How Bad Is Missing A Couple Weeks of finasteride?!? !!WORRIED!!

[FiniMin]

In a nutshell, Ive been taking finasteride for about 5 1/2 months now (since Sept. 2011) but I recently missed about two weeks after having some finacial troubles and wasnt able to afford the $80 it costs me for a month's supply. I have done a fair share of research on finistrade but still don't fully understand the timing of it all and how long it takes to lower DHT levels from the time you take your first dose, how fast do the levels increase upon stopping fim, and anything else in those areas. So my main question is, does missing as much as couple weeks or even a day or two now and then have a great effect on progress and my DHT levels and if so, how long will it take to get them back down, and can missing that much time completly cancel my progress meaning I have to completely start over??? Please lend me your knowledge as I really am stressed and really bummed about not feeling like Im making any progress. thanks

 

[rtc84]

Missing a couple weeks is fine. It takes a month or 2 for dht levels to go back to normal.

 

[maximiliandreams]

Well,i dont think it's a good idea to stop finasteride if you have good results,but if you have no money,you have no choice,so...i think that it's not a good idea to stop it,but i think 1 week is ok.

 

[Bryan]

Missing a couple weeks is fine. It takes a month or 2 for dht levels to go back to normal.

Actually, it takes a little more than a week (on average) for blood levels of DHT to get back to normal after stopping finasteride; two weeks at the most.

 

[FiniMin]

Missing a couple weeks is fine. It takes a month or 2 for dht levels to go back to normal.

Actually, it takes a little more than a week (on average) for blood levels of DHT to get back to normal after stopping finasteride; two weeks at the most.

I'm confused. :dunno: Which is it?? Does it really take a month or two or does it take a little more than a week??? Obviously, I would love to think it takes a couple months, but I guess the best way is to find out who is getting their information from the more reliable source. Bryan and Rtc84, what or where is your source for the answers you gave?? Is there a site that explains this and other facts and data regarding finasteride??? I guess researching the answer through those sources would be the best ways to know for sure.

That is besides time because really, time will tell if my having to miss a couple weeks, not by choice that is, dampers my overall results. In the meantime, I'm being very patient, from the day I started, in September (2011), I basically have had the mind set that I'm not expecting anything for about a year so in September of 2012, I will then hope to see some results which hopefully then I will see some good results and finally start get some of my self-esteem back up (I used to radiate with confidence and charisma). However, it's not so bad if I feel like I have a better future to look forward to. Taking finasteride has given me that hope that, though it may not be until next year, things will get better for me especially with my hair loss and furthermore, my self confidence which is the lowest its ever been. That's why getting answers to this question and the concealer question I posted yesterday (under the concealer category), really do mean a great deal to me. I just want to do all I can to make this regimen work. Anyways, I digress. Thanks for the replies so far. Please keep them coming. Again, its more than appreciated!!

 

[FiniMin]

Bryan: If my DHT levels where to go back up, how long on average does it take for them to go back down?? I really hope it doesn't take another 6 months or some crazy amount of time.

 

[Bryan]

Actually, it takes a little more than a week (on average) for blood levels of DHT to get back to normal after stopping finasteride; two weeks at the most.

I'm confused. :dunno: Which is it?? Does it really take a month or two or does it take a little more than a week???

I already told you: it takes a little more than a week, a couple of weeks at the most. This isn't something that's controversial! Graphs showing that time-period have been posted LOTS of times in the past on hairloss sites. I've done that myself, until the company that stores those images (Geocities) took away the ability for us to do that.

People you see who are claiming that it takes "a month or two" are probably confusing finasteride with dutasteride, which takes a longer period of time for DHT levels to return to normal because of a long "half-life" of the drug in the blood. But trust me: for finasteride, it takes a week or two, and this has been spoken about for YEARS on hairloss and other sites.

Obviously, I would love to think it takes a couple months, but I guess the best way is to find out who is getting their information from the more reliable source. Bryan and Rtc84, what or where is your source for the answers you gave?? Is there a site that explains this and other facts and data regarding finasteride??? I guess researching the answer through those sources would be the best ways to know for sure.

Trust me, this is common knowledge. You can find it in numerous studies having to do with the actions of finasteride.

 

[Bryan]

Bryan: If my DHT levels where to go back up, how long on average does it take for them to go back down?? I really hope it doesn't take another 6 months or some crazy amount of time.

Ummm...you'll find your DHT levels significantly suppressed after even the first dose of finasteride (assuming you take a full-sized dose). It won't be MAXIMALLY suppressed, yet, but significantly suppressed. Certainly after doing that every day for two or three days.

 

[FiniMin]

Thanks Bryan. You'll have to bare with me as Im new to the world of finasteride. Im just starting to understand how it all works. Are there any sites that you would recommend that explains in detail how finasteride really works???

 

[Bryan]

Thanks Bryan. You'll have to bare with me as Im new to the world of finasteride. Im just starting to understand how it all works. Are there any sites that you would recommend that explains in detail how finasteride really works???

There probably are, but I don't pay much attention to sites like that; I get the majority of my information from studies published in medical journals from my local medical library. If anybody else has such recommendations for appropriate sites like you're asking for, post them here in this thread!