why doesn't everyone start Propecia at low dosages?

[viceroy]

I know this subject has been beaten to death, but seriously - if lower dosages of propecia (like .5 mg for instance) are comparably as effective as regular 1 mg dosages, and seem to cause less side effects to boot, why doesn't everybody cut up their pills when they first start taking the drug?

it seems to up one's chances of avoiding negative side effects...

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I think it's a good idea.

 

[Resultsnottypical]

yes but...

I should have shared this a while ago...thought maybe I did, but in case I didn't, I wrote Dr. Lee about this very question, posing a 0.25 dose of Propecia (as .20 to 1 to 5mg seemed to work about the same), and his response was pretty logical.

Basically, he (or his crew, whoever it was) advised that you may find that if indeed it works at such a low dose, you may have the same side effects, even though it is lower. I guess it is possible that if you are someone who would NOT normally have side effects, that this low dose, if working, would be more cost effective. That's for sure.

I have considered doing the same, many times. I have a bottle I have not started sitting there waiting for me.

 

[bombscience]

because the study that yeilded the 83% maintained hair results was done with a 1mg dosage. Any other dosage and you can take those results and throw them out.

 

[viceroy]

ok, so maybe if you're side effects-prone, you'll get them to the same degree no matter what dosage you're taking.

but what about in terms of just general less f*****g around with your hormonal balance? maybe a lower dosage is just gentler and better for your body in the long-term... ?

 

[rill]

The sideeffects dont come from the drug, it comes from less DHT.
If a lower dose works almost just as good as 1mg then the sides will be just about the same, its pretty logical.

 

[HairFreak]

I have started with 1mg.
After 4 months I have lowered my dosage to .5 mg. I'm experiencing the same side effects as with 1 mg, so I figure it works the same.

 

[Jude]

But....Wouldnt starting at a lower dosage increase time of the drugs effectivness? IE- Start at .20mg and if your hair starts to fall out again after a while, up the dose to say .50 or so and so on and so on.

 

[stillnotbald]

Not true with me.
I lowered dosage from 1 to 1/2 to 1/3 to 1/4 to none.

I followed the side effects and effect on hairloss very very carefully.

At none I have more hairloss in particular at the top. Does not seem to affect the front much.

The side effects is definitely less for me at 1/2 and even less at 1/4. It took only a week or so for the side effects to completely go away when I stopped taking it all together.

At 1/2 I saw no difference in hairloss. At 1/4 there was a difference. I did loose more hair.

In any case, now my plan is to go back to 1 stay there for 2 months until I see my hairloss has stabalized then I will go to 1/2 dose.

I had been taking the 1mg dose for 2 years.



Lastly, this is probably better for a different thread but why in the word is there no topical propecia? If it indicates that pregnant women should not even touch the pill that means it means that there is some absorption through skin. There just has to be a way to deliver topically.