Dutasteride - Weird Blood Results On Dr.reddys Dutas

[suicidal]

Hi people,

Bit of a background: Been on finasteride for around 8 years. Slowly lost ground and thought of moving to Dutasteride.
Started with Dr.Reddy's Dutas in June last year. Been using it everyday since.
Wanted to monitor how it would work out so had a blood test done around 2 weeks after starting on Dutas. (June 2016)

The results were :

FREE TESTOSTERONE, Serum = 0.5 (0.198-0.619 nmol/l )
Bioavailable Testosterone, Serum = 14.60 (4.36-14.3 nmol/l )
TESTOSTERONE, Serum = 722.6 (249-836 ng/dl )
SHBG, Serum = 30.0 (16.5-55.9 nmol/l )
DHT = 919 (250-990 pg/mL)


Recently had another test done ( two days ago) just to check if the Dutas were working.

FREE TESTOSTERONE, Serum = 0.9 (0.198-0.619 nmol/l )
Bioavailable Testosterone = 25.30 (4.36-14.3 nmol/l )
TESTOSTERONE, Serum = 1055.0 (249-836 ng/dl )
SHBG, Serum = 23.4 (16.5-55.9 nmol/l )
DHT = 961 (250-990 pg/mL)

Shockingly there is an increase in testosterone and no effect (slight increase) on DHT.

Not sure what to think of this. It seems that Dutas is not suppressing DHT at all .

Any possible explanations?

 

[whatevr]

Could be fake. I've heard mixed things about that Dr Reddy's stuff.

 

[suicidal]

I guess you're right. Well since I'm from India, getting my hands on Avodart is not going to be easy.
I guess I'll try another brand generic, Dutagen or Duprost perhaps. Anyone have experiences with either of these two?

Update:
I called up Dr. Reddys helpline and asked to check if the meds were fake. The lady on the phone verified the batch number and confirmed they were not.

 

[suicidal]

OK so I'm going to get back on finasteride along with my current batch of Dutas and get my DHT levels checked after a month.
If there is a change in DHT (lowered), then i'll know the dutas were a dud. Will switch to another brand generic then and start monitoring from there.
However, If it happens that the results don't change, then I guess it'll probably have something to do with how my body works or probably how my tests are actually carried out but I doubt this. Not much I can do in this case except continue and monitor overall hair progress.

Let me know what you guys think.

 

[nicksparrow]

OK so I'm going to get back on finasteride along with my current batch of Dutas and get my DHT levels checked after a month.
If there is a change in DHT (lowered), then i'll know the dutas were a dud. Will switch to another brand generic then and start monitoring from there.
However, If it happens that the results don't change, then I guess it'll probably have something to do with how my body works or probably how my tests are actually carried out but I doubt this. Not much I can do in this case except continue and monitor overall hair progress.

Let me know what you guys think.

I've bought Dutasteride from DrReddy from inhousepharmacy. I can confirm they are legit from my experience. Perhaps the site you bought from could be faking that it is from DrReddy. Which site are you using?

 

[suicidal]

Hi Nick,

I've purchased it from a local pharmacy here in India.
I've called up Dr.Reddys and they have confirmed the batch number belongs to them.

However I've come across this interesting finding and don't know what to make of it.

On my strip the address of the manufacturing plant belongs to another pharmaceutical company. Though it is mentioned on it that it is manufactured by Dr.Reddy's Laboratories LTD. Brought this to the notice of the same lady I was on the phone with and she did mention that yes, it is manufactured by another pharma company but marketed by Dr.Reddy's.
I don't know but it does sound fishy given it is clearly mentioned on my strip that it is manufactured by Dr.Reddys.

 

[nicksparrow]

Hi Nick,

I've purchased it from a local pharmacy here in India.
I've called up Dr.Reddys and they have confirmed the batch number belongs to them.

However I've come across this interesting finding and don't know what to make of it.

On my strip the address of the manufacturing plant belongs to another pharmaceutical company. Though it is mentioned on it that it is manufactured by Dr.Reddy's Laboratories LTD. Brought this to the notice of the same lady I was on the phone with and she did mention that yes, it is manufactured by another pharma company but marketed by Dr.Reddy's.
I don't know but it does sound fishy given it is clearly mentioned on my strip that it is manufactured by Dr.Reddys.

Can you show me a photo of it?

 

[suicidal]

sure, attached.

The address on it is : 708/6, BEHIND SOMNATH TEMPLE, SOMNATH ROAD, DABHEL NANI DAMAN
This address belongs to another pharma company by the name of Softech Pharma. Link to company information

 

[nicksparrow]

looks just like the one I have. But yeah never seen that address anywhere in my package before. Strange.

 

[suicidal]

Yeah, sent an email to Dr.Reddy's to get some clarification. Will update here when I get a response from them.

On a side note, I'm wondering what else could raise my testosterone levels if not the Dutas?
I think I should've got my blood tested prior to starting Dutas, would've given a better understanding.

I started finasteride today and will take another test in a week to see if there could be any change in the DHT level.

 

[Massive]

Yeah, sent an email to Dr.Reddy's to get some clarification. Will update here when I get a response from them.

On a side note, I'm wondering what else could raise my testosterone levels if not the Dutas?
I think I should've got my blood tested prior to starting Dutas, would've given a better understanding.

I started finasteride today and will take another test in a week to see if there could be any change in the DHT level.

Good idea. Get back to finasteride for a while and take your test. If your DHT drops then you try either adding dutasteride to finasteride or switching to dutasteride from another source and check your DHT levels again later on.

 

[TheGrayMan2001]

This is a great post and if you could figure this out through labs it would help a lot.

I've wondered if Dr Reddy's is fake or not. I need to get bloods done myself.

Definitely recommend seeing if your DHT goes down on finasteride and if so, testing another generic dutasteride and letting us know the results.

Keep up the good work

 

[sisenegonan]

Another Indian chiming in here. My story is Cipla,Finpecia in December, followed by dr reddy's dutas from jan + finasteride. Then only on dutasteride from feb onwards. Shifted to Veltride (Intas) generic from march.

My tests are:
Serum testosterone: 5.3ng/mL (1.43 to 9.23) [Chemiluminescence]
DHT (5-Alpha Dihydrotestosterone): 2344 pg/mL (250-900) [Serum,ELISA]

This was tested on 17th april, since then I've doubled the dosage (as reflected in my regime). If anything worth noting, Dutas/dutagen/duprost is a capsule type Dutasteride, but Veltride is a tablet type. I wonder if that can make a difference.

If even it doesn't bring hair back, I plan to atleast stay on 300mg spironolactone. Oil/sebum free skin. Finally achieved it. Really tired of begging doctors to fix it. 150mg kept the oil/sebum at bay, but it would eventually return after a while.

My current plans are to test DHT again 17th may (1mg dutasteride veltride), then go on the legit Dutas (dr. reddy's) 1mg (double dosing), in one month another blood test. Then I will go back to my very first medication, 1mg finasteride (cipla) daily. Lets see how my journey turns out. I don't think its worth going on E (would love for some HRT enthusiasts to chime in on this) if I can't annihilate my DHT, unless I would 'maybe' see regrowth regardless?

If you want to me test some other hormones, just let me know. Recently also had a general health check (with half my regime). All tests returned quite healthy, let me know if someone wants me to share them. I might make a new thread on "My story" section.

 

[suicidal]

This is a great post and if you could figure this out through labs it would help a lot.

I've wondered if Dr Reddy's is fake or not. I need to get bloods done myself.

Definitely recommend seeing if your DHT goes down on finasteride and if so, testing another generic dutasteride and letting us know the results.

Keep up the good work

Thanks, I'll be getting a test done again around the middle of this month. Will post an update then.

 

[suicidal]

Your Testosterone levels fluctuate throughout the day. They are usually higher the first couple hours after waking. What time were your blood tests done?

When you say fluctuate, by how much? I had them done in the afternoon.

 

[suicidal]

Another Indian chiming in here. My story is Cipla,Finpecia in December, followed by dr reddy's dutas from jan + finasteride. Then only on dutasteride from feb onwards. Shifted to Veltride (Intas) generic from march.

My tests are:
Serum testosterone: 5.3ng/mL (1.43 to 9.23) [Chemiluminescence]
DHT (5-Alpha Dihydrotestosterone): 2344 pg/mL (250-900) [Serum,ELISA]

This was tested on 17th april, since then I've doubled the dosage (as reflected in my regime). If anything worth noting, Dutas/dutagen/duprost is a capsule type Dutasteride, but Veltride is a tablet type. I wonder if that can make a difference.

If even it doesn't bring hair back, I plan to atleast stay on 300mg spironolactone. Oil/sebum free skin. Finally achieved it. Really tired of begging doctors to fix it. 150mg kept the oil/sebum at bay, but it would eventually return after a while.

My current plans are to test DHT again 17th may (1mg dutasteride veltride), then go on the legit Dutas (dr. reddy's) 1mg (double dosing), in one month another blood test. Then I will go back to my very first medication, 1mg finasteride (cipla) daily. Lets see how my journey turns out. I don't think its worth going on E (would love for some HRT enthusiasts to chime in on this) if I can't annihilate my DHT, unless I would 'maybe' see regrowth regardless?

If you want to me test some other hormones, just let me know. Recently also had a general health check (with half my regime). All tests returned quite healthy, let me know if someone wants me to share them. I might make a new thread on "My story" section.

Thanks for sharing. Your DHT levels are through the roof, if I compare them to mine haha.
Haven't heard of Veltirde ever before, looking forward to an update on your test results.

 

[suicidal]

and some observations since the last one month.

Hair fall seems to have stopped, shed probably 30 hairs now. Went through a crazy shed the previous month, I quit minoxidil like 5 months ago. Got back on it a month back, so hoping to recover. I won't make that mistake of stopping minoxidil though, had some great regrowth on it and assumed dutasteride was enough to keep the gains. Lost quite a bit in the process.

And no sides to report, though some mild gyno? I'm not sure since I'm a little overweight. But yeah, I was hoping for something atleast, just to be sure the dutas are working, ball ache, low libido or something, but none of that.

 

[TheGrayMan2001]

I know when I first started finasteride back in 2010 I had sides, but they went away after a few months.

After that I never got sides again -- not from any finasteride or dutasteride, even after I stopped one or the other for a little while.

Really surprised me. I will say as long as I've been on dutasteride or finasteride of any kind, even though hair loss has not stopped 100%, I have hung on to most of it and I have never had the "male pattern baldness" itch I had come back. The only time it ever came back was when I stopped finasteride for a couple of months in early 2011.

As for Testosterone tests, your T will vary depending on how much sleep you got, if you drank any alcohol the day or two before, and what time of day it is.

Good sleep, no alcohol for a day or two, and early morning test will show your highest T levels typically. T tends to decline throughout the day slowly.

But DHT should stay suppressed if finasteride or dutasteride are working. Still think your results are strange, so keep us updated on any future tests.

 

[GiveMeAccessToMyAccount]

There's no gain from making fake dutasteride, they're so cheap to make for them that it doesn't make sense to sell fake versions and ruin their name and multi billion dollar, 30+ year old company that earns billions of dollars a year. All I use is Dr reddy's and Cipla and neither of those Indian companies have given me any trouble with quality. I'd be very surprised if a pharma company that made $2.4 billion US dollars in 2016 and has been around since 1984 decides to make fake pills now lol.

 

[suicidal]

There's no gain from making fake dutasteride, they're so cheap to make for them that it doesn't make sense to sell fake versions and ruin their name and multi billion dollar, 30+ year old company that earns billions of dollars a year. All I use is Dr reddy's and Cipla and neither of those Indian companies have given me any trouble with quality. I'd be very surprised if a pharma company that made $2.4 billion US dollars in 2016 and has been around since 1984 decides to make fake pills now lol.

I didn't say they were fake, was just asking if there was a possibility that they could be.
I see some people on this forum have the same doubts.