Who has used Propecia?

I am 32 years old and I am seeing some signs of receeding, but nothing horrible as yet. Doctor prescribed me Propecia, but before I start taking it I want to get some of your guys feedback. Is it worth it or complete BS?

 

I don't, but a coworker has used it for years. He claims it has worked for him. I don't see where he was concerned about, unless some grew back.

I thought about trying stuff out, the one true downside I've heard is once you begin using any of these products is that you have to continue taking them otherwise you will see an increased speed of hairloss. Don't know if it's true, but that's what I've been told.

I'll probably being hitting my scalp up with a 1 by the this time next year.

 

It works but your doctor is wasting your money.

You need to get him to prescribe proscar. It's a 5mg version of the drug in propecia. Cut it up into fourths and take it that way. Costs $8 a month. Propecia is over $70 a month.

 

Ditto.

 

I'm 24 and have been using Propecia for about a year now. I have family history of balding at a young age and started to slightly notice my hair thinning, so I got on Propecia. It has worked for me and I never had any side effects. It is kind of expensive though, I just refilled my prescription today and it was $72.

 

Board Dermatologist checking in. Propecia is 1 mg, Proscar is 5 mg. Quartering a Proscar tablet (though a pain) is a much cheaper way to get about 1 mg/day. Most side effects are sexual in nature, though are usually mild enough that men will not discontinue the drug because of them. It is thought that is you stop using it you will rapidly lose all of the hair that the drug saved--it is unclear to me if this is well proven.

Uro may chime in, but there is also a concern about seeing a higher rate of folks developing aggressive prostate cancer. This has been suggested for Proscar, but not Propecia--but since it is the same drug, just a different dose, it needs to be considered. It is possible the risk may be misunderstood--there is a thought that Proscar helps prevent prostate cancer, but only the milder ones. Thus, if you are on Proscar, your overall risk of developing prostate cancer is less, but if you develop a cancer it is likely to be a more aggressive one (that you would have developed anyone). The data seems difficult to completely sort out.

 

I started using avodart when I thought I was thinning/receeding.. and this was when everyone told me I don't need to use anything..I think this was like 6 years ago

I use it to keep from "possibly" losing hair.. as hair is important to me.. to some people they just don't care..

it isn't useful to regain hair when you lose it.. but to keep the hair you have is where the drug is useful..

as far as costs.. I tend to order from india where websites like unitedpharmacy.com sell products from dr. reddy which is a a reputable company...

they are generic but the same compound as the real thing.. so you do not need to spend all that money..

and propecia is about 76% active in reducing DHT levels, avodart is about 98%.. it's a stronger drug..

 

FWIW, Propecia absolutely can cause hair regrowth. It is not common, and when it happens it isn't often much, but I have a few patients in my practice that had amazing regrowth.

The point is that you can't count on it.

Scott

 

I used it with good results but it kills your sex drive

You'll need lots of porn to get interested again

 

regrowth can happen.. but very likely you will see no more hair loss as long as you take propecia or avodart.. especialy avodart.. can I guarantee it will never fall out? no but it should at the very least slow it down substiantially.

not sure about sex drive.. I think it goes down.. but there is not a lot of data to substiantiate it...

 

Why are you guys so afraid of losing your hair? I mean we are men it's no big deal, hell I'm 35 and I shave my head and love it. As a matter of fact everyone I know say that I look better shaved, go figure.

Just as a side note a man is not suppose to be better looking then the girl he is with, once that starts to happen I'll go live on an island by myself..........at least i'll be safe

 

Mamo--I'm not trying to start an argument, but are you a doc, in the pharma industry, or something else? You are kind of giving medical advice, and I think you should consider your words carefully.

There is very good data regarding the sexual side effects of all of the meds being discussed in this thread--in terms of percentage of users impacted, what exactly the impact is, etc. Of course the package insert nor most web sites provide the information in that kind of detail, but it is out there.

I also offer a caution about Avodart. It has not really been well studied for hair loss. In the one study where is seemed slightly (and to be clear--SLIGHTLY) better than Propecia it had to be taken at twice the normal dose. There are multiple cautions to be made, but the biggest one is that because Avodart is stronger, it may have both more and stronger side effects.

There are numerous examples in medicine where a "stronger" drug is not necessarily better. Understand, I am not bagging on using Avodart, but if you choose to do so you should do so with full awareness of the issues.

BTW, my partner's specialty is hair restoration surgery and medical treatment of hair loss.

 

I am not giving advice.. I am talking about my experience.. Based on my research..

Avodart is not specifically approved for hairloss, but it is approved for BHP, the same treatment that proscar (propecia) is approved for, which is enlarged prostate

both drugs inhibit DHT, but avodart is mroe effective by prohibiting both types 1 and 2..

http://www.bernsteinmedical.com/resources/Dutasteride-Finasteride.php


as you can see here avodart is CONSIDERABLY more effective at maintaining + restoring hair vs propecia.. just look at the dosages.. Not to mention that decreased libido doesn't seem to be much of an issue.. look at the test results..

Your partner does hair restoration surgery? so he clearly would not want someone using a pill that makes his job worthless.. would he? ..

 

I've used propecia before and it really helped regrow hair on the crown of my head after about 8 months. Unfortunatley it killed my sex drive so I had to get off it . Doctors please correct me if I'm wrong, but I've read that there's still little known about long term side effects and that it increases testosterone levels which could be bad in the long run. Might be worth it just to keep the stuff out of your body and learn to deal with the thinning hair.

 

Depends on what you mean by long term. Finasteride (Propecia, Proscar) was introduced in the early 90's. So there is less than 20 years of clinical experience. I don't really know what would be considered "long term experience" in this case--sorry.

One study (there may be others) did show a slight increase in testosterone, but it was more pronounced in people with a low BMI (body mass index). Since these individuals tend to have somewhat lower normal serum testosterone levels, it is unclear what the clinical significance of this is.

Bottom line--mucking with hormones can be serious stuff. There are short term risks and benefits, and probably long term risks and benefits--not all of which are known at this point.

It is worth mentioning topical minoxidil. It works, though it is more challenging to use. Probably less side effects concerns (though it is also a powerful drug and slightly absorbed into the bloodstream). Usually not as effective as Propecia, but individual results may vary.

Sorry I can't give you an an exact answer.

 

I would have thought that an increased testosterone level would increase ones sex drive?

 

Yeah you would think lol....I don't know if it affected my testosterone or not (I certainly didn't feel any different).

 

Been taking it for a year. I had a very slow but gradual thinning. Not noticeable, but I could see where "things were going" and wanted to stop it before it got worse.

I no longer find strands of hair in my towel after a shower and while I can't claim that I've had any significant regrowth, I can definitely tell my hair is thicker. My hair at 28 feels and looks more like my hair did at 20 than it did at 25...so that is a win in my book.

I think I've had a slight decrease in sex drive, but it hasn't affected my relationship any and I can't say with 100% certainty that it has been caused by the drug. There are a lot of other factors in my life right now (stress, lack of sleep) that could cause this. For me, personally, the benefits of having a full head of hair are more satisfying than wanting sex once more per week.

Personally, I think it's a great choice. I just wanted to have hair through my 30s and then will most likely stop taking it after that. I've heard that there are some breakthroughs in hair loss on the horizon, but until then we only have a few tools that can be used.

It is definitely NOT BS. If you're looking to regrow a full head of hair, you might be disappointed, but if you are looking to stop the hair loss from getting worse, then the data is there to suggest that it helps about 90% of men to stop hair loss. I think about 45% of that 90% will experience some regrowth. Don't quote me on those exact percentages, I'm referencing from memory and it has been a year since I was conducting my own research.

 

I am on it, and its working.. not losing as much hair as before..

sex drive is still there, imho!!!

 

Have considered it to stave off further loss and possible regrowth.

QUESTION: has anyone used it and stopped? What was the after effect, assuming regrowth or thickening occured. Was there a quick rebound of hair loss. If so, was it the hair the drug re-grew that was lossed?

I just don't think I want to take a drug (for vanity's sake) for years on end. It seems to be just one more thing for the body to process and flush. However, short term (year or two) would consider it.

 

Results with this drug and any drug will vary from person to person. Consult with your Dr. It all comes down to family history, genetics will determine how your body takes to this drug. Its not over the counter for a reason. Take a shot see what happens.

Also note if you are a professional athlete its important to know Propecia and Proscar are banned substances. Not for what they do, its because they are considering masking agents as they could the use of other drugs. Jose Theodore a former Montreal Canadians goalies was disqualified from Olympic hockey for this. If you've ever seen this guys physical stats you would know he is NOT juicing. He has clearance from the NHL so its not a big deal for his "normal" job.

 

I used it and didn't like it

It didn't kill the sex drive just my ability to keep up with it.

With Propecia your basically renting your own hair from yourself. Soon as you stop paying the rent you lose your hair.

Do yourself a favor and get the hair grafts they work and are much cheeper than they used to be. I've had two rounds of grafts and couldn't be happier.

 

But--most hair transplant surgeons I know virtually insist that you also go on Propecia (or similar) to try to keep the hair you have. Obviously, if you have side effects you can't take it. My point is that surgery and Propecia are not necessarily mutual exclusive.

 

I came across this recent article by pure coincidence: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/vancouver/2009-10-12-zach-lund-regains-edge_N.htm

snippet: "...It could be a reminder of 2006, when the U.S. skeleton racer was escorted out of the Torino Olympic Village hours before the opening ceremony, after he lost the final ruling in his doping case over a substance in his hair-restoration medication...he was ranked No. 1 in the World Cup standings when he was notified in December that he had tested positive for finasteride (an ingredient in Propecia) at the first World Cup race. The drug, which was considered a steroid masking agent, had been added to the banned list Jan. 1, 2005..."

 

True. The doctor that did the grafts also wrote the prescription. I just decided i'd rather go without hair or pay for more grafts than be on that medication.