Category: Drugs

I travel abroad a good deal, often for long periods and for indeterminate periods, I therefore regularly miss my propecia intake for a couple of weeks up to a month every, for example 6 months. Am I increasing my chances of side effects or the drug becoming ineffective by doing so?

I do not believe you would be increasing the risk of side effects by failing to take Propecia for several weeks, but you may be increasing the risk of the drug not doing its intended job (of keeping your hair). Perhaps you should make a note to pack your medication on your travels.

I have been taking avodart for about 4 years, previously on propecia for 6 years. I believe avodart has worked great but for a long time have always felt that their have been sexual side effects from both meds. I am switching back to propecia to see if they resolve and actually only taking half a pill instead of a full one. My question is:

1. in the long run, does propecia prove about roughly as beneficial for maintaining hair loss as avodart, (or should I expect a large/small shedding of hair from the switch)?
2. will propecia be less likely to have sexual side effects compared to avodart?
3. should I expect the side effects to resolve/ or permanent and how long (2 weeks, month, ect) till I would notice?

1. I don’t know. Your guess is as good as mine.

2. Yes, and a half a pill will be better than a full pill to lessen side effect risk… but no guarantee.

3. Avodart (dutasteride) has a 5 week half-life, so it might take months (in the order of 20-25 weeks) for the side effects to reverse. It may occur earlier. Propecia (finasteride) has a 6 hour half-life, so this drug’s side effects are less long lasting as a rule.

Snippet from the article:

Men who take the hair-loss medication Propecia and develop sexual side effects may be at risk for severe depression and suicidal thoughts, a new study suggests.

In the study, 64 percent of men who developed long-lasting sexual side effects from the drug also reported experiencing moderate or severe symptoms of depression, and nearly 40 percent reported suicidal thoughts.

Low libido and erectile dysfunction have been reported in men taking Propecia, and in some, the side effects persist after the medication is stopped. It is not known how many men experience long-lasting sexual side effects from Propecia, but it is thought to be a small percentage.

Doctors and Propecia users should be aware of the potential serious risks of the medication, “especially as it is being used cosmetically, to alter a normal age-related process,” said study researcher Dr. Michael Irwig, an assistant professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C.

Read the rest — Hair-loss drug linked to severe depression in men

I’ve already received a couple dozen emails from readers sending me links to various articles written about this (and some links to press releases from law firms seeking out people looking to sue). I really am having difficulty here in that the report cited: “Irwig interviewed 61 young men whose average age was 25, who had previously used finasteride (the generic name for Propecia). All the men had experienced sexual side effects for at least three months after they stopped taking the medication. They had not experienced sexual problems before taking the medication, and did not have a history of mental illness.”

Reports that I have read from other countries don’t seem to report the severe sexual side effects or depression as reported in this article, so I am certainly confused. With 100% of those interviewed for this study reporting lasting sexual side effects, there appears to be a bias in the reporting and I have to wonder if these were among the same group of patients that were also interviewed from the Propecia complaint forums (like the last media blitz from Dr. Irwig’s interviews).

With that said, from my readings and from an occasional patient who reported mood alterations from Propecia, I have little doubt that in a subgroup of patients, the 5-alpha-reductase blocker does impact some brain function, perhaps enough to be a cause of depression. On those patients who had some alteration in mood, the symptoms went away in a few days after they stopped the drug.

Certainly, this latest wave of media coverage is alarmist. The article notes that “the findings are preliminary, and further research is needed to confirm them” but that isn’t going to stop the swarms of ambulance chasers looking to make a buck.

Dr,

Do you have any theories or ideas as to how prostogladin d2 (studies recently show bald men to have higher levels in the scalp) fits in with the factors which we know contribute to hair loss like genetics and DHT?

Is this something you discuss with your fellow professionals and do you think that this discovery of PGD2 will lead to less invasive ways to slow or stop hair loss any time soon?

I’m asking as somebody who can’t take propecia due to side effects who wishes there was another way!

Researchers have found that Prostaglandin D2 is present in bald scalp and not in a hairy scalp. The suggestion is that PGD2 is an inhibitor of hair growth in AGA and some researchers believe that the PGD2-GPR44 pathway is a potential target for treatment.

This is still in the research area and there is no drug that I am aware of that will be available clinically at this time. I’m always hopeful for new proven treatments, but whether this is one of them remains to be seen.

I’m about to start taking Propecia, but I’m currently taking fat burners called Clenbuterol

Will it be ok to take both at the same time?

Many thanks

I have not found anything that suggests a problem mixing these two drugs, but I know very little about clenbuterol other than its use in breathing disorders (chronic asthma) and as an enhancement drug for athletic competitors. You need to do your research and possibly speak with the doctor who is prescribing your Propecia.

Hi i’ve currently been taking Proscar 5mg tablets cut into quarters I take it 6 times a week and have a 1 day break (so im intaking 7.5mg per week) I’ve been on the drug for close to 4 months. firstly is this acceptable or should I be looking to take it every single day?

Also my main question, I have alot of vellus like hairs some grow to a centimetre or so some are eternally lingering around 1mm, small and blonde my plan with finasteride is to revert these hairs back to the terminal stage, I’ve noticed my remaining terminal hairs look stronger right now but im wondering the rough timescale of when I should see my vellus hairs growing in stronger, I know everybody responds differently but if you could ball park the average for me and maybe explain what I should see process wise (does anything change to let me know etc) if the medication is working for me. Many thanks!

This should be discussed with the doctor that prescribed you the medication. In general, the recommended treatment for male pattern baldness is 1mg finasteride per day. Many patients break up the 5mg finasteride pill into four pieces and take 1.25 mg per day with no issues. The half life of finasteride (Propecia) is about 4 hours, so after 24 hours almost all of the medication is out of your blood stream (even if you took a 5mg dose or 1mg dose or 1.25mg dose). Thus, the medication is meant to be taken daily (without skipping) so that you maintain a consistent level in your blood stream. It is not a cumulative dose over a week. You cannot take a 7mg pill once every seven days and expect it to work the same as taking 1mg daily for 7 days.

Finally, without an examination I really do not have any way to know if the medication is working for you. Ideally, one would have a measurement done before you started the medication (such as a photograph, miniaturization study, or bulk measurements) and compare this with a follow-up measurement. Otherwise it is just a subjective guess.

The Propecia timeline for results can be found here.

I’m 24, been on Propecia for a year, and really haven’t seen much of a change. I’m balding from my hairline but I feel (but can’t really see) thinning in the big horseshoe, Norwood 6 or so.

Over the last year, my hairline’s continued receding at about the same level it was before, and recession is definitely much more noticeable than it was before I started. I also haven’t seen any side effects except maybe anxiety or depression, but that could also be related to external factors since I’ve had experience with both of those in the past.

Since it’s been a year, and I don’t think it’s worth spending $1000 a year on my salary for what seems to be negligible results, I was thinking about stopping. But with all the “panic” around Propecia over the last couple of weeks, I’m concerned that stopping might bring on new side effects, even though I haven’t had any on the drug. What are your thoughts on that whole alleged “Post-Finasteride Syndrome” and, as someone who has been very minimally effected by the drug, do you think it’s worth me even being concerned about? I know the internet’s full of hyperbole and all, but I just want to make sure I cover all of my bases before I stop taking the drug.

It feels like I’ve written about this dozens of times on the blog. Side effect incidence is rare and the recent hysteria is from a published article about 54 men that were interviewed (men that joined the study after being recruited from a forum created to complain about the drug). I think the power of suggestion is likely at play.

If you’re concerned about the price — you can ask your doctor for a prescription to the 5mg pill (a generic is available which makes it incredibly cheap), and then just cut the pill. That saves significant costs.