is increasing fin worth it?

[newuser1]

I've been on fin/propecia for over 5 years now. It seemed to maintain my hair and slowed my MPB progression. In the past 4-5 months I've noticed increased shedding, and my hair has started to thin much more than before. A DHT test 2 months ago showed my serum level very "abnormally" low. Not that I had a baseline to compare with, but clearly propecia is still doing something after all these years. But i'm concerned it's not enough anymore.

One opinion I've considered is to start rogaine/minox daily, although I'm really dreading the awful shed. If it's actually worth it I will but if there are other options like upping finistride or trying avodart I almost would rather.

So what's the deal on upping your dose of fin? A dermatologist told me it won't make a difference, and some info I read claims the low dose response curve makes going up not that much more effective. But then I see some anecdotal accounts where others have improved by increasing. Also on Bernstein Medical's FAQ on their website (they seem very reputable), he says they will sometimes increase the dose after 3-5 years for some patients.

Any advice or would I just be wasting money going from 1mg to 2mg, for example? I have been fortunate not to have any noticeable side affects.

[warner8]

i think you should have been on minox 5 years ago when you started the fin.

if you use it now, yes you might get a shed, but after the shed comes the regrowth....now this is if you are a responder to minox

in my case, i found that the older i got the less i responded to minox, even being on a dht blocker like fin. i feel like both are just playing a role now in maintainening, but nothing special.

I've been on fin/propecia for over 5 years now. It seemed to maintain my hair and slowed my MPB progression. In the past 4-5 months I've noticed increased shedding, and my hair has started to thin much more than before. A DHT test 2 months ago showed my serum level very "abnormally" low. Not that I had a baseline to compare with, but clearly propecia is still doing something after all these years. But i'm concerned it's not enough anymore.

One opinion I've considered is to start rogaine/minox daily, although I'm really dreading the awful shed. If it's actually worth it I will but if there are other options like upping finistride or trying avodart I almost would rather.

So what's the deal on upping your dose of fin? A dermatologist told me it won't make a difference, and some info I read claims the low dose response curve makes going up not that much more effective. But then I see some anecdotal accounts where others have improved by increasing. Also on Bernstein Medical's FAQ on their website (they seem very reputable), he says they will sometimes increase the dose after 3-5 years for some patients.

Any advice or would I just be wasting money going from 1mg to 2mg, for example? I have been fortunate not to have any noticeable side affects.

[Thaddaeus]

Finasteride has dose-response curve that plateaus over the 0.2-5mg range. 1mg is only slightly less effective than 5mg at DHT inhibition. Maybe that small percentage difference in serum DHT would make difference in your case, maybe not.
If you're looking to reduce DHT levels further you should look at inhibition of 5α-reductase (type I) with dutasteride. It will be far more effective than increasing the dosage of finasteride or look into RU58841 as a topical in addition to your finasteride regime.