Higher dosage of Finasteride = better results?

[Paulygon]

I stopped taking Finasteride 1.25mg about 8 months ago and have had catch-up hairloss. After a recent HT #2, I am also experiencing shock loss.

 

Just filled my prescription for Finasteride. Instead of cutting each pill into 4 pieces to get 1.25mg, I plan on taking a whole tablet, which is 5mg/day.

 

Any opinions on how much of a difference there is between 1.25mg/day vs. 5mg/day?

 

I have talked to a pharmacist and have been told there is no danger, so please keep your answers directed to:

(1) Should I expect better results with the higher (5mg) dosage, and

(2) if I should expect better results, would the benefits be dramatic or marginal?

 

I feel like I've bugged my HT-doc alot in the last month, and I just want to hear community opinion/experiences right now.

 

Note: I am not concerned with side effects for the time being.

[Paulygon]

FYI, current state of affairs.. pretty bad shock loss. I should have started finasteride immediately after surgery. Now I'm 1 month in. See pic.

[Ernie]

I had a tough time with shock loss too, as you know. It grew back in 4 months for me. But I was always on fin, 1mg daily.

 

5mg daily seems severe. I'd ask around this forum a bit more...

 

Just curious? How come you stopped fin 8 months ago?

[Mikey1970]

5mgs per day finasteride is the dose for treating an enlarged prostate. As far as I know it offers no improved results for hair than 1mg or 1.25mgs which is the pill cut into quarters which plenty of us do.

 

If you want the biggest bang medicinally, research dutasteride. Strangely enough, increased doses of dutasteride does seem to improve hair results.

 

Dutasteride Info: Avodart Hair Loss Treatment | Bernstein Medical

[gillenator]

Mikey is correct. 5mg finasteride comes in the form of Proscar which is a drug used for treating the swelling of the prostrate. So taking 5 mg daily for treating MPB is ill advised. Ask any doctor and they will tell you the same thing. If you do not have issues from a swelling prostrate from "prostrate cancer", then taking 5 mg per day for hair loss makes no sense whatsoever.

 

Merck, who manufactures Propecia has done extensive clinical research and clinical trials to establish the recommended daily dose at 1mg daily.

 

So the primary reason why Proscar would be purchased for treating MPB is not to consume a higher daily dosage but to cut the pill down into quarters in order to save money.

 

Finasteride should be only be considered under the direct counsel and supervision of a licensed physician. They will have a PSA test done before prescribing it to you.

[pkipling]

I agree with what's been said here. It's my understanding that there's a max dosage at which point the results/effects are capped - which would be the 1mg dosage (or in the case of cutting the Proscar, 1.25mg). I would stick with the 1.25 daily and wait it out. Anything more than that would be overkill.

[ontop]

Taking a dose of 5.mg a day will not do anything better but definitely can be more at risk of sides.

 

There is not evidence that Fin "nomattter what the dose" will help in shockloss as I'm aware of anyways.

now maybe having PRP at the time of surgery may be of some help in the healing process & may eliminate the trauma to the scalp, hence maybe limit any shock loss which could accrue in the coming months after surgery.

[Melvin- Admin]

Below is a chart from a study conducted that shows the DHT serum levels in the skin and scalp at different dosages. As you can see there is very little difference between 1mg and 5mg. Additionally, one could even argue that taking 0.2mg is still effective in treating MPB.

 

The effects of finasteride on scalp skin and serum androgen levels in men with androgenetic alopecia. - PubMed - NCBI

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

Pretty much agree with all of the above…However I wouldn't rule out dut if you are really wanting to see a difference…

But then again…you risk more sides…I completely quit taking finasteride…now I just take one .5 dutasteride every 3rd day..I can tell a pretty big difference.

[Paulygon]

Pretty much agree with all of the above…However I wouldn't rule out dut if you are really wanting to see a difference…

But then again…you risk more sides…I completely quit taking finasteride…now I just take one .5 dutasteride every 3rd day..I can tell a pretty big difference.

 

Hmm. Maybe I will try Dut. If there is a big difference.

Thanks for the idea!

[Paulygon]

Below is a chart from a study conducted that shows the DHT serum levels in the skin and scalp at different dosages. As you can see there is very little difference between 1mg and 5mg. Additionally, one could even argue that taking 0.2mg is still effective in treating MPB.

 

The effects of finasteride on scalp skin and serum androgen levels in men with androgenetic alopecia. - PubMed - NCBI

 

Love that you found This chart. Ya, there is such a marginal difference between hair growth at 5mg vs 1mg. Thank you for this information.

[ontop]

People only jump on dut / Avodart if they don't get anything from Fin after a long period of time but also remember that there is no guarantee that dut would be effective, some people has flipped back over to fin for reasons they didnt see a difference or they had sides or just the financial impact because that stuff anit cheap at the present time but I thought I did hear or read that the FDA was looking to pass it for a hairloss medication, im not sure what that status is now tho.

apparently it is stronger & works in several ways and can be more effective for some but not all MPB guys.

 

Also food for thought strange how Dut / Avodart is stronger & the risk of sides is higher but you dont see many people ranting & raving about stop Dut / Avodart do you? Strange that huh?

Just a thought guys that's all.

Edited July 28, 2016 by ontop
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[Paulygon]

Just curious? How come you stopped fin 8 months ago?

 

No side effects but I just didn't want to take the pill for the rest of my life. I dropped rogaine also.

 

Really, my sex appeal was way up, I was pretty darn good meeting new girls, but then I got a girlfriend and got too comfortable. Stopped the Rogaine and then Propecia a couple months later.

Now I see how big a factor they were in my great hair just a year ago. Hopefully going back on those meds can revive the hairs that were dependent on Rogaine or Propecia. But I am sure some follicles have died in the nearly 8 months of not taking the two drugs. But I'll go back on and take as much as I can get.

[ontop]

Yep if fin was not giving you any problems there is no reason it should now.

I would jump back on them now as they did its job prior before your girl came on the scene right?

time to protect that investment you made huh?

Edited July 28, 2016 by ontop
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[DavidAnderson]

You should only consider upping the dosage of fin or switching to DUT if Propecia at 1mg is not working for you and in any event the chances of the higher dosage or DUT working are very debatable.

 

Sounds like you just got off it and feel you have some catching up to do. I would get back on it and wait it out no need to switch.

 

Most docs believe that propecia is not dose related and that 1mg is more than enough for hair.

 

Best advice is to stick with something and do it consistently it is a lifetime commitment or at least until something better comes along in the hopefully not too distant future.

[mahhong]

Lots of good advice here. It's somewhat debatable whether finasteride really helps with shock loss but a lot of doctors do feel it's beneficial (and most would recommend the drug anyway as part of your restoration). It's certainly beneficial at keeping your native hairs and slowing miniaturisation around the fringes of your hairloss though.

 

You definitely don't need more than the 1/1.25mg dosage.

 

I think the bottom line with finasteride is that, unfortunately, it's a drug for life (unless, as David says, something better comes along). It's only really going to be worth taking if you can commit to taking it long term, so you have to make a decision whether to get back on it and stay on it, or to commit to not using the drug and either making do or getting more surgical restoration/making do with what you have. If you weren't getting sides and were happy taking the drug then you might as well go back to it I would say. If you decide it's not for you, then you'll have to come up with a strategy that takes that into account.

[Spanker]

No side effects but I just didn't want to take the pill for the rest of my life. I dropped rogaine also.

 

Really, my sex appeal was way up, I was pretty darn good meeting new girls, but then I got a girlfriend and got too comfortable. Stopped the Rogaine and then Propecia a couple months later.

Now I see how big a factor they were in my great hair just a year ago. Hopefully going back on those meds can revive the hairs that were dependent on Rogaine or Propecia. But I am sure some follicles have died in the nearly 8 months of not taking the two drugs. But I'll go back on and take as much as I can get.

 

 

Man, I hate to kick you while you're down, but with all of your posts, you should have known better. It was pretty obvious you have massive help from the drugs and that was a large part of your result. Keep that in mind in the future and never forget. Because you were such a good responder in the first place, one of the better ones I have seen, I do believe that you will see some improvement in the hair you lost, but not all. Good luck man. NEVER FORGET!

[gillenator]

Pauly,

 

Have you been in contact with your doctor?

[TheGman]

I've read many stories of people experiencing a severe shed as they made the switch from fin to dut, that's why I'm sticking with fin.