Finestride (proscar/propecia).
For
Gynecomastia (breast enlargement) use;
Tomaxifen
A drug that doesnt interfere with estrogen but merely binds it at its receptor points in the breasts.
Main use is to stop breast cancer from forming by inhibiting the ability of growth in the breasts that could feed cancer cells.
Problems - Slight hairloss
- Nausea and vomiting
- Hot flushes
- Fatigue
- Possible liver changes
- Possible weight gain
- Mood changes
For more information see link below.
http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=18399
Only few of these side effects are common (hot flushes and fatigue).
One more thing i read a while ago that tomaxifen loses its effect quite quickly and can easilly back fire if used in the long term so this would only be a good short term solution.
Tomaxifen i should note is SERM (selective estrogen receptor modulator), which is designed to target specific estrogen receptors. I've only known a few users on here to use it and they didnt get gyno but thats not a big enough audience to base a conclusion on when combatting Gyno from finestride. I thought about using it myself with finestride but backed out of the idea in fear of messing up my hormones, but thats me. It might work for you but thats a decision only you can make
Arimidex
An anti estrogen blocker or aromatase inhibitor i should say. This stops the conversion of testosterone (an androgen) into estrogen. This has been known to be used for preventing breast cancer but is also used by body builders who are suffering from gyno and want to prevent it. The mechanisms of action are different from tomaxifen in the way that it doesnt target specific estrogen receptors but rather prevents the conversion of other hormones into estrogen.
Problems - Hot flashes
- Joint problems
- Nausea and vomiting
- Bone loss
- Fatigue
- Swelling (lymphedema)
- Mood changes
- Slight hair thinning
For more information see link below.
http://www.arimidex.com/arimidex-about/side-effects.aspx
http://www.cancernet.co.uk/arimidex.htm
Side affects although not always common are worse than thoughs found in tomaxifen and some little more common. Unlike tomaxifen by blocking the conversion of estrogen rather than binding it it causes other problems. One of thoughs is bone density. One of estrogens important roles is to maintain strong bones. A lack of it through using aromatase inhibitor will causes some serious problems. However when using finestride it might not be such a bad thing. Finestride works by blocking the enzyme 5 alpha reductase from converting Testosterone into dht (Dihydrotestosterone). In doing this your left with less DHT which the brain signals for inceased production of testosterone to enable more testosterone conversion to DHT which can't happen due to the inhibition of 5ar responsible for that conversion. The result of which is a slight increase in testosterone levels which can easilly be converted to estrogen through aromatisation by the pituitary (A gland in your brain responsible for regulating hormones evenly). The result of which is more estrogen and testosterone in your body. An aromatase inhibitor will prevent this conversion and hopefully keep your estrogen to normal levels (no gyno) with more testosterone. There is of course a risk that that testosterone can be converted back into DHT but finestride might prevent that.
Aromatase inhibitors from what i have read block the conversion of estrogen by 50% in men. It can still be risky as it might still make your estrogen levels lower than normal despite using finestride. I've only known two people on this forum to use it. One of them is on the following link
http://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/viewtopic.php?f=61&t=48746
One user it worked great for and the other it worked but gave other strange side effects which got too much (see link above) for him. I personally wouldnt use the stuff its expensive and posses more risks. You can however like bryan suggests cut the pill up and saveon costs and reduce risk of further side effects. Should you use armidex or any other aromatase inhibitors along side finestride get your blood and hormones checked frequently through medical checks before and when using it.
