Transitioning onto Fin

[Geoffrey]

I posted a message similar to this to Spex but he's most likely very busy, so I figured I'd post it here and see if I could get some advice from you guys.


I’m going to start on finpecia using the “transition” regiment that Spex wrote about a while back.

For those unfamiliar, the routine is this:

1mg 1 x a week for 2 weeks
1mg 2 x a week for 2 weeks
1mg 3 x a week for 2 weeks
1mg 4 x a week for 2 weeks
1mg 5 x a week for 2 weeks
1mg 6 x a week for 2 weeks
1mg 7 x a week .......

How many people used a method such as this to ease themselves onto finasteride? Were the results positive (less sides)?

And what would you all think if I were to take it even slower, as in starting the treatment at .5mg once a week for two weeks? Or maybe even begin on .25mg four times a week? Do you guys have any reason why this would be a bad idea?

In another thread a little while ago I came across a slightly different way to ease onto fin even more slowly. Here it is:

"I have heard people having success weaning themselves on to it. Due to the relatively low active dose, you have to do this by taking your doses spaced far apart, and then take them more frequently. For example, take 1 pill on the 1st and 15th of the month for 2 months, then take on the 1st, 10th, 20th for 2 months, then more and more frequently until you take it daily. It will take like a year to get to a continual dose, but the slow introduction into your system might help you adapt easier and lessen sides. You can adjust this depending on how you are doing on it. If you don't have sides half way through, you might be able to speed up your dosing schedule."

Which method would you all recommend in order to make the transition onto finasteride as easy as possible?

Thanks a lot for taking the time.

[CurlyBird]

I would like to know this as well.

[mpb47]

.25mg once every 2 weeks for a couple of months and then gradually go from there- .25 every 10 days/etc. Take about 1 year to get on full dosage if you can handle it that often. I posted this full shed about 2 weeks ago ..found it on another board.

Let me just say that I am conservative because of my past history of wonderful results but bad sides. This is my attempt at hopefully avoiding sides and still not going bald. You may not need something this conservative.

[Geoffrey]

That seems very conservative. I understand your thinking but if I give what you're advising a go and I have no sides, I'm going to be kicking myself for "putting off" the full 1mg for a year while my hair loss continues unchecked.

I'm very much hoping that Dr. Glenn Charles or another knowledgeable member will put their two cents in. I'm about to order my first batch of finasteride, but I don't want to mess around with the dosage.

If I start off slowly, how slowly? Any foreseeable issues with .25mg every day, or every other day, or once a week? I really don't know and don't want to mess around with this without a professional's opinion.

[Geoffrey]

As of now I'm going to use Spex's advice, but take it even slower.

I'm going to begin Finasteride like this:

1mg 1 x a week for 2 weeks
1mg 2 x a week for 2 weeks
1mg 3 x a week for 2 weeks
1mg 4 x a week for 2 weeks
1mg 5 x a week for 2 weeks
1mg 6 x a week for 2 weeks
1mg 7 x a week .......

But I'm going to tweak it to transition even more slowly:

.25mg 1 x a week for 2 weeks
.25mg 2 x a week for 2 weeks
.25mg 3 x a week for 2 weeks
.25mg 4 x a week for 2 weeks
.25mg 5 x a week for 2 weeks
.25mg 6 x a week for 2 weeks
.25mg 7 x a week .......

Then:

.5mg 1 x a week for 2 weeks
.5mg 2 x a week for 2 weeks
.5mg 3 x a week for 2 weeks
.5mg 4 x a week for 2 weeks
.5mg 5 x a week for 2 weeks
.5mg 6 x a week for 2 weeks
.5mg 7 x a week .......

Then every other day alternating between 1mg and .5mg. Does anyone see any potential ill-effects from transitioning onto Finasteride in this way?

I know this is an old topic, but I don't want to self-medicate myself without proper advice. I'm outside the States and seeing a doctor familiar with Fin would be complicated. Anyway, thanks for reading and I really appreciate any help you all are able to give.

[bobbyt]

Wow that is conservative - im sure I've read somewhere that taking even a very small amount of fin can be like 80% as effective as 1mg - and also 1mg is very close to 5mg in terms of its effectiveness on dht reduction. Maybe sticking with .25mg will be enough for most people - if you can get that exact dosage every time