Can you "load" finasteride for fewer doses?

[Resultsnottypical]

Can you take finasteride in higher doses, say 5mgs every Monday, or 2.5 on Monday/Thursday and have the same effect as 1mg a day?

Is it as simple as the mathmatical breakdown of the half-life per dose giving essentially the same coverage as 1mg a day (by it's half-life breakdown)?

 

[dead]

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/6389/graph88bm.gif

Click on this link to view a graph showing various doses of finasteride (Propecia/Proscar) and their effect on DHT levels over a 7 day period.

 

[Resultsnottypical]

ya, I've seen that before, thanks bro, but does that mean you can really functionally DO that and have the same effect.

I think it might be easier just to pop a half proscar tablet on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, really...that's 2.5 mgs three times in 7 days.

Not sure if that would give the same effect. At one point can you not count on half-lives or loading as being as effective? Since people have taken, what, 40 or 80mgs or something in trials, with no negative effects, could you then justify taking a 5mg every week? 10mgs once every two?

 

[dead]

It not too hard to flick a tiny fragment of a pill into your mouth everyday and this would result in a more liner serum DHT response than thrice weekly, weekly or monthly dosing. Infact I would think it would be harder to remember to take your pill this way, once a day is fairly easy to remember.

 

[Resultsnottypical]

true.

I am thinking of just doing 2.5 on Monday/Wed/Fri (evening) and one Sunday. That's basically 48 hours between.

For some odd reason, I like to experiement with this sh*t and since I have had results at various doses, I guess I have that luxury.

I've taken 5mgs a day for a week with no sides and as little as .25 for two weeks with no apparent damage, although that is not long enough to quantify probably.

 

[Withnail]

That's exactly the way I take it - 2.5 Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. This is what I was recommended to do by a doctor.

Does it work better, worse or just as well - no idea.

According to the graph it should be ok.

 

[Resultsnottypical]

well, perhaps you can provide some insight on the matter.

how long have you been taking finasteride?

how long have you been taking it in this manner (2.5 thrice weekly)?

sides?

benefits? (like, ya know, hair growth, which apparently is one 'side-effect' of finasteride often overlooked here )

curious

 

[Withnail]

I've been taking finasteride this way approx 3 years.

No side effects at all.

Also no major regrowth either - just maintaining.

Considering changing to 1mg every day, wondering if will have a better effect.

 

[Resultsnottypical]

hmm, I would think that 2.5 on M-W-F is still pretty close together to illicit the same response 1mg or 1.25mgs a day would give you.

Never know. Unfortunately we are all "studies of one" in a sense. You can only measure against yourself and as time goes by, other factors can play a part in regrowth or the lack thereof, including increased hair follicle sensitivity to DHT.

What was the reason your doctor suggested a 2.5, three-times weekly, dosage?

 

[Withnail]

I basically got on Proscar before Propecia was available in the UK.

Got it prescribed from a hair clinic over here. This was simply the way they told me to take it.

When Propecia did become available I thought i'd jump on that, so gave the clinic a call and they said No No don't change doses and 'Upset the apple cart'

Not questioned it until recently. I'm now getting Proscar from another Doctor, far, far cheaper and he's been taking 1mg for 6 years.

He says from a pharmacological stance 1mg a day should work better.

But looking at Tynan's graph would it make any difference. Should I switch dosages?

All I know is that I would'nt expect to see any changes for a minimum 3 months.

 

[Resultsnottypical]

how is your Doctor's hair?

Well, one thing we DO know is, that 1mg is studied and proven to work..regardless of whether or not 2.5 every other day works, etc.

I am curious about dosages, but in the end, 1mg and 1.25mgs are known to work

 

[Withnail]

Doctor swears by it.

I agree 1 or 1.25 are proven, plus you could be on finasteride for many years so I'd feel better taking it like most other people.

Gonna switch to 1mg per day.

 

[DjSap]

By looking at the graphs it appears that taking it daily evens out the dht on a low level while taking it in bulk creates a dht rollercoaster...so daily would be the recommended option...

 

[Bryan]

To say that taking 2.5 mg every-other-day creates a "DHT rollercoaster" is a hell of an exaggeration! :wink: I think such a dosing scheme is perfectly reasonable.

Bryan

 

[Resultsnottypical]

I would think so too Bryan, in that 2.5, just 48 hours apart, even if you look at the graph, that would seem to be pretty stable for every two days. Your body would be getting "innoculated" before it even started to rise again.

Begs the question of just how much "loading" you can do, but I could see 3.5 being justified to avoid cutting, and daily use..just to pop every M-W-F nite, maybe even one Sunday morning for a near 48-hour dosing schedule.