Finasteride - Generic Propecia

Clinical studies were conducted in men age 18 to 41 with mild to moderate degrees of male pattern hair loss.  All individuals treated with Propecia received a tar based shampoo (Neutrogena T/Gel shampoo) and were instructed to wash their hair at least once per day.  Clinical improvements were seen as early as three months into the treatment with Propecia.  In men with vertex hair loss, global photographs revealed hair re-growth in 66 percent of men.  Furthermore, hair counts with these men indicated that 83 percent of the recipients had no further hair loss over the two-year clinical trial period.

How does Propecia work?

Researchers have recently discovered that men who suffer from male pattern hair loss have increased levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is produced from testosterone through the activity of an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase. Biochemical analysis reveals elevated levels of 5-alpha-reductase in the scalp of balding men and the lack of the hair loss in men with 5-alpha-reductase deficiencies. Propecia inhibits 5-alpha-reductase, thus blocking the formation of DHT. This appears to interrupt a key element in the development of male pattern hair loss.

What is dyihydrotesterone (DHT)?

DHT is one of several male hormones in the body. DHT is responsible for the development of the external genitals in the male fetus, However, as an adult DHT appears to cause:

Male pattern hair lossshortening of the growing phase of hairprogressive miniaturization of hair folliclesdecreasing number of visible hairsProstate enlargementAcne.

Hello dear doc,

If these side effects are due to finasteride or other factors, I do not know, but I think it’s worth a discussion.

When one hears or reads that with the drug stopped, sexual dysfunction continues for weeks or months, I just do not know how to respond to your probe here. I would think that if it were a common problem, I would see it in my practice and I can report that maybe one patient talked about sexual dysfunction taking about a month to get back to normal. That is one out of thousands of patients I’ve personally seen. So I wonder if there is a secondary agenda suggested. Did any of these men with sexual dysfunction (real ED or libido problems) have these problem before they started with finasteride? I am not saying that it does not happen, but I can respond to my experience, which is substantial.