

Lower Back Pain. - I use to think its general pain but now I know that osteoporosis is another side effect of propecia.

 

Difficulty focusing/concentration - I use to think I am just tired but now I know it could be propecia.

 

Loss or Morning Erections - Didn't bother much about it until I came to know about PFS and that propecia could lead to permanent erectile dysfunction

 

Loss of Spontaneous Erections.

 

Hard to maintain erection.

 

Testicular pain - This I did notice But I chose to ignore.

 

 

Now you can say that its all in my head

 

Or I could just say you're over 40...haha

 

Actually, age can bring a lot of these things too, and it so difficult to pinpoint what may be causing the body's changes.

 

If you don't want to take the risk, you're not alone. There are plenty who have said no to the side effect risks.

[KO]

If you have back pain, have you seen a doctor about it before blaming it on propecia? Btw, brain fog is not the same thing as tiredness.

[eternaldenied]

In general, I support taking the FDA approved dose of any drug, as that is what the clinical trials showed to be effective. However, when it comes to a non-life-threatening condition like hair loss, I see no harm in adjusting the dosage in the face of side effects. If you have been taking 1mg on alternating days for over a year with no side effects, why change the dose?

 

mikeey,

 

I think my second procedure with Dr Bhatti has also failed however I would wait 9 months as per Dr recommendation to pass any judgement.

 

I am already in 8th month and I believe you have seen my update in other post. I would be glad if some miracle growth happens in next month.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Personally, I take 1.25mg of finasteride 3 times a week - Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I was originally taking the same dosage daily but decided to reduce the quantity as an experiment after learning more about its half-life and seeing physicians like Drs. Hasson and Wong prescribe half the dosage to some hair loss sufferers. Thankfully, I haven't experienced any additional hair loss and the effect appears to be about the same for me. That said, I would recommend taking the FDA approved quantity of finasteride for patients with aggressive hair loss.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Bill

[mikeey]

mikeey,

 

I think my second procedure with Dr Bhatti has also failed however I would wait 9 months as per Dr recommendation to pass any judgement.

 

I am already in 8th month and I believe you have seen my update in other post. I would be glad if some miracle growth happens in next month.

 

 

Hi eternal ,

sorry to hear that your 2nd HT also failed , If you do not get me wrong , Please can you think of any particular Reason why it failed /? I know its silly and I do not mean to Hurt you in anyways , I understand that we all have dreams of a good HT , But if there is anything that you think made it fail the 2nd time , which one would you attribute to ?

Maybe your knowledge can help us future Patients to learn and gain from your experience , Once again I really ask you not to cause you an pain , But for my own knowledge , as I am contemplating a HT By Feb this Year .

[Torip]

Hey eternal,

 

My experience with Finasteride may help you a bit. I presume you were taking the generic Fin made by Dr.Reddy's or Cipla, as you live in India. In my case with the generics my brainfog and tiredness are intolerable. However with the branded proscar cut in to pieces the side affects are a lot lower. I get proscar imported to India through an online canadian pharmacy. May be you could experiment with the branded one and see how your sides would be.

[Johny41]

Hey eternal,

 

My experience with Finasteride may help you a bit. I presume you were taking the generic Fin made by Dr.Reddy's or Cipla, as you live in India. In my case with the generics my brainfog and tiredness are intolerable. However with the branded proscar cut in to pieces the side affects are a lot lower. I get proscar imported to India through an online canadian pharmacy. May be you could experiment with the branded one and see how your sides would be.

 

Hi,

I'd like to tell that one and the same medication (be it brand or generic) can have different effect on different people. As I was explained many depends on the producer. I've been taking Fin produced by Cipla and have suffered some mild side effects like dizziness, mood swings. But when I switched to fin produced by Centurion, all these side effects disappeared. However one of my friends who is also on fin is happy with the Cipla's fin. It is all individual.