Author: Dr. William Rassman

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Finasteride can increase depression and increase patient actions on self-harm but not suicide

In an article just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Internal Medicine edition by Dr. Blayne Well et.al. , the impact of finasteride on patients with known depression were studied. Of that population, 272 patients out of 100,000 have a tendency for depression. Could it be that these men, once identified should not be prescribed the drug finasteride? Their concern was to determine if there was a suicide risk that increased because of the use of 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors which included finasteride and dutasteride.

The answer, in my opinion, to this is probably Yes, it is a good idea not to give this drug to people with known depression. Note excerpts below:


2017-05-24 15:00:22Finasteride can increase depression and increase patient actions on self-harm but not suicide

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Finasteride before Hair Transplant

I know you suggest finasteride after hair transplant to prevent shock loss. How long would you use finsateride after a hair transplant to prevent shock loss?

I generally like the man to be on finasteride at least 1-2 weeks before the transplant and until the transplanted hair has grown out. That applies to men under 35 as a rule, but what finasteride protects, is loss of the native hair with miniaturization present. As men get older, they may have less miniaturization and as such be less likely to get shock loss.

 

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finasteride and the frontal hairline

If finasteride doesn’t reverse frontal hair loss, will is slow it down or stop it?

I have seen some patients get good results in the frontal area (not common), more are younger (closer to 20 rather than 30 y/o). Yes it often slows or stops the recession.

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finasteride and thinning hair

If finasteride can not cause thinning, why am I continuing to thin while on finasteride? I’m definitely not imagining this. Could it be that the dosage 0.5mg is not enough and the miniaturization is too aggressive?

Yes, it is possible that you need a proper dose of finasteride (1mg), or your thinning process is more active than the finasteride can manage.

 

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Finasteride and Balding Problems

I have been taking finasteride for 10 years now, and I have been slowly losing my hair since, though at a much slower rate. I was wondering, will I eventually become slick bald in a class six pattern if that’s what my genetic fate is, even if I continue to take the medication? Does hair have to miniaturize to the point of completely not being visible anymore, or is it possible for the process to stop in an intermediate stage of miniaturization?

Look at the miniaturization pattern and try to predict your hair loss. Or, better yet, see a doctor like me with specialization in hair loss who might be able to answer your questions after a detailed examination of your scalp. Hair does not have to miniaturize for balding to occur, and most patterns can be predicted after a man is 26 years old.


2018-06-21 06:12:01Finasteride and Balding Problems

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Finasteride and Weight Gain?

Does finasteride make me gain weight? been taking it from 2003 until 2005, stopped until apr 2007, now im on again with 1mg a day, i am a male.

i searched the previous answers on the topic, only found one that states that NO, theres no link. just touching base again to check for any new info. my personal experience: with some brands i gain weight, with others no. perhaps its only my delusional mind. thanks, gooooood blog congratlations

Nope. Aging (with slowing of the metabolism, diet, and a sedentary lifestyle) is the primary cause of weight gain. Don’t look to blame the drug finasteride for it.

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Finasteride and Body Hair Loss

I have been on Finastride for over 5 years (1 mg/day), and during the past 2 years, I have been experiencing progressive thinning and hair loss on my stomach and chest. Although I am not confident this is related with a prolonged use of Finasteride, I will stop taking it for a while and see how it goes. Note that I am an excessively hairy guy.

Yes, Finasteride can cause reduced body and facial hair. However, if you stop taking Finasteride, you can develop what I call “catch-up hair loss” which means that all of the benefits will disappear in 3 months; if you go back on the drug, these benefits might not return.

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Finasteride competes with DHT at the receptor (graphic)

For the scientists in our group who are interested in how the drug works, finasteride is a competitive inhibitor to DHT and the effectiveness of this is shown in the graph below. Note that the inhibition works even at lower doses. The degree of inhibition at the AR receptor does not correlate directly with the effectiveness of the dose based on clinical finding; however it is nevertheless close to the degree of inhibition.