Is there anyway to measure when the DHT level is at peak? I believe propecia should be taken when the DHT level at peak to optimize the drug. Does anyone have any thoughts? Is there any benefit when the drug should be taken ?

Not really. Testosterone peaks sometime during the middle of the night, if memory serves me correctly. So taking it right before bed would be most advantageous in that regard (again, IF my memory serves me correctly ). I take it right before bed because it fits into my regimen better like that. It may just be placebo effect, but when I take it in the morning I feel sluggish and detached from my surroundings.

-Robert

I echo Roberts comment.

Testosterone peaks during the sleeping hours at night. SEveral sports medicine doctors have conducted scientific tests to measure a man's hormone levels and it does peak at night. That is why I personally take Propecia before I go to bed, but it doesnt say anything on the indication about taking it at night.

Marcelo,

Although there is some clinical evidence supporting higher testosterone levels at night, remember that DHT is produced by conversion of an intracellular enzyme 5a-reductase.

The active ingredient in both Propecia and Proscar is finasteride and is a synthetic 4-azasteroid compound functioning as a speciific inhibitor of Type II DHT.

Higher testosterone levels do not necessarily imply that there is a "greater" risk of genetic hairloss. And both types of DHT produced do not necessarily behave at the same corresponding levels of testosterone. In fact, testosterone levels begin to drop in men after reaching age 30 or so but that does not imply that genetic hairloss slows down after 30 either. Some men begin to see a dramatic increase in the effects of androgenetic alopecia post 30 years of age.

Irregardless, Merck further states that it makes no difference at all which time the tablet is taken each day. The real key is being consistent in ingesting it. The residuals stay in our bodies for an average of eight days so even if you were to miss a day or two, that is not considered to be an issue. Personally I take mine at dinner time with all of the other meds I take daily. I have been "quartering" Proscar for years with absolutely positive effects. I just turned 50 this year and recently had a PSA test done with everything coming out normal.

If you do feel more comfortable, confident, or simply prefer to take it at night, by all means do so. As long as it works for you!

I am now 4 days into taking proscar (quarters). Funny, but only us hair loss guys would notice this, but I have a single hair that is below my now receded hairline. It seems it didn't want to fall out and has resisted receding more than my other hairs. However, it has grown weak and is short and looks about ready to die. It could be my imagination, but after only 4 days, I'd swear it is becoming more visible and longer. I'll keep you informed.

Gorpy,

Good luck on your start of your medicinal regimen. You will find that taking Finasteride will greatly improve your chances of keeping what you already have. Don't expect too much in the way of regrowth, but any regrowth you have is certainly a great bonus!

4 days is way too short of a time span to assess its' efficacy. It will take about 4 months or even longer to see any results of Finasteride. However, don't let me quell your enthusiasm. You're on the right track, just keep it up and continue being diligent in taking it.

-Robert

I checked with Dr. Cooley and he agrees that testosterone does peak at night but there is not any evidence he is aware of that suggests that DHT is also effected. As Gill stated DHT is the result of the conversion of DHT from testosterone by the 5A reductase enzyme. It is fine to take it at night and as far as we know there are no known drug to drug interactions. The question about dividing Proscar is that the pills are not designed to be divided so you are not getting the same amount of medication in each one. But theoretically if you are taking it daily that will not matter because the Finasteride stays "stuck" to the 5A reductase for a minimun of 72 hours and up to one week.

Ailene

Has anyone experienced Propecia not working after 4 successful years of use?

Any suggested alternatives?

Have you looked into Avodart? The clinical trials for hair loss were not completed but it is supposed to block DHT much better than Propecia. We know that with Propecia you are going to peak. The tests show that you are still ahead of where you would be if you had not taken it. The biggest question with Avodart is the length of time it stays in your body.

Ailene

Avodart is supposed to effectively inhibit both Type I and II DHT. That's the word anyway. Finasteride inhibits Type I DHT.

And as Ailene pointed out, there are not any known fulfilled and/or ongoing clinical trials for treating MPB with dutasteride. Avodart seems to be the form of dutasteride that we most often hear about.

There are a fair amount of patients trying Avodart especially when finasteride did not prove efficient for them. Consult your hairloss doctor for advice.

Avodart is the brand name for Dutasteride. There are "generics" available online from reputable companies in India, but I question the legitamacy of many online distributors. It is basically "buyer beware" and I am not fond of playing around with rogue drug peddlers.

-Robert

If I read a couple of posts correctly, some ht patients are taking Propecia every other day. No dosage was stated. I currently take 1/1mg. tab each day. If this is correct, this would save considerable money. Anybody have any information? Thanks, Terry.

Terry,

It appears you are taking Propecia "exactly as prescribed" by your doctor. The daily dosage and strength of really any medication is almost always established from the resulting clinical trials performed and evaluated by physicians and obviously the drug manufacturer, which in this case is Merck.

In fact you can read more about the findings and on-going trials at their website which basically explains the differentials of Propecia in a clinical setting.

Some folks may choose to utilize a different approach regarding the frequency and dosage of ingestion. You may have read that some wish to "shock" their system from time-to-time by ceasing from taking it for a short time, etc.

Whenever it comes to meds, elective or not, it's always the best recommendation to consult with your doctor. Best wishes.

Gillenator, thanks for your reply. Hair restoration being an expensive endeavour, prompts us to try and save as much money as we can. I guess I was just hoping there would be a cheaper way. Thanks again for your reply. Terry

Terry,

There is a cheaper way. You could just get a prescription for Proscar, which is 5mg of Finasteride and quarter it which will give you 1.25 mg of Finasteride per day. Many users do this and save a bundle.

-Robert

Robert, thank you for your reply. I will certainly look into this possible solution. After all, this is why the forum exists. We all need to share information, so that we may help educate our peers. Again, thank you. Terry M.

Hey, no problem Terry. You are right, this is why the forums exist.

Oh, and since Proscar is usually prescribed for BPH, I have heard of some guys having it covered by their insurance...but you didn't hear that from me.

-Robert

Many of Dr. Cooley's patients are taking Propecia every other day or three times per week. Finasteride attaches to the 5 alpha reductase enzyme which is the reason that DHT production is inhibited. This binding lasts for a minimum of 72 hours. It is like a bell curve and after 72 hours there are some active enzymes able to convert testosterone to DHT but not before. There will not be a clinical study by Merck to prove this but you can read and find the information. This is how Dr. Cooley takes it himself. We have found it to be effective. It is also more pocket book friedly.

Dr. Cooley does not recommend splitting Proscar because the pills are not designed to be split. A scored pill can be split with equal amounts of medicine. An unscored split pill may have all of the medication in one dose.

Ailene

quote:

Originally posted by Ailene:

Dr. Cooley does not recommend splitting Proscar because the pills are not designed to be split. A scored pill can be split with equal amounts of medicine. An unscored split pill may have all of the medication in one dose.

Ailene

This is very true, Aileen, and let me take the chance to point out that it was pretty irresponsible of me not to point that out. Proscar pills are not 100% finasteride. They are mostly made up of inactive fillers. The actual medication may very well be dispersed quite unevenly throughout. This should be considered seriously before the approach of splitting Proscar is utilized.

As always, thank you Ailene.

-Robert

Thanks for your input Ailene and Robert. A little while back I started to take mine every other day and yes it sure does save money while not compromising the inhibition benefits.