Category: Drugs

Upon taking propecia, how long before it dissolves and enters the bloodstream? Better yet, how long will it be before it is safe from urination or involuntary regurgitation of food?

Thanks doc

Propecia (finasteride 1mg) will go through an empty stomach in under an hour, but if the stomach is full of food, well that relates to the emptying time of the stomach which will vary based upon so many factors that there is no real answer to that part of your question. It will last about 24 hours in your body, dropping blood levels at about 50% for every 4-6 hours after it is absorbed. If you were to vomit, it would depend upon what you had in your stomach when you took it. An empty stomach will absorb it very quickly.

I don’t quite understand the uriniation part of your question, but you will not pass it through your kidneys as finasteride, but rather as the metabolites of that drug. Wikipedia says the excretion of finasteride is feces (57%) and urine (39%) as metabolites, but I do not how accurate that is, nor do I quite know what that means, since the drug is metabolized on its pass through the liver if it does not get absorbed as finasteride directly from the blood stream. Long story short, I don’t believe you should worry about passing it through your bladder if that was your concern.

Dear Mr. Rassman,

I am a loyal reader on your blog and would like to revert a question.

I am 26 years old using propecia since 1 year and I would say I am having good results from it, meaning my hair loss came to a stop. So far I still have most of my hair, but hairline (temple area) is still receding and I would like to tried out Minox 5% topical solution which I would rub in on my temples. Since I am Caucasian and living in a tropical country I am sweating quiet often and therefor would be afraid of sweating out all the topical solution which I would rub in.

Do you think my fears are appropriate or will Minoxidil be absorb by my scalp after a few minutes?

Thanking you in advance for your answer

best regards

I suppose your concern is valid, but after you apply the medication to your scalp it should be absorbed fairly quickly. I don’t know exactly how sweat will affect its efficacy, but I suppose it would depend on how much you are sweating. You may consider applying it mostly at night before you sleep when the temperature is cool (assuming you’re not sweating at nights also) and in the morning after a shower.

Dear Dr Rassman

Your site is a fantastic resource for men suffering from ongoing hair loss. Based on your advice and other research I have conducted, I have been using a combination regimen of Propecia and Minoxidil with some success over the last year, and as yet have noticed no significant side effects.

But recently I have experienced two instances of discoloured semen on Propecia. Rather than the usual milky white colour, on two occasions in the last 6 months my semen has turned a dark brown colour. On both occasions I stopped the Propecia and the colour returned to normal after about 2 weeks. I then started the regimen again but the same thing happened after around 6 months. Again I stopped the medication and the discoloration stopped.

Could you give me some advice on this? It would seem that the Propecia is having some effect on the prostate and causing bleeding of some kind to discolor the semen. Is this a common side-effect of Propecia or Finasteride, and most importantly, is it safe for me to continue taking the drug?

Many thanks

I do not know why your semen is changing colors. You need to go to your doctor or a urologist for a good history and examination. The issues is not about how safe it is to take Propecia. The issue is about finding an underlying, undiagnosed medical problem you are now aware of. Please see your doctor.

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Just wanted to let you know been on propecia since 1997 and it has totally halted my hairloss. So you are right get on it right away and stay on it.

Thank you for the sharing of information. It seems from all the emails I receive patients are so focused on the small possibility of the side effects of Propecia that they often lose sight of why they are taking the medication. Only about one to two percent of men will have a negative sex drive side effect.

1. If MPB is not about blood flow and DHT blocking blood flow causing hair loss, then what the hell is Minoxidil for? Isn’t it a vasodilator, which has to do with blood flow?
2. Regarding DHT…if I’m taking Propecia and/or Saw Palmetto, and DHT is essential for men and to differentiate between men and women, by blocking DHT will this cause me to have more feminine characteristics? Also, I’ve read DHT may (emphasis) affect facial and body hair growth if taken at a young age (I’m 20), but will it affect height growth, muscle growth (bodybuilding), or any other hormone related things?

Thanks, I appreciate it!

1. A side effect of minoxidil is that it causes hair growth. When the drug was originally released, it was an oral antihypertensive drug that did not work well, but they noticed that women grew mustaches and beards from systemic use. The connection between being a vasodilator has nothing to do with its hair growth side effect.
2. Blocking DHT will not make you more feminine. Propecia will not make you feminine. You are asking questions about your medication management and I can not take those questions on without being your doctor. Discuss these with your prescribing physician.

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My question is if Propecia blocks DHT, does it block 100% of DHT?

Thanks.

No. Propecia (finasteride 1mg) blocks around 60-70% of DHT at the hair level. The varying numbers depend on the source.

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I’m been prescribed Rogaine foam by a hair loss expert, however I’ve read that it is highly toxic to cats, and as a cat owner this troubles me somewhat. Obviously I won’t be deliberately applying it to her and I’ll be keeping it in the bathroom, however as she is fond of rubbing her head against mine I worry this may cause some of the Minoxidil to transfer over to her.

Naturally I dont want her to be ‘off limits’ for the entire time I use the substance, so what are the best practices and habits I should develop to ensure that she is never exposed to the toxin? How long after applying is it safe to go near her? How cautious should I be?

Your advice is appreciated.

If you wash your hair about 1 hour after applying the Rogaine, I would expect that all of the medication will be washed off (it’ll be absorbed within that first hour), making it safe to be near your cats. Also, Rogaine is not a prescription item and is available over the counter.

Yes, the Animal Poison Control Center has stated that exposing a cat to minoxidil can cause death. It seems quite rare, however, as only 6 cases were reported over 4 years, with those cases involving the owner actually applying the medication to the cat’s fur, the cat stepping in the medication, or the cat licking the medication (source: NBC).

An abstract of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s article can be found here — Suspected toxicosis after topical administration of minoxidil in 2 cats.

I’m 25, and have been experiencing mpb for about 3 years. I have been taking Propecia for the last 18 months, and am moderately happy with the results, as I believe it has moderated my hair loss, although no new growth has occured. I am considering trying Scalp Med, regardless of the legitimacy of its claims.

I have no allergies or previous medical issues, and my only question is whether I have to be concerned that using Scalp Med while taking Propecia may be dangerous to my hair, or even my health?

Scalp Med’s active hair loss treatment ingredient is minoxidil, along with added ingredients that aren’t going to regrow hair and a much higher price tag than generic minoxidil. You can build dependence on minoxidil just as you can on Propecia, meaning if you stop either medication, all benefits are gone and any hair retained will be gone. Potential side effects for minoxidil can be found at Wikipedia and Drugs.com.

I can see no harm in using both Propecia and Scalp Med at the same time. Many men take Propecia and use Rogaine (minoxidil) concurrently, and so using Scalp Med (being a “boutique” minoxidil) with Propecia would be fine.

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