Upping finasteride dosage?

[gridlock]

hello,

Am new to the forum - and I couldn't find this topic in the earlier threads.

3 years ago I started taking finasteride daily (1.0 to 1.25 ED). No side effects, no complaints and the hair loss dramatically slowed. About 2 years ago I met with a doctor who confidently claimed that I didn't need to take it daily, but every second day would have the same result.

For two years he has been right. Taking 1.25 every second day didn't change my reaction to the drug, and I generally felt better with the idea of consuming less.

In the past month however, I have noticed a big difference in hair loss (ie/ a thinning that is returning what I experienced before commencing with finasteride or propecia).

I'm therefore thinking of upping my dose to 1.25 daily. Any thoughts or experience with this?

Thanks

Rob

[Dr. Glenn Charles]

I have had several patients over the years with similar stories. In some cases going back to the daily dosing helped slow down the shedding and hair loss. It might depend on where the hair loss is occuring. Is your shedding in the frontal, mid scalp, or crown area?

[gridlock]

The hair loss is fairly consistent across the crown and the entire frontal section of the scalp.

I've been cutting 5mg tablets into quarters (which I realise is not an exact form of dosage). So currently it is approx 1.25 gram every second day. I would consider 1mg per day, but where I live Propecia is unreasonably expensive (with no alternative).

[Dr. Glenn Charles]

The 1.25 mg dosage of Finasteride is basically the same thing. Propecia will likely becmoe available as a generic in about a year.

[Xandroxuser]

I would appreciate feed-back from people who have used 1mg finasteride/propecia a day for many years and who have upped the dose to try to combat losing ground after a number of years.

Was it successful - upping to (say) 2 mg a day? What associated risks are there?

I know that in theory it should not make any difference - yet Spencer Kobren and a number of other people do say that the upping does give results to some people.

I consider DUT to be too risky and that the big 3 is the best course for those who like the reassurance of FDA approval.

A follow-up question. Any comment from people who tried the upping for a year (say); found it made no difference and then went back to 1mg?

[Xandroxuser]

It would be even better if a hair loss expert would reply on the basis of their extensive experience with clients. One of the things I find frustrating about hair loss sites - including this one - is that 'experts' so rarely contribute. It is left to us amateurs or self-proclaimed 'experts' to do the best we can.

[Xandroxuser]

I would appreciate feed-back from people who have used 1mg finasteride/propecia a day for many years and who have upped the dose to try to combat losing ground after a number of years.

Was it successful - upping to (say) 2 mg a day? What associated risks are there?

I know that in theory it should not make any difference - yet Spencer Kobren and a number of other people do say that the upping does give results to some people.

I consider DUT to be too risky and that the big 3 is the best course for those who like the reassurance of FDA approval.

A follow-up question. Any comment from people who tried the upping for a year (say); found it made no difference and then went back to 1mg?

Any comments?

[jjo]

I was on .25 propecia for years and did great

then i started to notice thinning and temple receding

I increased to 1mg for months but i was still losing ground.

then i upped to 1.25 mg and now holding well. I had some big shed's but after 400 days i know it's working.

I'm still hoping for some temple re-growth.. we'll see.


upping the dose worked great for me.

[Xandroxuser]

I was on .25 propecia for years and did great

then i started to notice thinning and temple receding

I increased to 1mg for months but i was still losing ground.

then i upped to 1.25 mg and now holding well. I had some big shed's but after 400 days i know it's working.

I'm still hoping for some temple re-growth.. we'll see.


upping the dose worked great for me.

jjo Many thanks for this. I think going from .25 to 1mg or, indeed, to 1.25mg you could reasonably expect improvement. It is more puzzling why you didn't get improvement at 1mg but you did at 1.25mg.

It would be really good to know how many months you were on 1mg for. Could there have been other explanations? E.g. other products or (perhaps, unlikely) bogus fin?

[jjo]

jjo Many thanks for this. I think going from .25 to 1mg or, indeed, to 1.25mg you could reasonably expect improvement. It is more puzzling why you didn't get improvement at 1mg but you did at 1.25mg.

It would be really good to know how many months you were on 1mg for. Could there have been other explanations? E.g. other products or (perhaps, unlikely) bogus fin?

I was on 1mg for about 6 months or so and I knew it wasn't working.. I could feel tightness in my scalp and I would run my hand through my hair and would get 5 or 6 hairs every time.

1.25mg my scalp was loose and I had some big sheds... some days i thought it wasn't working but it was. Key for me, loose scalp.

nothing else really changed. I'm a long timer on finasteride and I've gone through so much.. I know my own hair. Finasteride saved my hair.

[Vila364]

I have also heard the theory of upping the dose after say 3-5 years on Fin. I went onto 1 mg Propecia 5 years ago. For the first 2 years I did really well - don't think I net lost any hair. Since then I have slowly been losing density with acceleration in last couple of months. I originally thought it may have been Minox shed (stated on that in Feb to 'throw everything at it') but since then have read about increasing the Fin dosage. Have been on 2 mg now for about a month - too early to report any positive results but hoping so! Also have a look also at Dr Bernstein's website in the section on Fin / Propecia - 'Increasing the Dose'

[Xandroxuser]

Thank you for this. Can you let me know how things go. It would be good to hear more about the experiences from people who have upped in this way.

[ned80]

I've kept the same dosage for years and never needed to go higher. You might need a reputable site. I buy it right now without a prescription at http://easy-to-use-pharmacy.com and I can tell its full potency.

[drybone]

This is interesting.

So your body has started to 'compensate' for the lack of DHT ?