0.5mg finasteride eqauls 1mg finasteride?

[freeflow]

I have read it already a couple of times that 0.5 mg finasteride decreases your serum DHT level by 50% just like 1mg. So my question is why is not everybody taking the half amount if it has the same effectiveness?

 

[Koga]

I believe 1mg decreases your serum DHT by 68%. 0.5mg decreases your serum DHT by 65%. Most don't bother because 1mg is the 'optimal dose' according to Merck. I take 1mg, as most finasteride users, because it's easier. I believe 0.5 mg would have to give similar results.

 

[Ventures]

But if they are equally effective, why don't more people use 0.5 mg or even 0.25 mg dose for long-term safety ? Because, finasteride targets other hormones, and we want optimum ratio between DHT supression and the change of other hormones. I've seen dozens of success storys of people who had pritty agressive hair loss and started to use smaller doses compared to 1 mg.

http://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/showthread.php/24454-Been-on-0-25mg-finasteride-for-3-years
http://www.hairlosstalk.com/interac...ide-and-Rogaine-NEWEST-pics-page-14-May-12-12


It' depends on individual, but I believe according to studies (MERCK and etc) 1 mg supossedly decreases DHT by cca 70 %. We probably know finasteride inhibition curve has flat response, so doses more than 0.25 mg have roughly same benefits, it just takes more time for smaller doses to achieve same stabile DHT levels in blood serum.

 

[Valiant]

Why does a lower dose take more time to reach a stable level of DHT? I have never seen anything that supports that. I would imagine a lower dose just results in a slightly lower level of DHT but stability would only change if dosing would change.

 

[freeflow]

I want to start finasteride this week. Should i bould it up slowly like 0.5mg twice a week, or should i take 0.5mg every day from the start?

 

[Valiant]

I cannot recommend it but if you decide to take it I would start with a low dose to see how your body will tolerate it and then you can increase it later. I would not take more than the 1mg per day.

 

[Ventures]

Why does a lower dose take more time to reach a stable level of DHT? I have never seen anything that supports that. I would imagine a lower dose just results in a slightly lower level of DHT but stability would only change if dosing would change.

I think this is because finasteride is irreversible 5ard inhibitor. It takes some time for body to produce more new 5ard enzymes in skin cells, testicles and so. 1 mg dose or more neutralizes certain percent of 5ard, but I suppose it doesn't achieve its full potential because of half-life time, after which finasteride become degraded. That's common effect in all medical drugs. It takes a while for active drug ingredients and molecules to spread within whole body (intra and extra cellular tissue). So, 0.25 mg works the same way but in a slower rate. But important part is that finasteride "attacks“ other substrates and enzymes (not just II 5-alpha-reductase): lutropin hormone, neuroactive steroids (NAs)

And of course, it's important to distinguish serum and scalp DHT levels. We want more DHT in blood serum (in order to decrease sides), and less in scalp. So, maybe 0.25, 0.5, and 1 mg finasteride cause same scalp DHT reduction after a while, but 1 mg leads in notable DHT serum supression.

 

[freeflow]

dont you guys know about the topical finasteride? i can only purchase that through ebay to my country, but it looks the same that G enhair produces. Maybe i should start that first? my hairloss is not agressive, im around NW2 but i want to preserve it for all the tea in China