[EricaB]

Sounds as though you're all set. Tell your doc that your father and his brother both had prostate problems when they were older, and now that you're in your 50s you thought it might be an idea to take Proscar (which is a brand name for finasteride 5mg) as a prophylactic (preventative) measure. Unless your father and his brother (who might or might not exist) use the same doc as you do, the family history combined with your existing issue should be enough. When I first started, the doc ordered a blood test for a liver panel and had me come back a month or so later for another blood test to see if there was any negative reaction to the Propecia. These guys (finasteride in all it's names and strengths) do stress the liver somewhat. One good side effect is that your head will remain hairy, or possibly even get hairier on the top. But for some reason it only works on the crown of the head and not for thinning in the front. Once you have the prescription, Walmart is the cheapest place around for the generic version (named finasteride, not Propecia or Proscar). Best bet is to ask doc for 90 day generic prescriptions, but he might not do that initially as he wants to check for liver reaction.