[EricaB]

About 15 years ago I started taking Propecia (brand name for finasteride 1mg) to delay male pattern baldness. Imagine my surprise when, after a few months, the balding spot on the crown of my head filled back in with hair. A few years ago, my new doctor gave me finasteride 5mg, simply because it's covered by insurance and the Propecia isn't, which doesn't really matter since I pay less for finasteride at Walmart that I do through the insurance. Finasteride $8 per month, Propecia $100. Yikes !!

Anyway, what I was wondering is how the finasteride works with NBE. It sounds as though the Pueraria Mirifica (PM) I am about to start will do the same thing as the finasteride (lower DHT). I also take 320mg Saw Palmetto (SP) from force of habit. Started taking that ages ago as prostrate insurance.

Any ideas or comments on the combination of Finasteride, SP and PM?

Thanks in advance.

[WendyA]

Anyway, what I was wondering is how the finasteride works with NBE. It sounds as though the Pueraria Mirifica (PM) I am about to start will do the same thing as the finasteride (lower DHT). I also take 320mg Saw Palmetto (SP) from force of habit. Started taking that ages ago as prostrate insurance.

In looking through some literature I think that finasteride and SP may be interchangeable. They both work by inhibiting the conversion of testosterone to the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and both are given specifically to combat enlargement of the prostate, known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH for short). Additionally finasteride is often used as a anti-androgen in prescribed male to female hormone regime. It is combined with a daily intake of Estradiol to complete the body feminization desired.

I think PM is more akin to Estradiol in providing a strong estrogen effect. I have been trying to think of a reason to have my doc prescribe finasteride to me.

Let us know how you progress.

[Pansy-Mae]

Yes, it does have the same anti-DHT effect.
Mine prescribed Finasteride to me without being asked. for my enlarged prostate.

[EricaB]

Hopefulmale, I don't know your age or whether this would be an appropriate way to ask your doc, but I started taking Propecia (brand name for finasteride but only 1mg) as an anti-baldness remedy. 10 years later I saw another doc and among other things asked if he could renew my Propecia prescription. He suggested finasteride 5mg as my insurance will cover that since it's for enlarged prostate but won't cover Propecia since its cosmetic. Anyway, Walmart charges only $24 for 3 months (90 pills) of generic finasteride and my insurance wants $30 for the same thing, so I don't bother with the insurance. A recent check of online Propecia prices indicate that it is about $300 for the same 3 month supply of the much weaker pill. Only possible downside is that the stronger the pill, the more stress it puts on your liver. I even tried cutting the 5mg pill in half, but the split pill seemed to lose most of its potency which meant I was taking about 2.5 mg every other day. This was apparent as my hair began thinning again but grew back after I reverted to taking the entire pill.

So, if you have thinning hair or a family history of prostate issues and are old enough (by that I mean not in your 20s or even 30s), your doc will probably give you the prescription. If neither applies, get a friend with a tweezer and pull out a bunch of hairs on the top of your head. Presto, instant thinning hair.

Best of luck.

[WendyA]

So, if you have thinning hair or a family history of prostate issues and are old enough (by that I mean not in your 20s or even 30s), your doc will probably give you the prescription.

Thanks for taking the time to respond and for the suggestions. I am 53 and at my next medical physical (maybe this year) the prostate angle might be an honest avenue. I had a bad prostate infection 3 years back (nasty beast) and a slightly enlarged prostate.

[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.