finasteride/Dutasteride together - sides, etc

[potatopirate]

dutasteride is basically a more effective version of finasteride, but what happens if you take them together? Does dutasteride just overpower the effects of finasteride? Why do people say you are at risk for more sides if you take them both, if they don't add onto each other?

- Given that some people take dutasteride 1x weekly, finasteride 6, and others do 3x dutasteride, rest finasteride. The half life of dutasteride is relatively large, so when you are taking your finasteride, aren't you effectively having them in your body at the same time?

 

[potatopirate]

No studies about duta and fina combos as far as I know. But it seems logical combining them would increase risks, since you're blocking and disrupting all three enzymes.


DHT is considerably more potent as an agonist of the androgen receptor. While we’re on this topic, there’s 3 isoenzymes (subtypes) of 5α-reductase; 5-AR1, 5-AR2, & 5-AR3 (3). Finasteride inhibits only the 2nd and 3rd isoenzyme (1st too to some extent), whereas dutasteride (another 5α-reductase inhibitor) inhibits only the 1st and 2nd isoenzyme (4). Dutasteride has a greater potency than finasteride for 5-AR2. Though both drugs provide some pretty nasty adverse side effects in those predisposed to it. This is still important as specific mutations in any of these isoenzymes genes could therefore alter the level of response to either dutasteride or finasteride.

But people taking a mixture of finasteride/dutasteride throughout the week are virtually extacting the same effect as taking them together in a sense no? Considering dutasteride stays in your system for weeks it's not like it disapears on the days they take finasteride.

I know taking dutasteride daily is done to keep a consistent amount of it in your system, but my point is that even taking it EOD with finasteride, or once a week with finasteride means they are still going to be operating within the same time period