An alternative to transplanting hair is the application of a cream containing the drug minoxidil (brand name Rogaine), which was originally developed to fight hypertension. However, minoxidil must be applied daily over a period of months in order to regrow hair or prevent further baldness, and significant improvement may nevertheless be difficult to achieve.

In 1997 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug finasteride for treating baldness. Marketed under the brand name Propecia, this prescription drug prevents hair loss due to hereditary male pattern baldness in those who take a small daily dose. Finasteride does not prevent baldness in women, and because it has been associated with birth defects, the FDA recommends that women of childbearing age avoid contact with the drug.Propecia has been more effective than other treatment available .

But there are good and bad points to this hair loss pill and you should be aware of all the facts before you decide that this is right for you, and before concluding that your baldness is something that needs to be corrected.

Good Points

The good point about Propecia as a hair loss pill is the fact that the study went so well. Hair counts were measured on a test spot that was about one inch around on the top of the head. The study was then compared to placebo takers by measuring the same amount of space on the tops of their heads.

All of the men on placebos lost their hair, while the patients who took the actual hair loss pill began seeing evidence that it was working from day one by lowering DHT levels. In the first year, most of the men grew hair, while some took just a little longer. The hair count for the people taking this hair loss pill increased with maximum hair growth taking place after two years of taking the medication.

Bad Points

This type of hair loss pill is not to be used by females, nor are they to touch a broken or crushed capsule if they are pregnant. Taking this hair loss pill as a woman would cause further problems with hair loss and could result in abnormalities with male sexual areas with the unborn child. If the woman does come across the active ingredient that is found in this hair loss pill, they need to consult their physician.

Some of the men tested did experience sexual side effects from this medication and had less desire for sex. Some had difficulty in achieving an erection or saw a decrease in the amount of semen. However, these side effects only occurred in less than two percent of the men and did go away once they quit taking the medication.

Men who took Propecia daily saw results in as little as three months, but if they stopped taking it, the results gradually went away over a period of one year. Bear in mind that if you are taking this medication, and it hasn’t worked within twelve months, the treatment is not likely to work or benefit you at all. This medication can only be obtained with a prescription, so you will need to consult with your doctor should you wish to try it.

Finasteride is the first 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor that is made available for consumption by the general population. Propecia has been approved, by the Food and Drug Administration, for men to use as a treatment for hair loss. Finasteride is effective when it is absorbed through oral administration.

Men, who take once-a-day oral Propecia, most often take a one milligram dose twice a day.  It is up to your physician to recommend what Propecia dose to take. Men, who take five milligrams of Finasteride a day, have noticed that this dosage inhibits prostate enlargement.

Finasteride holds promise in treating other disorders that are DHT-mediated, such as prostate cancer, acne, frontal lobe alopecia, and facial hirsutism. It has not been approved to treat these medical conditions yet, but is still in the final stages of investigation.

There have been no reported overdoses of men that take finasteride on a regular basis. In fact, a does of eighty milligrams a day, taken for three months showed no adverse side effects.

The future use of finasteride looks very promising. In the future, finasteride may be used to treat many medical conditions. For now, men suffering from male pattern baldness can benefit from using Propecia, whose main ingredient is finasteride.

One of the major claims of Propecia is that “Propecia maintains hair in eighty-three percent of men in a two year clinical trial for those who took one milligram daily.”  Has the level of success been maintained for the past three years? What are the consumer five year results of Propecia?

During the course of the study, some of the male participants took Propecia, while other men took a placebo. A placebo is a pill that does not contain any of the active ingredients of the medication being studied.

In five years, the men who took Propecia had an average of three-hundred more hairs that appeared in a one inch diameter area then those who took the placebo. From this stand point, it looks as if Propecia is a long-term successful treatment that combats hair loss.

Propecia, after five years, was still able to hold its number one title. The results were even more exciting for young men who had just started to notice a few hairs in the sink. Men who would have gone bald were able to keep their full head of hair. This is amazing news for anyone who is currently suffering from hair loss.

The results showed that if you wanted to re-grow hair, you could obtain greater results when Propecia was used in combination with another hair loss treatment, such as Rogaine.  Nonetheless, Propecia is a phenomenal hair loss treatment that can easily stand on its own two feet. Discuss your Propecia options with your doctor today.

PROPECIA* (finasteride), a synthetic 4-azasteroid compound, is a specific inhibitor of steroid Type II 5a-reductase, an intracellular enzyme that converts the androgen testosterone into 5a-dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Finasteride is 4-azaandrost-1-ene-17-carboxamide,N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-3-oxo-,(5a,17b)-. The empirical formula of finasteride is C23H36N2O2 and its molecular weight is 372.55.

Finasteride is a white crystalline powder with a melting point near 250°C. It is freely soluble in chloroform and in lower alcohol solvents but is practically insoluble in water.

PROPECIA tablets for oral administration are film-coated tablets that contain 1 mg of finasteride and the following inactive ingredients: lactose monohydrate, microcrystalline cellulose, pregelatinized starch, sodium starch glycolate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose LF, titanium dioxide, magnesium stearate, talc, docusate sodium, yellow ferric oxide, and red ferric oxide.

Generic Propecia

News

Pros, cons of finasteride to prevent prostate cancer should be considered
Men’s Health News
Published: Tuesday, 22-Jan-2008

Findings by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers encourage men to weigh both the potential benefits and side effects of the drug finasteride before taking it to prevent prostate cancer.

In today’s online issue of Cancer, UT Southwestern doctors analyzed data gathered by the National Cancer Institute’s Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial, or PCPT. The trial, which began in October 1993, was designed to test whether finasteride could prevent prostate cancer in men 55 years of age and older. It was stopped early in June 2003 when an analysis showed that finasteride reduced the risk of developing prostate cancer by 25 percent.

UT Southwestern’s analysis of the PCPT data indicates that cost effectiveness and quality of life issues associated with taking the drug are not clear cut, said Dr. Yair Lotan, assistant professor of urology and the Cancer study’s senior author. The PCPT data show that in addition to preventing prostate cancer, finasteride also reduces urinary-tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia. It also decreased sexual desire and caused impotence in 5 percent of the trial participants. Some PCPT participants who did develop prostate cancer also had high-grade tumors, although there is ongoing debate whether this result might have been due to sampling bias.

“Finasteride is currently the only drug that has been shown to prevent prostate cancer in a large randomized trial but is used for this purpose in very few men,” Dr. Lotan said. “A large number of patients are currently taking over-the-counter supplements to prevent prostate cancer, even though there is no scientific evidence to support these products’ claims. It’s important for patients to be aware of this scientific trial and to ask their doctors if finasteride could benefit them.”

In light of all these pros and cons, Dr. Lotan said physicians and patients need to work together closely to weigh how finasteride could affect quality of life on a case-by-case basis.

“With the exception of skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men,” Dr. Lotan said. “Men who are at low risk for prostate cancer might view taking finasteride as not very cost effective when considering its impact on their quality of life. On the other hand, patients at high risk might see it as cost effective because it lessens their chances of developing prostate cancer.

“Because there is some complexity to the PCPT I think doctors hesitate to discuss its results. While I’m not advocating for the drug, I think physicians should mention finasteride, especially when their patients are asking questions about ways to prevent prostate cancer. Patients should understand and be aware of the proven science that’s out there.”Tags:Generic Propecia