Category: Drugs

I currently use propecia and need to know how long it takes to be out of your urine. If one was getting tested for anabolic steriods the finasteride cannot be in the urine because it is banned

I am not familiar with the testing of finasteride in the blood stream or the intricacies of exactly what chemical they are looking in the testing. I do know basic drug dynamics and the mechanism of finasteride. The half life of finasteride is 8 hours. This means if you took it at 7am, 50% will be in your body by 3pm. Then 25% will be in your body by 11pm, etc. I think you get the picture.

Now this is if you took one pill of finasteride only once, but I suspect you have been taking finasteride for a good while. This means that your body has a steady state of finasteride bound by proteins circulating in your blood (you can think of it as a reservoir). So it may be a bit more complex than just a half life value. I read an article on the web that says it takes 4 weeks for finasteride to bring DHT levels back to 20% baseline. I have no way of validating this claim, but you can use it to make an informed decision.

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Is Propecia effective for one such as myself who has “diffuse” thinning all over the top scalp? I’m 19 and I been on the drug for a little over 3 months and I still shed is this normal? Should I give it more time to work?

Some people thing that in a limited number of individuals, the cycling of the hair growth moves in and out of its anogen phase. Prior to the anogen phase, there is often hair loss. This means that the loss may be an indication that you will have a good response when anogen comes into play. Without seeing the miniaturization of your hair under a densitometer (microscope) and your particular hair loss pattern, there is no way to answer this question. I generally like to count hairs, those that are miniaturized and those that are full normal hairs. That tells me where you are starting from when you go on Propecia. Good measurements of hair counts and miniaturization tells me a great deal about your response and puts good science and diagnosis in my hands. You need a good hair transplant doctor or Dermatologist to evaluate your hair loss pattern to see if Propecia is the right medication for your condition.

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I ordered generic propecia from a website that seemed to be the cheapest. They claim to be FDA approved, so i was wondering if infact there generic propecia is the same as regular propecia.

I have been taking generic propecia for about 2 weeks now. Since ive been taking it I have been getting alot of acne and i was wondering if propecia may be causing it

It is a buyer beware market. I am not aware of a generic Propecia available in the United States, since it is still under patent protection. Some other countries who do not respect patent laws may attempt to copy a drug formula, but I do not believe the FDA would approve of such practice. There is no way for me or anyone to tell if your side effect is a direct result of your generic drug. Finally, you need a qualified doctor to prescribe Propecia, so I would certainly be nervous about ordering prescription drugs like this online from a website you are not familiar with.

I have been using Rogaine unsuccessfully for a number of years. One problem I have with it is that I only apply it after taking a shower and never do a second daily application. The reason for this is that unless I dry it with a hair dryer the Rogaine always makes my scalp look greasy.

Is the hair dryer detrimental to the Rogaine working? What can I do to eliminate the greasiness?

To get real value from it, you must use it twice daily. Change to Rogaine for Women, as it has an alcohol base which is not oily.

can propecia effect facial hair growth? Is it all right to take a detoxifier and vitamins while taking propecia?

Propecia has not been linked with facial hair growth although in theory, as DHT is one of the causes for bringing on facial hair, there may be a link.

By Dr. Jae Pak

Dr. Rassman,

I have been taking finasteride for 1 month. I have quartered proscar tablets. Given that the doses are therefore 1.25 mg of finasteride each I have been taking the pills for fours days straight and then taking one day off. This way I receive 5 mg in my body over five days just like with propecia. Can this skipping a dose have an effect of the drug’s effectiveness? Also, I plan on switching to the regular 1 mg dose of propecia every day once my 30 tablet proscar supply finishes (so roughly five months). I assumed the transition will be smoother with my current dose technique then if I was taking 1.25 every day and then switched to 1 mg per day. My main reason for skipping the 5th 1.25 mg dose is to reduce the chances of side effects. After two weeks of use I experienced some tenderness in one of my breasts but thankfully that passed after one week and I feel perfectly fine now. My worry is that an increased amount of finasteride in my body would increase the chances of such effects returning. Any thoughts you can give in regards to my concerns would be appreciated.

Thank you.

You need to have it on board every day. Don’t worry about side effects if you do not experience any now at the dose you are taking. The breast pain is a rare side effect (1 in 300 patients), so if it has passed, just count your blessings.

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