Category: Drugs

Posted on

Hair Loss InformationAre All 5% Minoxidil Exactly the Same? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Are all generic 5% minoxidil “exactly the same” as the branded 5% Rogaine and Regaine minoxidl and there is no pharmacological difference between them at all? Or for that matter any generic 5% minoxidil that is sold on pharmacy shelves in the general market place?

What I mean by that is if I were to use the generic 5% minoxidil it should just be as effective as the branded Rogaine/Regaine when applied to my scalp in treating my male pattern hair loss? The branded and trusted Rogaine/Regaine should not be more effective in growing more hairs than the generic.? They should be the same. But are they?

Could you reassure me they are all exactly the same so I can purchase the more cheaper generic versions ones and not worry about their pharmacological effectiveness if they are just as good as the label says they are?

I found these chemist sites selling cheap versions as follows:
– Kirkland minoxidil 5% FOR MEN 3 x 60ml Bottles (3 Month Supply) $33.75 –
– Minoxidil 5% 2 x 60mL for $31.99

Will these suffice? Can I buy these instead of the more expensive Rogaine/Regaine and hope they work just as well as I am on a shoestring budget at the moment? I hope you help me out with my enquiry.

Block Quote

The FDA monitors this, not me. When I know a company is legit, like Kirkland (the Costco house brand), I want to believe that it is the same minoxidil as found in Rogaine… but I do not know much more than you do. The confidence in a medication over the counter may be worth a premium, but you will have to determine this. I suppose you can also rely on the labels to see ingredients.

Posted on

Finasteride and Bone Density? – Balding Blog

First of all thanks for the valuable information on this site.

I am using finasteride from last 3 years. No side effects have been noticed. My question is about the bone density. I heard that using this medicine for long period reduces the calcium levels and makes the bones weak. Is this true?

thanks.

That is false. Bone density is not related to the use of finasteride, even in experimental studies in rats.




Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Balding Forum - Hair Loss Discussion

Posted on

Hair Loss InformationHair Regrowth vs Thickening – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

hello, I’m a little confused about what hair regrowth is and what hair thickening is. is regrowth when hair grows where it isn’t or is it when a small hair thickens?

Block Quote

Regrowth is when hair grows where it once was. It’s all a matter of semantics. One can thicken the appearance of a head of hair by increasing the number of hairs in the head (regrowing new hair), moving the hair around (transplant), using camouflage (pigments), or increasing the thickness of existing hair (products). This is done by:

  1. Reducing the degree of miniaturization with drugs like Propecia (finasteride) so that each miniaturized hair will become less fine and more coarse (closer to your normal hair in the donor area).
  2. Increasing the thickness of the individual hair shafts with thickening agents that are applied to the hair which cause them to take on more water, or coat the hairs with some product that makes them appear thicker (this is done by applying a product to the hair that will usually wash off when shampooed).
  3. Increasing the thickness of an area can be done through hair transplantation. This is a relatively permanent solution until you lose more hair (it’s progressive).
  4. By playing with color, someone can bring their hair color closer to their scalp color with chemical dyes or the use of scalp micropigmentation (a medical tattoo). The use of agents such as Toppik (adds fibers to the hair and scalp) or DermMatch (a crayon type application to bring color to the scalp.

So you see, there are many ways to get a fuller look that may not be the results of a full head of hair, but if it fools the eye, then many people will be satisfied using these approaches.

Posted on

Hair Loss InformationWhen Should I Give Up Hope for Regrowth? – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Is there still a chance I’ll have some regrowth, or should I give up hope?

I started medical school in 2009, and by the winter of 2010, I had already lost a significant amount of hair both at my crown and at the temples. I’ve been taking 1mg finasteride (I use Finpecia from Cipla cause I can’t afford Propecia) and using rogaine everyday for a year now (I’m currently 23), but haven’t noticed any regrowth. My hair stopped falling out only a few months after starting treatment, but there hasn’t been any improvement in terms of thickness or amount. Is there still a chance that I’ll have some regrowth?

I was under the impression that I should expect regrowth since I am young.

Block Quote

Drugs like finasteride do a good job to halt hair loss in men of your age. Significant regrowth is uncommon, but I have seen it occur in a minority of men. The key would be to keep the loss at bay. With your loss arrested, you might make a good candidate for hair transplantation. As finasteride is a prescription medication, you should follow up with your prescribing doctor.

Posted on

Erectile Dysfunction – The Facts – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Snippet from the study published in Archives of Internal Medicine:

Background: The prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) and associated risk factors has been described in many clinical settings, but there is little information regarding men seen by primary care physicians. We sought to identify independent factors associated with ED in a primary care setting.

Conclusions: Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, future coronary risk, and increasing fasting glucose levels are independently associated with ED. It remains to be determined if ED precedes the development of these conditions.

Block Quote

Read the abstract or read the full study [PDF]

This is a study of 3921 Canadian men ranging from 40 to 88 years old originally published in 2006. A worthwhile read. Although the study doesn’t reference hair loss drugs, erectile dysfunction (ED) from finasteride is a hot topic here and I wanted to point out that the presence of ED is known in the population. Medication is not the only possible cause.

Propecia (finasteride) may be the cause in a minority of cases, but ED exists in the general population with statistics presented in this article.

Posted on

The FDA Isn’t All That Disturbing – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Note: This post comes from one of our favorite readers (he has requested to remain anonymous), who has also contributed posts in the past about FDA issues. While not directly hair loss related, I wanted to post it to give critics of the FDA a little background on why the agency is important:

Post by Guest Writer

    FDAIt is likely that few BaldingBlog readers have worked at or significantly interacted with the FDA. As such, many of the comments related to the FDA contain appropriate concerns with this underresourced agency and – more often – criticisms that reflect poor understanding of both drug development and the approval process. Ironically, at any given time, different articles from thoughtful sources have simultaneously argued that the FDA is too lax and too strict related to approval of drugs.

    An article on this blog recently appeared directing readers to many disturbing features of this agency (Article Points Out How the FDA is Disturbing). I’d like to take readers with me on a walk down “memory lane”.

    Up until the last few centuries, few federal laws regulated the contents and sale of food and pharmaceuticals produced in the US. In the 1800s, counterfeit, contaminated, diluted, and decomposed drug materials were common, which resulted in the establishment of the Import Drugs Act in 1848 to enforce purity of drugs. However manufacturing and marketing of drugs was still “a circus”: milk was unpasteurized, cows were not tested for tuberculosis, and there were no restrictions on opium, morphine, heroin, or cocaine labeling or marketing.

    In 1906, The Pure Food and Drug Act required that certain specified drugs, including alcohol, cocaine, heroin, morphine, and cannabis, be accurately labeled with contents and dosage. Previously many drugs had been sold with secret ingredients or misleading labels. This Act also prohibited interstate commerce of misbranded and adulterated drugs, but did not address drug standards, false advertising or drug facility inspection. Also, existing laws did not require that any clinical studies be performed to demonstrate that a drug was safe.

    The FDA was created in the early 1930’s. In 1938, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act passed mainly in response to the death of more than 100 patients – mostly children treated for streptococcal infections – due to a sulfanilamide medication that contained diethylene glycol (antifreeze) as a solvent make a liquid form. This Act required new drugs to be safe before marketing.

    In 1962, the FDA required drug manufacturers to prove drug effectiveness and safety before marketing. A major impetus for this requirement was the recognition that thalidomide – a drug used for both sedation and morning sickness in pregnant women – produced severe birth defects. The major process for evaluating the safety and efficacy has remained (with some exceptions) the randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study comparing a drug to a control.

    In the mid- and late 1980s, many HIV activist organizations worked with the FDA to create new rules to expedite approval of drugs for life threatening diseases, and expanded pre-approval access to drugs for patients with limited treatment options (commonly called “compassionate use”). This was a major shift in regulatory mindset that lessened the proof required for drug approval (and increased risks) due to the need to accelerate the process of getting drugs to those with life-threatening illnesses and few options.

    In summary, since 1938 the FDA has evaluated drug applications in the US with a focus on determining the risk-benefit balance. The FDA – with its bureaucracy and challenges – is an agency that makes their evaluations fairly transparent. My own view is that FDA approval does not represent a lifetime guarantee of safety and efficacy, and that physicians should educate about known risks and benefits and that consumers/patients should be capable of (and willing to spend the time) examining known and publicly available data to make informed judgments.

Posted on

I’m a Student and My Budget Is Tight – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hello, I am 24 years old. I have always had really thin hair, even when I was a kid. In my freshman year of high school kids were already teasing me and saying I was going bald. In the past year, I have seen a significant increase in the speed at which my hair is thinning.

Thus far I have tried the Crew Hair Recovery system and Nioxin and I would have to say that if anything, my hair has gotten thinner since using both of those products.

I am a full time student so my budget is tight, but I am desperate to halt my hair loss and grow back some thicker hair. Is there a proven method that is affordable that you could recommend? Thank you for your time.

Block Quote

At 24 years old with early balding, you should talk to your doctor about Propecia (finasteride 1mg). It is prescription only. There are generic 5mg finasteride pills available, but you’d need to cut the pills and your doctor would have to be willing to prescribe it to you. Some doctors may not want to prescribe the 5mg, because it is a prostate medication at that dose, but it is the same drug as Propecia if it is cut into 4 pieces (easier than cutting it into 5 equal parts). There is no 1mg generic available in the US at this time due to patent laws, which is why you have to jump through these hoops to get the medication so cheap.

But the first step is to talk to your doctor to see if you should be taking Propecia. Good luck.

Posted on

My Pharmacy Gave Me a Different Generic Finasteride Brand This Time – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Hi Dr. Rassman,

My pharmacy (CVS) gave me a different type of finasteride (actavis), after a year of using the same one (mylan). Do you think this matters ? Or should I go back, and ask for the originally generic they have been giving me for the past year.

Thanks

Block Quote

I wouldn’t think it would make a difference, so long as the active ingredient (finasteride) is the same in both. Do what works for you. Speak with your pharmacist if you have concerns.

Posted on

Minoxidil Made My Scalp Red from the Alcohol – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I was wondering what a good alternative would be to Minoxidil or Rogaine foam as they contain alcohol and resulted in redness of the scalp. I have tried Propecia but there were side effects so I stopped. I recently started using Tricomin shampoo but from what I heard it generally won’t result in regrowth, only in retaining what you have left.

Block Quote

RogaineAndrogenic alopecia is a genetic trait and there are no drugs or potions that will stop it. Propecia and Rogaine seem to slow it down or sometimes reverse it for a few years (it buys you time), but you will continue to lose hair. In other words, there’s no cure. In your case, it is unfortunate that you cannot take the two medications that actually work and are FDA approved to treat hair loss.

There might be an alcohol-free minoxidil out there, but I couldn’t name any off the top of my head (no pun intended), nor do I know if the lack of alcohol would make it more difficult to apply evenly. I’m not sure which Rogaine you tried, but the 5% has less alcohol and more propylene glycol; the 2% has more alcohol.

As for Tricomin, I’ve written about it before here. A key ingredient in that shampoo is apparently copper peptide, and you can learn more about that here.

Posted on

Taking Finasteride at 46 Years Old – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

1) Would someone who is 46 and starting to thin on top benefit from finasteride? I have read, possibly on this site, that it works better on individuals under 35.

2) I have read that DHT aids with libido and regulating estrogen. That seems to explain why Gyno and sexual dysfunction are side effects. However, I noticed in one of your responses you mentioned “You do not wipe out 70% of DHT, you just block 70% at the hair follicle level”. If finasteride does not reduce DHT but simply block’s it at the hair follicle level, then why is testosterone and estrogen raised when on finasteride? Also, why would Gyno and sexual dysfunction be side effects at all?

3) Since estrogen can rise on finasteride, would it make since to use with an estrogen blocker or at least monitor estrogen levels on a regular basis to ensure they are not raised significantly?

Block Quote

Three questions for the price of one.

I don’t see a problem with starting finasteride at 45 years or older, but the impact on hair that is not fragile isn’t as great. That is why it works so well in young men as the hair loss process is most active below the age of 30.

I do not see a value of using an estrogen blocker. There are feedback loops in the body that I do not understand. Competitive inhibition (blocking) DHT function occurs all over the body, but I only know of the hair effects. There are strong suggestions that DHT blockage could have many other undocumented side effects and people who report not feeling normal (mental brain function) could be impacted by this DHT blocking effect as well.