That makes no sense to me, as adding topical finasteride while you are taking oral finasteride at the 1mg dose, will add blood levels of finasteride. With topical finasteride, the drug will come across the scalp and go into your body. There is therefore no reason to add topical finasteride once you are on the proper dose of oral finasteride.
Taking 1mg Finasteride Every 3 Days?
Do you think it is suitable for a person suffering MPB to combat their hair loss by taking (1mg)Finasteride every 3 days?
Could there be any disadvantages to this?
I mean no disrespect, but I am always amazed when people invent their own medications, doses, and rules. Sometimes it is based upon fears that are not reasonable, and perhaps sometimes it is to cut costs. The recommended dosage is 1mg finasteride each day to treat hair loss. Taking it every 3 days will mean you have 2 days of no protection from the medication… so your hair loss will likely continue. The drug is out of your system in a day, which is why it’s a daily pill.
2009-03-09 13:35:272009-03-05 15:35:31Taking 1mg Finasteride Every 3 Days?
Taking 1/3rd Proscar Tablet?
Hi Dr. Rassman,
Many thanks for the detailed and trustworthy information you offer your readers. It is a true resource amidst the unreliable heresay elsewhere.
I am a 29 y.o. male — I started Propecia 1mg 4 years ago and it worked great until this summer when my hair started falling out quickly. My doctor increased my dosage to 1.67mg, which I filled with generic finasteride at Target(thank you again for pointing out the great deal there). It has only been a month, but I am hopeful it will work again.
Recently, my regular dermatologist (not the prescriber) asked whether the pill I am taking is scored and evenly distributed. I inquired with the pharmacist who said it was not scored and likely not evenly distributed. He knew of no generic finasteride that is.
What are your thoughts on the effectiveness of taking 1/3 of a tablet that I am not sure is evenly distributed. I looked in the archives and was able to dig this up, but it seems like the answer was inconclusive at the time and I am wondering if anything changed. It also dealt with Proscar, not generic finastertide.
Thanks so much
I am not an expert on drug mixing, but I believe that the various ingredients are homogenized, so as it is made into a pill there’s no irregularities in the mix. If the ingredients were irregularly mixed at a pill level, then in theory it could be irregular from pill to pill… and I’m not sure if the FDA would allow that. I’m not well versed in pharmaceutical manufacturing policies, though.
As for taking the 1.67mg finasteride, if that is what your physician prescribed you, I’m not going to argue with that. There have been times where I’ve increased the dosage recommendation for individual patients if they notice hair loss accelerating after being on Propecia for years.
Is taking 1/2 of a finasteride pill as good as taking one pill every other day?
Skipping a dose of finasteride (e.g. one pill every other day) is as effective as taking 1/2 of a pill every day because even though the blood half life is under 6 hours, the tissue fixation life is about 1 week. That means that it sticks to the hair follicle growth center for 1 week after taking the medication.
2017-01-05 10:59:422017-01-05 11:13:30Is taking 1/2 of a finasteride pill as good as taking one pill every other day?
Taking 1.25 mgs finasteride 3 times a week
Got the 5mg pill of Finastride and am thinking of taking 1.25mg on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, skipping Saturday and Sunday and restarting the same routine
That is essentially taking 0.54mgs daily. Merck reported that 0.5mgs is 82% as effective as the full 1mg dose, so this plan is a reasonable plan. The benefits are not the blood levels for finasteride but rather the tissue levels which hang around for a few weeks after taking the drug,
Taking 0.5mg Finasteride Twice a Day
Hi Sir,
I take Proscar and break the pills in 1/4. Considering the fact that finasteride remains only a few hours in the body, would it be better if I’d break the pills in 1/8 and would take it twice a day?thanks
What you say may be true. The problem is that the 5 hour half life is a reflection of blood levels for the drug (5 hours drops the concentration in the blood by half). The more important number may be tissue level of bound drug that binds to the receptor targets. I believe that this number is much longer than 5 hours (maybe a few days). Thinking this through is an intellectual exercise only:
- The pill might be able to be taken less often, rather than more often.
- A smaller dose might be just as effective. I was told in a personal communication some years ago with Dr. David Whiting (who was involved in the original Merck studies to determine the best dose to use) that half of a Propecia (0.5mg) is 80% as good as a whole pill.
It may be in nobody’s interest to really solve this problem for you so your guess is as good as anyone. I tend to stay with what is known and that happens to be Merck’s story on the commercial pill. Other than saving some money, I am not sure that for most men without any side effects of the drug that taking less of a dose has any advantage over the recommended dose.
Take Propecia With or Without Food?
Is it possible and/or safe to use propecia and minoxdil at the same time or is it not recommended to take these together. Additionally, if I take propecia, is there a recommended method of taking it – ie with/without food, empty stomach, without other medicines or vitamins.
Thanks.
You can use Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) together. It doesn’t matter if you take it with or without food.
T-Gel Shampoo and Hair Loss
I have a question about coal tar shampoo (neutrogena t/gel) and hair loss. I have used t/gel extra strength twice a week for years for my scalp condition (either seborrheic dermatitis or psoriasis, i don’t know) because it is the only one that completely rids the scales. I never responded well to Nizoral or other prescription anti-fungals. Recently, I came across a lawsuit online where a woman was suing Neutrogena for hair loss allegedly caused by T/gel. This hair loss was accompanied by a severe allergic reaction. Knowing that I am not allergic to the shampoo, do you think it is ok to use it without causing more hair loss? By the way, I am aware that they used T/gel in the Propecia trials, so Merck must not be too concerned about its potential to cause hair loss. Thanks for your help!
What are you asking me? It seems you already know the answer, by the way you posed the question. If T-Gel works for you, great! If you don’t have an allergic reaction, even better!
If you are losing hair, you should see a doctor for a diagnosis including a miniaturization study. If you have psoriasis, then a dermatologist will be the best referral for you.
2007-11-27 09:32:002007-11-27 09:32:05T-Gel Shampoo and Hair Loss
I Have Systemic Lupus and Have Scars on My Scalp. Can I Get a Hair Transplant to Treat These Defects?
People with autoimmune diseases like Lupus, LPP, FFA, alopecia areata, and alopecia totalis can’t be treated with hair transplants while the disease is active. For all of the diseases mentioned (except alopecia totalis, which is not transplantable), the disease must be inactive for 3 years. There is always a risk of recurrence even after 3 years, in which case, if it should happen, all of the transplanted grafts would then be lost.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Hair Loss
Several years I had hair loss patch the size of Half dollar and my two end finger nails were lines and pecked. I was diagonosed as having alopecia areata. Treatment w/ cortisone shots did not help. in last year or so I developed more of these loss of hair and sometimes it itches. I had biopsy done and the results “the findings are suggestive of (but not diagonostic for) collagen vascular disease such as lupus erythemaous. The blood test shows that I’m negative for Lupus. What is the outlook in terms of medication, regrowth and outlook? Is there any thing to grow hair? will a transplant work?
Sometime blood tests for SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) are not completely accurate. I recommended that you visit a rheumatologist to further your evaluation process. SLE is one of the many causes for hair loss. Hair can regrow if your cause is due to SLE or any reversible disease that arrests and then subsides. Some people will have lost their hair permanently, even if the disease goes away. Hair transplantation will not work if you have an active disease causing the hair loss, but if the disease is known and is not active, then a hair transplant will work, that is, unless it gets reactivated. Again, it is best to see a rheumatologist and a perhaps even a good dermatologist who focuses upon such problems.
2006-01-10 10:42:122006-01-10 10:27:51Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Hair Loss