Medication

[andy_+_+]

I've been on oral Proscar (1/4 tab) and minoxidil for over 15 years. I've been looking at making improvements and tweaks on my medicine regime.

I've switched to Proscar (1/4 tab) Rogaine foam X1 a day and finasteride and topical minoxidil X1 a day. 

It also seems like there are a lot more combinations now than before. I've also been looking into oral minoxidil and topical dutasteride.

Thoughts on the best medicine regiment?

[Gatsby]

I think it's great to be able to attack MPB with several different modalities. However to understand 'what is doing what' it's often a good practice to start with one like finasteride. Also patience is probably the best therapy too as it takes time for these medications to work. After a year you could then add say oral minoxidil and then give this medication time to work. I think there is nothing wrong in leaving something in the tank if you have found you are able to stabilize your hair loss. I'm not a doctor but I think it's always best to be under the guidance of one. All the best.

[Dr. Wipawan Vathananai]

In my experience, neither topical finasteride nor topical dutasteride is as effective as their oral forms. Therefore, if you are not experiencing any side effects from the oral forms, it would be advisable to continue with them. If you would like to increase effectiveness, you might consider switching to oral dutasteride at 0.5 mg per day. Additionally, low-dose oral minoxidil (2.5 mg per day) can be very effective as it works through a different mechanism compared to DHT blockers.

Another option is local dutasteride injections. This method is relatively new, so there are no long-term studies yet on its effectiveness or potential complications. However, most patients in my practice are satisfied with the results, particularly those who had side effects from the oral form.