Category: Drugs

I have recently begun usage of propecia and am happy to see noticably less hair falling out of my head however when i’ve researched hairloss medications online I have come upon forums in which people talk and regiments, xandrox 15, procerin, nizoral and all manner of things i’ve never heard of (eg. hairlosshelp.com forum post). My question is is my regiment of once a day propecia pill adequate or should I be using a regiment of extensive drugs and shampoos like these people to combat my hairloss? Thanks

I do not give much credence to the value of the other approaches mentioned. One pill of Propecia each day should be adequate and it is certainly less complex.

I am 43 with some recent thinning in the back crown area and slight thinning in the front although it is not noticeable. I am in an industry where my appearance is important. To look at me, though, you’d never notice hair loss. Dr. Bernstein prescribed Propecia but frankly I am concerned about:

1. Muscle loss/decreased ability to build muscle
2. Affect on prostrate
3. Study indicating higher risk of higher grade prostrate cancer

Can you please comment. Thank you

You can also ask these questions to Dr. Bernstein (in New York). He is a very reputable doctor and would trust his judgment.

1. Propecia does not cause muscle loss or ability to build muscle.
2. Propecia is finasteride in 1mg dose. Finasteride in the form of Proscar is a 5mg dose and it is used for men with benign enlargement of their prostate. It is also thought that finasteride in 5mg strength decreases prostate cancer risk by about 25% (Source: New England Journal of Medicine – July 17, 2003; vol. 349 no. 3). Men should NOT take finasteride to prevent prostate cancer.
3. The same study stated that when prostate cancer was found the grade of cancer was higher at the 7th year of the study. The reason for that disparity was not clear. I personally do not believe the reports of higher grade prostate cancer with finasteride, because it is based upon somewhat dubious standards and a scoring system that is, in my opinion, outdated. When genetic testing is established (just like breast cancer), then the grading should be more reliable.

My opinion is that finasteride is a good medicine for both hair and prostate. Taking 1mg of finasteride (Propecia) is certainly a much lower concentration than the Proscar (finasteride 5mg) which was cited in the above study. The 1mg dose was determined to be equal to the 5 mg dose for hair loss. You must always judge the risks versus the benefits when taking any medication.

I use propecia and I dont know exactly if it works, but I took a pic a year ago and now and it appears to be working, but who knows, Im sure I should have seen someone to measure. Is there any other process that I can do now to tell if it works (besides stop taking it? – guess that would work huh? – haha)

Anyway, I wanted to switch to Proscar rather than Propecia. You mention in the blog I can get a prescription from you? What is the process for this? My prescription for propecia is up and I only have about a weeks worth of doses left. No medical history and no problems in terms of the sexual drive etc.

Thanks for your help

We will take you on as a patient over the distance. This requires a telephone consultation and that you send me photographs. We will discuss the steps over the phone. You can call us at 800-NEW-HAIR to setup a phone consultation.

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Please Dr., answer this as clearly and thourghly as possible. Does propecia stop muscle growth, slow muscle growth, or effect muscle growth in any way? I am getting paranoid and very anxious with all the different responses on the net. One source says dht is essential for muscle development. I simply just want the truth. Please respond as quickly as possible. Thank You.

To my knowledge and from what I read, Propecia (finasteride 1mg) should not stop muscle growth. I also have not received any complaints about muscle issues from my patients that are taking the drug.

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I take Toprol XL for high blood pressure & Welbutrin. Would propecia interfere with these medications? Thank you

Propecia will not interfere with these medications. Raise these concerns with your prescribing physician.

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Minoxidil question:

My situation: age 60, hair thinning on top, no baldness, with a general appearance of a full head of hair. My primary concern is simply stopping hair thinning/loss.

1. Will minoxidil achieve this, and if so, for how long, (assume that I will live another 20 years.)
2. Minoxidil directions all call for application twice daily. What will result from application once daily, or: some days once, and some days twice, or: sometimes missing a day? Missing 2 days?
3. Is it a good idea to use a hair brush after application, to ‘brush the scalp,’ assuming that invigoration will aid absorbtion-?

Thank you!

1. Both of the FDA approved medications for treating hair loss (minoxidil and finasteride) are mostly effective during the active hair loss age (generally early 20s to late 30s). It does not mean that it can not help people over 40 years old, but the rate of hair loss is more gradual and the positive effect of the medication may not be clearly seen as well at higher ages. Generally, more miniaturized hair means active hair loss and more potential benefit from these drugs. If you use the minoxidil or finasteride and get good response you are committed to continue using it for the rest of your life.
2. The studies show the optimum results are achieved when minoxidil is used twice a day, but once a day may be better than nothing or it may not give you any results making any efforts a waste of time and money.
3. I don’t believe brushing the scalp change the absorption of the medication significantly.

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