Month: March 2015

My grandfather is currently taking finasteride for prostate reasons. Even though it is the 5mg pill, I couldn’t help but notice that sexual side effects such as ‘impotence’ and ‘abnormal ejaculation’ were listed under ‘Common’. Not uncommon, not rare, but common! That being said, how ‘common’ is common? Are side effects in general rare, but sexual dysfunction is the most persistent of the side effects? When you quote a 2% chance of being subjected to sexual side effects, of what number is that 2% drawn from? Are sexual side effects rarer in
Propecia because of its smaller (1mg) dose?

Most of the studies on 1-2% sexual dysfunction is derived from the Prosar (finasteride 5mg dose). Taking a smaller dose should give you less side effect but the reported side effect is still around 1-2%.

This is taken directly from the MERCK website Propecia insert:

“In three controlled clinical trials for PROPECIA of 12-month duration, 1.4% of patients taking PROPECIA (n=945) were discontinued due to adverse experiences that were considered to be possibly, probably or definitely drug-related (1.6% for placebo; n=934). Clinical adverse experiences that were reported as possibly, probably or definitely drug-related in ?1% of patients treated with PROPECIA or placebo are presented in Table 1.”

Hi I just wanted to write to tell you guys 1mg generic finasteride is $13.00 for a 30 day supply, $23.92 for a 90 day supply at Costco

Good to hear that generic prices of medications are making medications affordable. This may help many people who do not like cutting the 5mg finasteride in quarter sections.
It seems counter intuitive but the 5mg finasteride is still less expensive since you take only 1/4 of it daily for the treatment of androgenic alopecia.

Finasteride 5mg when taken 1/4 pill a day is about $30 for a one year supply (90 pills you need to cut in 1/4s)
Finasteride 1mg when taken daily is about $95 for a one year supply

All pharmacies are different in their pricing. The above example is from Costco. You do not need to be a member to buy drugs (or alcohol) at Costco.

I am a 28 year old male, and have a few questions. When I was 21 my hairline changed a bit, going up in the temples, about an inch or so. Literally since then there has been no change in my hair, in either the hairline or the density. Despite this I am constantly worried about balding. My mother’s Dad was bald, but her brothers were not, and it doesnt run much at all on my Dad’s side. Also I have very little facial hair, and just blonde vellus hairs on my arms, being a fair, blonde haired person. I am hoping this means I don’t have much DHT, as I have heard DHT is what causes the facial hair to grow thick and the head hair to fall out. Basically I guess I am just looking for reassurance to what I think I know, that is, since I have had essentailly the same hairline, which would be a norwood 1.5 at worst, since I was 21, that the odds of me suddenly going bald are quite small. If I do the hair shed test, I always end up with 10 hairs max, and having fine, blonde hair, I would notice if it was getting thin. Lol please put my mind at ease!

Hair loss in men is mostly genetic. You either have the genes for a certain pattern of hair loss. You may not go completely bald (Norwood 6 or 7) but the genetic predisposition is what you are dealt when you were conceived. In general most men notice balding or thinning in their 20’s and 30’s.

If you are looking for reassurance, you can seek the comfort of your parents or your significant other. If you’re looking for a medical diagnosis you can see a doctor for an examination.

Please publish this link and scientific database about ED and
finasteride so that people can see that side effects are really rare

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2840927/

I believe we published this article back in 2009 when it was published.

The conclusion by the authors are: “Although a relationship has been established between finasteride and sexual dysfunction in the literature, the analysis of the role of androgens in male sexual function and the evidences from large population-based long-term placebo-controlled studies using validated questionnaire and objective method for assessing sexual function suggested no substantial evidence of ED in men receiving finasteride. Low ejaculatory volume is the only causal relationship between finasteride and sexual dysfunction. Finasteride has been an effective drug in preventing low-grade prostate cancer but its role in increased incidence of high-grade prostate cancer has been attributed to better performance of PSA screening in prostate cancer detection. The effects of both doses of finasteride (5 mg and 1 mg/day) on prostate and PSA levels are almost similar. So, as dermatologists, we should be aware of the potential risks and benefits while treating baldness in young men with long-term finasteride.”

It is worth noting (in case the wording was not clear) that Propecia (finasteride) does not cause cancer or increase the risk of high grade cancer. The reason for the potentially confusing statement was that when you take Propecia (finasteride), a common test value (PSA) that doctors look at to screen for prostate cancer can be falsely interpreted. Thus the doctor need to be aware and not rely solely on the PSA test.

Is some itching with the use of minoxidil 5%, normal?

Maybe. It may be a sign of an allergic issue or irritation. Some people cannot use the medication because of this.

I had an FUE transplant of 1000 grafts to my hairline 4.5 weeks ago. I’m a 40-year-old man and up until now, I’ve never had sensitive skin or allergies. Most of the scabs fell off two weeks following the procedure, but some scabs remained into the third week. The scabs that did stay then developed into red shiny scar-like tissue with some whiteheads. I reported it to the specialist over the phone and via email, but cannot visit as it was not a local clinic.

At first they advised me that it was not a major concern and instructed me to apply a Heparin cream to the affected areas. At that time, most of of the transplanted hairs were still there. A few days later, I sent photos to the specialist as the inflammation had not changed and they told me to continue with the Heparin. Into the fourth week, when the situation had still not changed and a significant amount of the transplants had fallen out, they referred me to a local dermatologist. She looked at it and didn’t know what to suggest as she has little knowledge of transplants, but she did advise me to switch shampoos, from a general over-the-counter baby shampoo to one that she was more neutral.

Today, they advised me to begin applying an antibiotic steroid cream (flumetazone[?] and neomycin). Three days ago a lot of the transplants fell out.

At this point, I don’t entirely trust their opinion anymore and I’m hesitant about the steroid cream, though I did apply it today. I’m extremely worried that this is going to be a failed transplant and suspect I’ll have to do it again.

You need a good evaluation and examination of your scalp by a doctor so you can get a diagnosis of what is going on. It is unfortunate you do not trust the surgeons who you paid thousands of dollars for your surgery.

The best advice is seek a local doctor who will see you and examine you. Your family doctor should be able to make an ‘infection diagnosis’ if that is a concern. I do not diagnose or give personal surgical advice on Baldingblog.

In general inflammation can be a sign of infection and you should get this confirmed before you treat the issue.

I’ve been tempted to try Propecia for a while now (to reverse my Norwood 2 hair loss) but I’m concerned about the side-effects such as erectile dysfunction.

Are there any natural supplements you can recommend? I’ve tried TRX2 and it was completely ineffective. It absolutely nothing for me.

HR23+ is a supplement that comes with good reviews and really good ingredients for hair. Even though it’s classified as a hair health supplement, do you think it can help with my balding?

First and foremost you need a correct diagnosis of your hair loss. Second you need to see a doctor and understand treatment options available. Third Propecia does not usually work for frontal hair line loss and it does not usually reverse corner hair loss either. If you are demonstrating the appearance of a maturing hair line, even Propecia will not impact it that is why seeing a doctor is so important. Finally natural supplements or Internet advertised products do not work clinically from what I’ve seen. It does work well on decreasing the bulk of your wallet. You can always try it but I really cannot endorse any products here.

The idea was to put hair ends into the scalp with the machine that is illustrated in the article. Very interest and of course, it did not work.

http://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/the-first-hair-plug-machine-looks-absolutely-horrifying-1688228821

I’m 48 years old. I was on 1 mg per day of finasteride for some 13 years, with no loss of hair over this period. Last year, I perceived a reduction in libido, and consulted my prescribing doctor. Together we agreed that I would try a lower dose (0.25 mg) to see if my side effects subsided. It has now been 7 months since I started the new dose. My libido is comfortable for me, and I don’t believe that I have lost any hair. My question is, if I’m going to see any ‘catch up ‘ hair loss associated with a dose reduction, in your experience, within what time frame does this normally occur?

Propecia is a great drug (the only FDA approved oral drug) that really works for male pattern balding. But it doesn’t always completely stop the balding process. Your genetic predisposition will eventually win out. Some men do have great long term effects. The sexual side effect of libido or erection associated with Propecia is about 1 to 2 percent and after 10+ years of use it’s hard to imagine that one might start having the side effects of the drug after 10 years. (But it is possible) More probable is that men in their late 40’s would likely have issues with libido and erection due to their age. This is something that must be sorted out between you and your doctor. I am not disagreeing with your course of action as you are under the care of your doctor.

The short answer to your question is that catch up hair loss usually happens with in the first 6 months. It has been reported that a lower than the recommended 1mg dose of finasteride is still effective for the treatment of male pattern balding and the low dose may be working in your case. You really won’t know the subtle changes unless you have a metric to document the changes (such as a miniaturization test or bulk studies).