dutasteride Survey Interim Results !!!-- pls fill in still

[mattam]

Gents,

I was traveling over past few days. But here's more updated survey results. Note that in this edition, I will only show results of longer-term dutasteride user (i.e. those with 6 month+) as I think it's mor relevant and it's so darn time-consuming to compile!!!!

BUT, please keep up the responses.....

Disclaimer: I am a newbie dutasteride user, and I think I am objective in doing this survey. However, the results are based on self-reporting "supposed" users of dutasteride on HairLossTalk.com and also Hairsite.com. So, this is nowhere near clinical study. Small size is quite small...Intepret results with good conscience and judgements.

**************************************

- Total respondents: 32 -- however, only 24 fill in # of months on dutasteride. Therefore, the universe of below results are 24.

- # of respondents on dutasteride > 6 months: 10
- # of respondents on dutasteride < (lesser) than 6 months: 14


**********************************************

-> Results of 6 month+ users (n=10)

-- Ranges of months on dutasteride: 6-24 months
-- Current Norwood Scale
Norwood 1-2 : 8
Norwood 3 : 2
-- Use finasteride before dutasteride?
Y: 9
N: 1
-- Use genuine GSK's Avodart:
Y: 5
N: 5
-- Results (compare today with day-1 when starting dutasteride)
- Hairline/vertex significantly improve: 1
- Hairline/vertex marginally improve: 3
- Hairline maintain/vertex improve: 1
- Hairline/vertex same as day-1: 1
- Hairline worsen/vertex maintain: 1
- Hairline worsen/vertex improve: 2
- Hairline/vertex worsen since day-1: 1

-- Reporting side effects:
- Y: 7
- N: 1
- left blank: 2

-- Reported side effects (qouted verbatim):

1) Loss of libido equal to that on finasteride.
2) Problem focusing first few months
3) duasteride sucks ***, it grew my hair back, but ruined my skin, well not ruined cause i caught it early, dht 1 is found in skin and not having it ages skin fast. i was like a robot no emotions, when i got off of duta i cried for liek 3 days i dunno why.
4) light-headedness for first 3 months, including a 1 or 2 week spell of headaches at month 2
5) Low libido
6) weight gain
7)mental blockage, focus problems, joint pains

 

[not me!]

I like what you are doing. Keep it up.

 

[global]

Ditto, this is useful. I encourage everyone to complete the questionnaire.

 

[mattam]

Guys....I need more results. The responses now need to have dropped-off at 32 (though 24 with dutasteride length of usage)....

Pls. help fill in. It only takes 1 minute.

This is the link....

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=464091077383

 

[global]

Bumping this up - everyone please take the time to fill in, thanks.

 

[mattam]

In this edition, I want to report ALL side effects reported by all dutasteride users that have filled in survey.

Of 24 responses, the following are "incidents" of side effects reported. Note these are not mutually exclusive -- some respondents have more than 1 side effects. You can read verbatim qoute if you scroll down. What's a bit scary is the incidents of "brain fog/light-headed" reporting.

- 4 no side effects at all
- 4 lower libido
- 1 gyno (maybe)
- 1 higher libido
- 4 less ejaculation
- 9 some kind of brain-fog, headache, "out-of-it", fatique, diminished mental focus, or light-headedness
- 2 weight gain
- 2 joint pains
- 2 dry skin
- 1 very oily skin

Also, just want to bump this up so people continue to fill in survey!!!

**********************
Background Info:
- Total respondents: 24
- users with > 12 month usage: 10
- users with < (less than) 6 month usage: 14
- % of these users using genuine GSK's Avodart: 50%

Note: Side effects below are self-reported and quoted verbatim.

1. weight gain
2. less libido, less ejaculate
3. none
4. focusing problems during the first months
5. Gyno perhaps
6. Not sure if it was due to coming off finasteride, but some mild headaches occur (usually evening time)
7. Loss of libido equal to that on finasteride.
8. Light-headedness for first 3 months, including a 1 or 2 week spell of headaches at month 2.
9. some headaches at beginning, nothing else
10. duasteride sucks ***, it grew my hair back, but ruined my skin, well not ruined cause i caught it early, dht 1 is found in skin and not having it ages skin fast. i was like a robot no emotions, when i got off of duta i cried for liek 3 days i dunno why
11. Lose of libido big time.
12. Low libido
13. dry skin, much less seaman, brain fog
14. weight gain
15. well i get foggy. I feel like i forget things. sexual seems to be holding up maybe a little less semen. overall seems to be ok
16. mental blockage, focus problems, joint pains, difficulty sleeping, fatigue
17. VERY OYLY SKIN
18. none
19. none
20. none
21. I've had infrequent headaches, but I'm not sure they're related to dutasteride.
22. Not sure. I bit more tired than usually and a bit more 'out of it' for lack of a better term.
23. None
24. -joint pains in the knees -more libido

 

[mattam]

I have been busy...but just want to let all those survey fillers know that you will see the results...

As of this moment, there are total of 40 respondents, of which 30 fill in the length of dutasteride usage. So, it's only those 30 that counts. Of that, about 14 are longer-term users (6+ month).

I will report results of 6 month+ users but I will quote verbatim ALL side-effects reported by both newbie and longer term users.

I will report the final result this weekend, and will call it off this survey since responses are not comming in any more. It's a bit disappointing on response rate.

SO, if you havn't fill in results. THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE of having a fairly meaningful results for users of this forum. Pls. pls. pls. help fill in....

 

[Slartibartfast]

Excellent work mattam. Getting 40 respondents seems quite high, considering how few dutasteride users I notice as I saunter around the site.

Number 8.

 

[Johnny24601]

re:

Mattam,
I have a few questions/comments. Please do not get offended as I am trying to figure this male pattern baldness stuff out as well.
1.) How are we to know you are not a spammer?
2.) The rate of side effects from dutasteride (from this very small sample group) seem to be much higher as compared to finasteride usage, do you agree? Yet the benefits do not seem to be too much better then finasteride?
3.) Can we conclude that all the responders are taking the correct dosage? What is the correct dosage?
4.) Isn't it important to rate what the users results and sides were on finasteride as compared to dutasteride? Also whether the dutasteride users are happy with their switch?
5.) Do you believe that, based on the effectiveness and apparant risk of increased sides, is it worth it to try dutasteride. Is it just a last resort, something that everyone should try or something that people should really avoid?
Great survey work. The one problem with this survey (which is obviously unavoidable) is the fact that there are not clear before and after photos that can be judged by an independent group or just you.

 

[dead]

Re: re:

...How are we to know you are not a spammer?

who, exactly, would he be 'spamming' for ?

 

[Cornholio]

Re: re:

Mattam,
I have a few questions/comments. Please do not get offended as I am trying to figure this male pattern baldness stuff out as well.
1.) How are we to know you are not a spammer?
2.) The rate of side effects from dutasteride (from this very small sample group) seem to be much higher as compared to finasteride usage, do you agree? Yet the benefits do not seem to be too much better then finasteride?
3.) Can we conclude that all the responders are taking the correct dosage? What is the correct dosage?
4.) Isn't it important to rate what the users results and sides were on finasteride as compared to dutasteride? Also whether the dutasteride users are happy with their switch?
5.) Do you believe that, based on the effectiveness and apparant risk of increased sides, is it worth it to try dutasteride. Is it just a last resort, something that everyone should try or something that people should really avoid?

Johnny, The links below have some useful information and further discussion regarding what is actually known about dutasteride and hair loss.... I wouldn't try to mine this survey for the truth on avodart, as it's not a scientific study (as you know) and not able to compare propecia and dutasteride. As Phase III studies for dutasteride haven't been completed for Avodart and Avodart isnt marketed as a hair loss drug, YOU have the responsibility for piecing together the available scientific but INCOMPLETE data and making a decision for yourself. Surveys and random posts on boards are not nearly as compelling or meaningful as the published data, and opinions here are only opinions.

http://www.forhair.com/avodart_vs_propecia.htm
http://www.regrowth.com/hairloss-remedy ... esults.cfm
http://ctr.gsk.co.uk/Summary/dutasterid ... IA2004.pdf

The questions you are asking are discussed in detail on this board (search the archives) and on the link below (with discussions going back years, repating the same questions every month)

http://www.hairsite4.com/dc/dcboard.php ... s&forum=32

 

[powersam]

ooo had never seen that forhair one before,

now i know why i lost hair at the front when i first started, scalp dht raising 104% for the .5mg dose would be damn unhealthy for my hair. but i'm on topical spironolactone now, should clear that problem up

 

[Cornholio]

ooo had never seen that forhair one before,

now i know why i lost hair at the front when i first started, scalp dht raising 104% for the .5mg dose would be damn unhealthy for my hair. but i'm on topical spironolactone now, should clear that problem up

Im starting spironolactone for the same reason... hope it works.

 

[bdc196]

ooo had never seen that forhair one before,

now i know why i lost hair at the front when i first started, scalp dht raising 104% for the .5mg dose would be damn unhealthy for my hair. but i'm on topical spironolactone now, should clear that problem up

Taken from http://www.regrowth.com/hairloss-remedy ... esults.cfm.

Re-read that more closely:

"Scalp Testosterone rose 24% for Finasteride, 46% for 0.05mg Dutasteride, 44% for 0.1mg Dutasteride, 104% for 0.5mg Dutasteride, and 154% for 2.5mg Dutasteride"

... not scalp DHT. The opposite happened to the DHT levels in the scalp tissue:

"Scalp DHT measurements were also assessed for both DHT and Testosterone. Scalp DHT was decreased 27% for 0.05mg Dutasteride, similarly for Finasteride (38%) and Dutasteride 0.1mg (37%), 54% for 0.5mg, and 82% for 2.5mg Dutasteride. Rittmaster concluded that these results show that most of the DHT in the scalp comes from type 1 5-alpha reductase."

So, on the 0.5mg/day dosage, scalp DHT was reduced by just over 50%.

I wish there was a more topical version of this that didn't have some of the drastic systemic effects. It seems that this drug, while moderately effective on scalp DHT levels, has larger effects systemically on the body. While I appreciate the benefits it has on scalp serum DHT, I am curious about the long-term effects of having little to none circulating in the blood systemically.

B

 

[Wobbler]

I wish there was a more topical version of this that didn't have some of the drastic systemic effects. It seems that this drug, while moderately effective on scalp DHT levels, has larger effects systemically on the body. While I appreciate the benefits it has on scalp serum DHT, I am curious about the long-term effects of having little to none circulating in the blood systemically.

B

Do you know if anyone on this board is using topical duta? I'm quite interesting in finding out how effective it is.

 

[bdc196]

I wish there was a more topical version of this that didn't have some of the drastic systemic effects. It seems that this drug, while moderately effective on scalp DHT levels, has larger effects systemically on the body. While I appreciate the benefits it has on scalp serum DHT, I am curious about the long-term effects of having little to none circulating in the blood systemically.

B

Do you know if anyone on this board is using topical duta? I'm quite interesting in finding out how effective it is.

Does it even exist? Even so, I would assume its effectiveness would be that of Nizoral; great for what it is but marginal in its absorption into the scalp.

B

 

[Wobbler]

Maybe it'd be nice to do an update of the survey?