Proscar Vs. Propecia

[DepressedByHairLoss]

Hey everyone, I realize that Proscar and Propecia are both the same in that they both contain finasteride. But Proscar contains 5 mg whereas Propecia contains only 1 mg. So therefore, I realize that those taking Proscar, let's say, 2-3 times a week could be taking in more finasteride (15 mg total per week) than those taking Propecia once a day for 7 days a week (7 mg total per week), and could thereby be reaping more benefits from the drug. I know that Spencer takes Proscar and his results have been phenomenal. So I was just looking to maybe take a poll among finasteride users with regards to: 1) Do you take Proscar or Propecia? 2) How many times do you take it per week? 3) How many total mg's do you consume in a week? Thanks.

[25 going on 65]

I use 5 mg fin pills (generic for Proscar). I cut them into fourths and take one fourth per day, so 1.25 mg daily. 8.75 mg weekly.
Once in awhile I skip a day, like every 2-3 weeks or so, just to give my body some time without the drug in it--or I should say, a much lower amount. 48 hours after dosing your body only has about 1/256th of the initial dose in it, as opposed to 1/16 after 24 hours. (Fin half-life is 6 hours, up to 8 for older people.)

I think Spencer takes a Proscar pill every 3 days.

[yeahyeahyeah]

Originally Posted by 25 going on 65

I think Spencer takes a Proscar pill every 3 days.

Why does he take it every 3 days?

[25 going on 65]

I'm not sure, but maybe because he doesn't want constantly high doses of fin in his system (similar to why I started skipping a day once in awhile). DHT levels remain suppressed days after taking fin, but the amount of drug in your system decreases dramatically.

To be honest I'm not totally sure why the recommended dosing is 1 mg per day for hair loss. But since 1.25 daily has given me good results, I'm too paranoid to start experimenting with intermittent doses. If it somehow compromised my gains I would feel terrible about it.
But, for what it's worth, I do believe Spencer has taken 5 mg daily at times in his past (if I'm not mistaken he was on that schedule for years)--even as much as 7.5 mg daily, according to one of his shows I heard. And now at 5 mg every 3 days, he still is maintaining quite a lot of hair. (Some theorize he just has slow MPB and fin quit working for him years ago, but I think that's highly unlikely since he had visible hair loss in his early 20s and is now 47.)

[DepressedByHairLoss]

Originally Posted by 25 going on 65

I use 5 mg fin pills (generic for Proscar). I cut them into fourths and take one fourth per day, so 1.25 mg daily. 8.75 mg weekly.
Once in awhile I skip a day, like every 2-3 weeks or so, just to give my body some time without the drug in it--or I should say, a much lower amount. 48 hours after dosing your body only has about 1/256th of the initial dose in it, as opposed to 1/16 after 24 hours. (Fin half-life is 6 hours, up to 8 for older people.)

I think Spencer takes a Proscar pill every 3 days.

Do you live in the U.S.? Would I need a prescription for Proscar too? I assume so. My dermatologist put me on Propecia but she never mentioned anything about Proscar. Where do you get the Proscar?

[25 going on 65]

Originally Posted by DepressedByHairLoss

Do you live in the U.S.? Would I need a prescription for Proscar too? I assume so. My dermatologist put me on Propecia but she never mentioned anything about Proscar. Where do you get the Proscar?

Yes I'm in USA. You do need a prescription for Proscar and its generics, and I don't believe a physician can prescribe it without seeing the patient in person (unless the law varies by state).
A lot of doctors will put you on Propecia for hair loss if you don't specify. I would bring your cost concerns to your dermatologist. If he/she won't prescribe 5 mg pills, find a doctor who will. (When calling or emailing a doctor's office you can ask if they prescribe 5 mg finasteride for hair loss; if not, don't even bother making an appointment, just move on to the next doctor until you find one who will prescribe it.)
Once you have a prescription you just pick it up at the pharmacy of your choice. I'm not sure how much Proscar costs but the generic version is very cheap.