Put your hands up if you take dutasteride!

[JWM]

Slarti

Are you already on regular minoxidil? If so, I would stick with that for now. If not, then I would upgrade to a higher percentage. Prox-N, while decent, should be considered an adjunct treatment to the big 3 IMO.

 

[Slartibartfast]

I sure am: regular minoxidil since Sept. '01, but down to once a day for the last couple of years - plagued by BIG chunks of unabsorbed minoxidil with the double dosing.

It is the Xandrox 15 I'm leaning towards (not physically - unless I tilt myself to the West) over Prox-N. Current thinking is to keep on the regular stuff during the day and then launch a sneak attack with X 15 under cover of night, though just at the front - rest of my hair is in damn fine shape.

Cheers for the input.

Slarti

 

[JWM]

Sounds like a wise plan. Good luck to you.

 

[thenational]

I too am on dutasteride aswell as finasteride... Worrying, yes. Taking it twice a week and proscar the other 5 days. But hopefully they wont counter act or give me any crazy sides.

On it for a month only so far to early to tell whats what.

 

[KeyserSoza]

i am - 1mg a day for the past 2 weeks

i started on the big three as soon as my temples started going back....after a two years my loss is so much worse

i quit and had a big shed...

so im now on 15% min and 1mg dutas

praying for a miracle

 

[Jack]

I am taking dutasteride 0,5/d since about 8 months. My subjective impression is that my hair is already gotten better on top - or at least it didn't get worse - no change at hairline noticeable yet .

I was reading alot on this board before I started and I almost got scared away from all the negative feedback from Timmy and others , but let me assure you:

NO your penis won't fall off if you take dutasteride
NO it won't eat your hairline
NO your hair won't suddenly turn into straw , turning you into a girl and whatnot ;

I am glad I took the step and I have the piece of mind knowing that I'm doing the best possible for my hair .

 

[JWM]

Congrats Jack.

what's your loss pattern like?

 

[GeminiX]

Somewhat off-topic, a couple of nights ago I was heading for bed and took a bowl of cereal and a glass of water with me. As I had forgotten to take my last dose of pills earlier that day I remembered just in time and intended to take them with the water.
Unfortunately for me I was also watching something on TV and removing the last traces of makeup; so distracted was I that I popped the pills then instead of swallowing with water, I had a mouthful of cereal which I happily chewed.

*YUCK!* - Avodart is not a nice taste when chewed or mixed with Special K!

So be warned, swallow your Dutasteride Gel capsules, don’t forget and eat them like they are sweeties.

 

[KeyserSoza]

so is anyone but me taking me more then the 0.5 a day dose....

i feel that seeing as procepia and min did nothing and my loss continued unabated i'd need a higher dose - so 1mg and 15% min

I've seen the studies and know that the double increase only affects haircount slightly but if it lowers dht more then maybe 1mg is just enough to stop the loss as opposed to what procepis and 0.5mg dutasteride.....

I'd appreciate any info from those who tried a higher dose - both negative and positive (though it doesnt look like too many success stories with dutasteride period)

 

[GeminiX]

Not sure if this helps, but I took half a Proscar pill (2.5mg finasteride) for about 12 months while taking dutasteride and noticed no difference whatsoever.

 

[hairrific]

I was under the impression that upping the dosage would make your prostate shrink more.

The propecia dosage for example after a year will only shrink the prostate negligibly, yet significantly stop enough dht at that dosage to prevent hair loss. Anything above that dosage, then your trying to effect more than just your hair, your trying to shrink your prostate.

 

[Bryan]

I was under the impression that upping the dosage would make your prostate shrink more.

I doubt that it would be enough to be noticeable.

The propecia dosage for example after a year will only shrink the prostate negligibly, yet significantly stop enough dht at that dosage to prevent hair loss.

I doubt that, too, but just to be sure, I need to go do some checking on all those questionable claims.

 

[hairrific]

I was under the impression that upping the dosage would make your prostate shrink more.

The propecia dosage for example after a year will only shrink the prostate negligibly, yet significantly stop enough dht at that dosage to prevent hair loss. Anything above that dosage, then your trying to effect more than just your hair, your trying to shrink your prostate.

I read it in here I think, I am mulling over it now....

Official Propecia Prescribing information:

http://www.propecia.com/finasteride/pro ... mation/pi/

 

[JWM]

I will say this--and those of you who know me, know I've been around here forever so I'm not BS-ing anyone--whenever I have experimented with dutasteride or large doses of finasteride I go to the bathroom A LOT.

And it's not a weak stream of course, it's like a dam has burst. And when I say a lot I mean often. I'll take a serious whizz, then ten minutes later, have to take another...and so on.

This has happened to me too many times to label it a coincedence.

 

[hairrific]

FROM: http://www.baldingblog.com/2007/05/03/d ... -prostate/

Does Propecia Shrink the Prostate?

May 3 2007, 2:34 pm PT | Posted in: Drugs

does propecia shrink the prostate?

ive been hearing about pain below the belly with many Finasteride users, and found these articles interesting.

1. Urological Sciences Research Foundation - Long-Term Effects of Finasteride on Prostate Tissue Composition (PDF file)
2. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism - Evidence for Atrophy and Apoptosis in the Prostates of Men Given Finasteride (PDF file)

thanks for the informative website! curious to hear your thoughts on this

Propecia is a brand name for a generic drug called finasteride in 1mg strength. Proscar is a brand name for the same drug called finasteride, but in 5mg strength.

Proscar is used for the treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) — so yes, it shrinks the prostate. Thus, you can infer that even at 1mg strength it will have a small effect on the prostate. Recently one of my patients who had symptoms of BPH told me that his prostate problems went away after being on Propecia for a year.

The articles you posted are interesting — they are just two of the many articles that show finasteride shrinks the prostate for men with BPH.

 

[HughJass]

Aussie: thinking of adding anything to counter this?

I'm in a similar situation and currently contemplating either a stronger version of minoxidil or some of that Prox-N stuff.

Slarti

I'm not sure...... the 15% minoxidil might be beyond my budget.

Like I said I'm also considering going back to Finasteride- I'm only maintaining now with the dutasteride, if finasteride can do the same thing then I'd rather be on that. I think I have passed the point where I will see really good results with hairloss treatments, the best I can hope for now is a slow halting of the hairloss process....

 

[Slartibartfast]

That Xandrox 15 is on the pricey side if full-scalp coverage is required, good thing is I only need it on the front few inches - would be even better if I didn't. Anyway, this means a 125 ml bottle should stretch to a minimum of six months.

I might even go nuts and also throw some Prox-N at the area where my once luxuriant hairline has been decimated: a sort of all guns blazing, last-ditch effort to repel my body's onslaught against itself.

Slarti

 

[hamletshead]

I've been taking it for about 2 years now. Took propecia since about 1995, did all the Rogaine variants including 5% with Retin A (which made my scalp itch) and some other funky formulas. I'm 44 and my hair loss has pretty much petered out -- for the last 8-10 years its looked about the same. Going grey now, but better grey than gone, as someone once said.

My current regimen is 0.5 dute, and Rogaine 5% a.m. and p.m. I add Scalpicin to the Rogaine, as well as Tricomin -- just a couple squirts each, not very scientific).

If you have access to a prescription, you can order 90 dute caps for $104.00 (shipped) from ProgressiveRX. I haven't found anyplace cheaper, but please post if any of you have a cheaper source. Cheers.

 

[HughJass]

If you have access to a prescription, you can order 90 dute caps for $104.00 (shipped) from ProgressiveRX. I haven't found anyplace cheaper, but please post if any of you have a cheaper source. Cheers.

Is that Dr Reddy's generic dutasteride you're ordering there?

around the USD$100 mark is about the going rate for generic dutas from various online pharmacies (inhouse pharmacy and united pharmacies are popular with many guys here), you don't need a prescription for those sites either

 

[HughJass]

That Xandrox 15 is on the pricey side if full-scalp coverage is required, good thing is I only need it on the front few inches - would be even better if I didn't. Anyway, this means a 125 ml bottle should stretch to a minimum of six months.

I might even go nuts and also throw some Prox-N at the area where my once luxuriant hairline has been decimated: a sort of all guns blazing, last-ditch effort to repel my body's onslaught against itself.

Slarti

I've never been a great responder to minoxidil so I don't know if I can be bothered waxing more money on an even stronger version, as desperate as I am

Good luck with your last stand at hairloss ridge!