proscar

[Take a chance]

Just started taking proscar today and had some questions.

It says each tablet contains 5mg of finasteride. This means that Im taking closer to 1.25mg a day. Does this mean I should skip one day? Im also finding them harder to cut because they are not circle tablets. This is the first time i've taken any finasteride and just need some help.

[Take a chance]

Just started taking proscar today and had some questions.

It says each tablet contains 5mg of finasteride. This means that Im taking closer to 1.25mg a day. Does this mean I should skip one day? Im also finding them harder to cut because they are not circle tablets. This is the first time i've taken any finasteride and just need some help.

[Maxxy]

Hey Take a Chance,

 

Most people these days taking Finasteride are doing what you are, my self included.

 

It does mean you are getting close to 1.25mg a day but no you shouldn't miss a day.

 

Because they are hard to cut some days you may get 1mg while others it may be 1.75mg, don't worry about these differences, atleast I and I'm sure many others don't.

 

Cutting the pill may get easier with practise but you will never get spot on, there are ways to get a 1mg dose but personally I wouldn't worry about it.

[Take a chance]

Thanks Maxxy,

 

Have you had any problems/side effects with proscar? Have you seen any positive results?

 

In my case my Doctor said that taking a quarter a day is fine. Just wanted to get some opinions from people who actually take the drug.

[Take a chance]

Thanks Spex

 

Just wondering do you take them in fifths and do you think there is much difference if you use a pill cutter to cut them in quarters and take them?

[Dazed]

I use a pill splitter and the way my insurance is structured I get them for free. Of course every Silver Lining must have a cloud, and I experienced sexual side effects from the drug and quit taking it.

[Maxxy]

Take a chance,

 

The only side effect I may have had is a decrease in libido which I can't be certain is down to Fin or not. (really hasn't effected me in either case)

 

As for results, I still have the same amount of hair as I did when I started, it may have thickened but not to the extent where I can say it deffaintly has.

[latinlotus]

Here is a link to "cutting proscar" - hope it helps!

 

Cutting Proscar Video

 

I would advise to use a pill cutter, available at any pharmacy (around 5$), to cut Proscar instead of a knife as shown in the video. More precise and less risk of cutting your finger.

[Dewayne]

Here is an excellent post by Dr. Cooley, who is also a dermatologist.....

 

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Posted Sep 28, 9:18 AM Hide Post

Hi guys. I do have an opinion on this topic. Propecia is approved by the US FDA for once a day use. This does not mean it is the best dosage, only the one that was studied and approved. The average serum "half-life" of finasteride 1mg is about 5 hours in young men and 8 hours in older men. This does not mean that half of the medicine is out of your body in that time period though. The finasteride molecule is distributed throughout the body where it binds to the type II 5-alpha-reductase enzyme, thereby inhibiting conversion of testosterone to dihydrotesterone. Serum DHT is reduced about 65%, and less DHT means less balding. But several studies show that a single dose of finasteride suppresses serum DHT for 7 days or more (Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet. 1991 Jan-Mar;16(1):15-21, J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1990 Apr;70(4):1136-41, Prostate. 1989;14(1):45-53). So the finasteride is leaving the bloodstream, entering the tissue throughout the body, and binding to the typeII 5AR enzyme, resulting in long lasting DHT suppression.

 

I do not "recommend" my patients take finasteride daily, every other day, twice weekly, etc. Rather I feel it is my duty as their doctor to advise them of the known facts about this medication. Most of my patients choose to take it on a Mon-Wed-Fri schedule, which is rational from my point of view. Many of my younger patients take it daily 'just to be sure' while my older patients are happy to take it two or three times a week. There are no clinical studies showing that less than daily dosing is as effective at treating hair loss as daily dosing and for obvious financial reasons, the pharmaceutical company making finasteride has no incentive to fund such a study.

 

I hope this information is helpful. It is up to each patient to make an informed decision about which dosage is right for them.

 

Dr. Cooley is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians