Fat Gain With Propecia
Fact Checked
Propecia is a drug used primarily to treat hair loss 1. Although generally safe for use in men, there can be side effects that vary from one person to another. One potential side effect, although somewhat rare, may be an increase in abdominal fat and overall weight gain 3.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
How Effective Is It
Propecia wont work for everyone, nor is it completely effective at reversing or stopping hair loss in all men. It is considered to be about 86% effective, and even in those cases, not all the old hair will return. Still, it is the most effective treatment for hair loss available today and as such, it is most often recommended by doctors for treating progressive hair loss and male pattern baldness.
Most men will experience some change while using it, though, but in some cases, doctors will prescribe a combination of Propecia and Minoxidil for more effective treatment.
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Finasteride: Uses Benefits And Side Effects
Two of the most common conditions affecting men as they age are benign prostatic hyperplasia , or enlarged prostate, and androgenetic alopecia, also known as male pattern baldness.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a medical condition that can cause uncomfortable urinary symptoms and sexual dysfunction.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia is estimated to affect approximately 50 percent of all men between the ages of 51 and 60 and an estimated 90 percent of men over the age of 80.
The symptoms typically worsen with age and are known to be inconvenient and embarrassing.
Male pattern baldness is estimated to cause up to 95 percent of hair loss in men, according to the American Hair Loss Association.
Male pattern baldness is a hereditary condition that is typically characterized by a receding hairline, lack of new hair growth, and thinning hair on the crown of the head.
Although many men experience male pattern baldness as they age, hair loss can start as early as the teenage years.
Men who are prone to male pattern baldness have about a 25 percent chance of experiencing significant hair loss before the age of 21 and a 67 percent chance of losing their hair by the age of 35. By 50 years of age, 85 percent of men who are prone to male pattern baldness will have experienced significant hair loss.
Finasteride is a prescription medication that is FDA-approved for the treatment of male pattern hair loss and benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Overview Of Neurosteroid Action In The Brain
Now, it is generally accepted that cholesterol-based, steroid hormones can be produced outside of traditional steroid organs in the brain and peripheral nerves . Neurosteroids influence autonomic function , reward , emotions , learning , executive function , and procedural memory . The biosynthetic pathway for neurosteroid production involves the 18 kDA translocator protein and steroidogenic acute regulatory proteins which transport cholesterol into the mitochondria. Pregnane X receptor homeostatically regulates cholesterol biosynthesis and cytochrome P450-dependent C27 side chain cleavage enzymes . 3- and 3-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases and 5-reductase are oxidized by P450scc to form pregnanolone, which is then metabolized by 3-HSD to progesterone, which then can be metabolized to form testosterone . A pathway to form 3-androstanediol from T involves sequential actions of 5-R, an irreversible action that forms dihydrotestosterone , and then 3-diol. These steroidogenic factors are expressed in the spinal cord, cerebellum, pons, medulla, ventral tegmentum, prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, basal ganglia, hypothalamus, and thalamus, in an age-, sex-, and hormone-dependent manner , as early as prenatal day 7, which imply their critical role in function.
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Finasteride And Dutasteride Impair Ocular Function And Cause Development Of Dry Eye Disease
Androgen deficiency produces pathophysiological changes manifested in reduction of tear production and evaporative dry eye conditions . Meibomian gland disease and altered lipid patterns in meibomian gland secretions were observed in women with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome . Finasteride administration significantly downregulated androgen receptors in the lacrimal gland the significance observed with tear film break up time and tear flow could be attributed to the lack of 5-DHT in the lacrimal glands . Finasteride treated female rats showed 49% of significant reduction in tear flow at the end of the 10th day. There was a considerable 29% significant TBUT reduction observed in female rats. Finasteride treated male rats showed significant 40% and 63% reductions for tear flow and TBUT, respectively.
Tear film break up time changes in the four groups at different time points . Con: control, Sal: physiological saline, Fin: oral finasteride, Bp: oral finasteride and Bidens pilosa L. ap< 0.05 within the group Con at the same time point. bp< 0.05 within the group Fin at the same time point. Data from Zhang et al .Lacrimal gland histopathology . Lacrimal gland from the control group Lacrimal gland from the oral finasteride group. A large number of lymphocytes had infiltrated the interlobular space and surrounded the acinar and ductal cells as indicated by the black arrow. Data from Zhang et al with original copyright holder’s permission.
Finasteride May Interact With Other Medications
An interaction is when a substance changes the way a drug works. This can be harmful or prevent the drug from working well. To help prevent interactions, your doctor should manage all of your medications carefully. Be sure to tell your doctor about all medications, vitamins, or herbs youre taking.
To find out how finasteride oral tablet might interact with something else youre taking, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs interact differently in each person, we can not guarantee that this information includes all possible interactions. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with your healthcare professional about possible interactions with all prescription drugs, vitamins, herbs and supplements, and over-the-counter drugs that you are taking.
This drug comes with several warnings.
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Other Side Effects And Contraindications
For adults there is no risk of overdose. Finasteride was studied in one-off doses of up to 400 mg and continuous doses of up to 80 mg per day for three months, without observing any significant adverse effects beyond the above-mentioned possible side effects.
Finasteride may cause birth defects in newborns and pregnant women are thus advised by the FDA to not take any Finasteride a few months prior or during the entire duration of their pregnancy.
If you have a chronic liver disease, do not take Finasteride.
Though there are no known major interactions with other drugs, consult your doctor before using finasteride.
Clinical Use Of Finasteride
Finasteride is the first approved 5-R inhibitor for treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia and MPB . Finasteride was first marketed by Merck as Proscar and Propecia in 1992 and 1997, respectively . These clinical applications are based on the ability of finasteride to inhibit the 5-R enzyme with resulting reductions of Ts metabolism to DHT. However, off-label uses can include reduction of side effects of anabolic androgenic steroid use or to promote demasculinization and feminization among transgender women some of these types of usages entered the public knowledge with the news of a joint effort between Florida and New York to clamp down on illegal steroid trafficking . Just as off-label use of finasteride prevails, before it was approved for MPB, it was being used for this off-label, and produced profound effects on neurological function through inhibiting neurosteroidogenesis. Indeed, one of our patients with catamenial epilepsy nearly succumbed to intractable seizures when her uncle, a dermatologist, prescribed finasteride for off-label use . Although it was first thought that 5-R was not expressed in the brain, more recent research has shown this is not true. 5-Reductase has expression in other tissues as well . As such, the effects of the drug go beyond just the scalp for the male MPB effect.
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Warnings For People With Certain Health Conditions
For people with liver disease: This drug is processed in your liver. If you have liver disease, your body might process this drug more slowly. This could lead to a buildup of this drug in your body, which could increase your risk for side effects. Your doctor might reduce your dosage of finasteride.
For people with prostate cancer: Finasteride can increase the chance of a faster growing or irregular form of prostate cancer. If you have or have had prostate cancer, this drug can make it worse.
Mechanisms Of Masculinization And Feminization In Males
Androgens have well-known pleiotropic effects to regulate growth and functional aspects of the reproductive, central nervous, skeletal, and cardiovascular systems throughout the lifespan. However, these robust actions of androgens occur much earlier in development when we consider sexual differentiation. The presence of androgens typically early in development results in pervasive effects throughout the lifespan on the typical pattern of androgen secretion. Supported by early investigations in the field , the capacity of androgens that are secreted from the testes during early pre- or peri-natal development is thought to organize the central nervous system, including the neural control of post-pubertal patterns of androgen release, as well as the sensitivity of specific brain structures to androgens later in life for behaviors. We call this patterning of androgen secretion early on that organizes later adult responses as sexual differentiation.
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Warnings For Other Groups
For pregnant women: This drug is not prescribed for use in women, and should never be used during pregnancy.
For women who are breastfeeding: Finasteride should never be used in breastfeeding women. It is not known if finasteride passes through breast milk.
This drug is not prescribed for use in women.
For children: The safety and effectiveness of finasteride in children have not been established. This drug is not prescribed for use in children.
All possible dosages and forms may not be included here. Your dose, form, and how often you take it will depend on:
- how severe your condition is
- other medical conditions you have
- how you react to the first dose
How Does Propecia Work
Using the enzyme 5-alpha reductase, which is the enzyme involved in steroid metabolism, Propecia blocks the conversion of testosterone to the androgen dihydrotestosterone .
Testosterone is a hormone thats present in both men and women, though men typically have more testosterone present in their bodies. According to the Society for Endocrinology, about 10 percent of testosterone in all adults is converted to DHT. Testosterone contributes to growth of body hair.
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What Is Finasteride Used For
Finasteride is an antiandrogen and prescription drug that is used to treat pattern hair loss in men and enlarged prostate by constraining testosterone conversion into Dihydrotestosterone . Its use against male balding aims to reduce the rate of hair loss and regenerate hair growth on the frontal and mid-scalp parts. Finasteride is also used as a prostate cancer prevention medication. The drug further can be used against excessive female hair growth, such as facial hirsutism, and for supplementing hormone replacement therapy in transgender females.
Order effective prescription strength hair loss treatment
Proscar and Propecia are the established branded versions of Finasteride, both produced by Merck & Co., but various generic versions are widely available. The chief difference between Proscar and Propecia are different dosages . Both are taken orally.
Depending on its use, the severity of the targeted condition and observed speed of improvement, different dosages of Finasteride and treatment durations are recommended.
It is best to follow your doctors guidance on when and how to take Finasteride.
Dosage For Male Pattern Hair Loss
Generic: Finasteride
Adult dosage
- Typical dosage: 5 mg per day.
Child dosage
Dosage for people younger than 18 years has not been established. This drug is not prescribed for use in children.
Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we can not guarantee that this list includes all possible dosages. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with your doctor or pharmacist about dosages that are right for you.
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How Can I Get Propecia
Propecia and all finasteride tablets are prescription only, which means you cannot buy the drug over the counter like a minoxidil treatment such as Rogaine. Unlike Propecia, which is taken orally, Rogaine is a topical treatment that dilates blood vessels in the scalp to synchronize the hair for an active growing phase.
Finasteride can also be compounded into a topical preparation for those who are unable or unwilling to take it orally.
If youre interested in taking Propecia as a hair loss treatment, youll need to talk with your doctor to see if its the right treatment plan for you. If youre looking for an online prescription, you can get generic finasteride via Hims and other telehealth platforms, which require virtual consultations.
Use Of Finasteride To Study Androgens
Finasteride alters the metabolism of T to its aromatase pathways vis-a-vis its inhibition of DHT synthesis the end result here is an increased ratio of E2 to T/DHT producing gynecomastia and changes in pregnane steroids. Gynecomastia is a robust and irreversible feminizing change in the body. The sum of these changes is that you can have feminizing and demasculinizing effects of finasteride among men and results in effects typically associated with aging .
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Finasteride And Dutasteride Induce Liver Lipid Accumulation And Steatosis
In a recent study by Mak et al , animals fed high fat diet and treated with dutasteride exhibited exacerbated adverse metabolic phenotype and increased hepatic triglyceride levels. Furthermore, animals fed American lifestyle induced obesity syndrome diet exhibited higher incidence of hepatic steatosis and reduced expression of genes involved in insulin signaling, as compared with wild type animals . These findings suggest that reduced 5-dihydrotestosterone levels, concomitant with decreased glucocorticoids clearance, may contribute to increased steatosis in mice with 5-R type 1 deficiency. In addition, Zhang et al reported that, in rat liver, 5-DHT reduces lipid accumulation and cholesterol synthesis via increasing expression of carnitine palmitotyltransferase1 and phosphorylation of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase. These findings support the contention that 5-Rs play an important role in regulating liver fat metabolism.
Why I Would Never Take Propecia President Trumps Hair Growth Drug
While popping my daily dose of pills the other dayyou know, the drugs guys over 60 often take to try to squeeze out another decade or twoI stumbled across a news story describing the drugs President Donald Trump takes, according to his personal physician.
The list took me aback. The 45th president and I are aging like blood brothers. Were both using baby aspirin to stave off heart attacks, a statin to lower our cholesterol and doxycycline to control a similar skin-reddening condition called rosacea.
But theres one drug in Trumps reported regimen that I would never toucha medication to prevent premature baldness called Propecia.
Never mind that my hair is thinning faster than the South American rain forest. You still couldnt pay me to take Propecia. Heres why:
Propecia, a simple daily capsule, may help the president preserve his famous hairline. His New York physician, Harold N. Bornstein, told The New York Times recently that he, too, takes Propecia, which may foster the flowing locks the doctor sports at age 69.
The stories laid out in court filings are enough to make a bald man accept a hairline in full retreat. Complaints chronicle sexual dysfunction, mood swings and ruined relationships, even suicides, allegedly linked to the pills intended to keep hair intact. The company intends to defend against these lawsuits, Merck said, in a statement.
The good news: His hair quickly started to grow and his bald spot disappeared.
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Who Should Use Propecia
Propecia is FDA approved as a hair loss treatment in men only. Its best used for men experiencing crown thinning or baldness.
Propecia can and sometimes should be used along with other preventive hair loss treatments, such as shampoos and other topical treatments.
This drug is not recommended for women of childbearing capacity because of the potential for fetal birth irregularities.
Its important to note that, according to
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S For Studying Androgens
The classic approach in behavioral neuroendocrinology is to determine the role of a hormone for a behavioral process by assessing endogenous changes in the hormone, extirpation of the hormone , and replacement back of the hormone. Endogenous changes are used to assess the extent to which levels of the hormone in question vary with the behavioral endpoint of interest. This is usually assessed in males by investigating behaviors and androgens that vary from females , by season , and across the lifespan .