Newbie getting ready to take the plunge

[hairlossee]

Hi everyone, have to say this is a great forum and you have already answered my first question quickly and given me what I needed to know.

Here's my second and probably more important question as I am thinking about going to the Dermatologist and try getting a prescription for either propecia or proscar.

I am a bit worried about the side effects of both as even though the percentage of people experiencing them were low it seems that there are a lot of people on this and other sites that complained about them to the point of not taking them anymore. I am just trying to get a more accurate feeling of what to expect.

Also is there any fundamental differences between Propecia and Proscar other than price and dosage? As I am leaning towards Proscar since it is the cheaper of the two.

Would you recommend not taking both Propecia and minoxidil at the same time? But rather take Propecia first for 6 months to a year or so before including minoxidil.

Sorry for the multiple questions and for the what I am sure are redundant newbie questions. I actually did look around, but the range of answers that I find go from one extreme to the next. Thanks!

 

[ropcat]

There is no difference between Proscar and Propecia. Proscar is way, way cheaper though. Not only are the pills themselves cheaper, but each pill will last you for four or five days (buy a pill splitter and take 1/4 or 1/5 of a pill per day). In addition, your health insurance might pick up Proscar, but almost certainly will not pick up Propecia. Using Proscar will cost you less than a third of what Propecia will cost.

Only problem with adding minoxidil before waiting to see what Finasteride does is that you'll never know whether you COULD have maintained using finasteride alone. If you wait until one year, you might have the problem of additional loss (or failure to regrow) if finasteride alone doesn't meet your goals. But waiting until the one-year mark would allow you to add minoxidil ONLY if you need it -- thereby potentially saving you a lot of time, money, and messiness down the road.

 

[Guest]

Propecia is 1mg, Proscar is 5mg.

Get Proscar and split the pill into 4 or five. You get more for your money.
Both are exactly the same drug but with different dosage.

I would hold back from minoxidil until it's your last resort. Starting with finasteride and minoxidil straight away could cause a shedding that you may not be able to cope with.

Only use minoxidil when your hair is stabilised. It does not block DHT. finasteride does.

 

[Baldie]

Hmmm....I've been on minoxidil for 4 monthw now with good results...I'm about to start finasteride once it arrives. I hope I won't loose everything that the minoxidil has regrown for me.

Is the minoxidil shed different to the finasteride shed? As in, the hair that minoxidil would shed is different from what finasteride would shed?

 

[Guest]

Take a look at this study.

http://www.gourmetstylewellness.com/discussions ... hp?t=16137

I think intially minoxidil and finasteride will shed the same hair because they both have the ability to do this. Atlthough they use different mechanisms to halt hair loss they both will shed hair at some point.

 

[hairlossee]

Thanks for the help! Much appreciated!

 

[juststarting]

Ok, seriously, for the 100th time , forums on the internet are mainly congregation sites for complaining/problems. People with good results don't surf the internet for help, and forums do not in ANY way represent efficacy or lack of for any drug or treatment.

Remember, male pattern baldness is caused by MANY factors.... DHT related is just one science has found. :wink:

 

[Norwood2.5]

I am a bit worried about the side effects of both as even though the percentage of people experiencing them were low it seems that there are a lot of people on this and other sites that complained about them to the point of not taking them anymore. I am just trying to get a more accurate feeling of what to expect.

Not everyone has them so you could make a decision for yourself to stop at the first clear sign of undesired sides or cut the dosage in half. The latter works for me.