I recently was given a perscription for propecia. My question is Proscar just as effective? does it have any side effects? It seems more cost effective, why don't the docs recommend it instead of propecia?

Proscar and Propecia are both identical drugs, they are a DHT inhibitor. The active ingredient is “Finsteride” There are many reasons doctors don’t prescribe Proscar for hair loss and to stabilize hair loss in men. They do include pressure from the drug manufactures, and simply not knowing. I honestly could not tell you. But what I can tell you there is side effects. In 2% of men they do have erection problems, and in another 2% have major increase in libido. (That happened to me…) Also you must take the drug for the rest of your life. This drug has been on the market for over thirty years and has one of the best safety records know.

All the side effects will disappear once you stop treatment. The results do take a long time to see. You really should be prepared to take the drug for a year to see benefits. Almost 85% of men did see improvements and there hair loss was stabilized compared to the placebo group. I think that is the correct data. Check to be sure though. Proscar is the same identical drug as Propecia. The only difference is what it is MARKETED FOR. That is why you see the difference in price. Also most health care plans will NOT cover Propeca but will cover the cost of Proscar in the 5mil dosage. As Proscar was first used for prostate problems, as it lowers and stops the DHT from being produced from your testosterone. DHT is a by product. It is used what I gather to produce facial hair and chest hair. I could be wrong on that though….

Forget Propecia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

get the 5 mil proscar and get a pill cutter!

Don't be wasting your money.

My understanding is the FDA has approved Propecia as a treatment for hairloss in the US. They have not approved Proscar, although it is the same ingredient in each, as Matthew noted above. That may be why your doctor is reluctant to prescribe the Proscar.

Mr. T

I hear a bit about this drug "Avodart"
Is this the same thing ?

Avodart is dutasteride and Propecia/Proscar is finasteride. Dut = two, Fin = one.
That describes the number of enzymes that the drugs attach to. Those enzymes usually are the culprits in breaking down testosterone into DHT.
I think I'm correct on this. As you might expect, Avodart seems to be more effective than Propecia. But the side effects of Propecia are very rare and Avodart's are potentially a bit more damning.

vocor1
Knowledge is Power
If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

So am I reading this right you must keep using
Propecia/Proscar for the rest of your life I didn't know that. Also maybe you could clear this up. Does Propecia/Proscar have any effect on the front sides of your hair or just the back and crown..

needsomehair:
Propecia, if it proves effective for you, would most likely grow hair on the crown and maybe the top. A very few report regrowth elsewhere. So few, that Merck calls the drug "ineffective" in those areas.
Propecia can help strengthen and thicken the hair you still have though, and that is a big plus in my book.

vocor1
Knowledge is Power
If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

When I spoke with Dr. Paul Rose down in Tampa I asked him about Proscar. He said that the negatives were that you can't be sure that the drug is evenly distributed throughout the pill, which I'm sure can't be a positive effect. He also mentioned that insurance companies may see that you have a prescription for Proscar and label you as having prostate problems, which I guess could potentially raise your rates over time. Either way, the concerns were just enough to keep me from getting proscar, but after some time passes I'll probably switch over to keep the costs down.