How & when do you take your daily pill?

[ginger-uk]

I have rread that taking it in the morning when your test. levels are high are better but I don't think it would make that much of a difference or would it?

It won't make a difference once you reach your steady-state after taking it for a few weeks.

Steady-state of WHAT?

I'm sure the doctor that prescibed me used the term (Dr Ashcroft). Its something like 0.2mg per day on average over the course of the medication (Which in our cases is indefinate) keeps you in the steady state window.

 

[Bryan]

What I was trying to get across to the other poster is that I'm not sure what he actually MEANT by usimg the term "steady-state" in this context! What do YOU think he meant, and what do you think Dr. Ashcroft meant?

 

[ginger-uk]

I think they meant the same thing. Once you have been taking the pill for X amount of time your intake falls into steady state. Where by you have a fixed amount in your body of a given period of time. If I could be more vague I would be. :hump:

 

[Bryan]

I think they meant the same thing. Once you have been taking the pill for X amount of time your intake falls into steady state.

Your intake falls into a steady state the very moment you begin taking finasteride every day! :agree:

What the other poster and Dr. Ashcroft probably were referring to is that when you start taking finasteride for the first time, the average level of the drug in the blood over the course of a day does build-up to a somewhat higher average "steady-state" level after a period of a couple of weeks or so (although absolute levels of finasteride in the blood will still fluctuate wildly over a period of 24 hours), but I don't think it really makes that much difference. Finasteride doesn't build-up in the blood to nearly the same degree that dutasteride does, which is one of the reasons why dutasteride is so much more effective than finasteride at suppressing DHT (when the drugs are given in equal doses).

 

[ginger-uk]

Isn't dutasteride just a stage to far though?

 

[Epiphany]

Hey GingerUK, just a question about your avatar... is that a typical norwood 2 shape as I haven't seen that one before?

 

[ginger-uk]

No its not mate, its one I modified to show my own level of hairloss.

 

[medmax84]

What I was trying to get across to the other poster is that I'm not sure what he actually MEANT by usimg the term "steady-state" in this context! What do YOU think he meant, and what do you think Dr. Ashcroft meant?

finasteride, as dosed once daily, never reaches steady-state due to its short half-life. However, the suppressed levels of DHT, however, do. So finasteride was never intended to reach steady-state (it could be if it was given every 4,6, etc hours) drug, however it is therapeutic due to its effects. Its effect is to effectively suppress DHT levels. When given daily, it probably suppresses DHT levels fairly consistently due to the nature of the 5AR enzyme and the time it takes to regenerate your 5AR fleet. :firing:

 

[Bryan]

finasteride, as dosed once daily, never reaches steady-state due to its short half-life.

Right. But like I said in my detailed post above, the average level of finasteride in your blood over the course of a day increases a bit after you've been taking it for a while (something on the order of a couple of weeks or so, if I recall correctly). It does seem questionable to use the term "steady-state" in this context, but if you do, it simply forces you to explain in more detail what you mean!

 

[medmax84]

finasteride, as dosed once daily, never reaches steady-state due to its short half-life.

Right. But like I said in my detailed post above, the average level of finasteride in your blood over the course of a day increases a bit after you've been taking it for a while (something on the order of a couple of weeks or so, if I recall correctly). It does seem questionable to use the term "steady-state" in this context, but if you do, it simply forces you to explain in more detail what you mean!

I'd be interested in seeing that study. My understanding of pharmacokinetics is limited as I am only a second-year med student... a pharmacist or a pharmacologist would probably have a better understanding... or someone who has already studied-for and passed the boards. :dunno:

 

[tman7]

So, would taking finasteride every other day be as effective as EVERY day. And if so whats the best doseage?

 

[Bryan]

finasteride, as dosed once daily, never reaches steady-state due to its short half-life.

Right. But like I said in my detailed post above, the average level of finasteride in your blood over the course of a day increases a bit after you've been taking it for a while (something on the order of a couple of weeks or so, if I recall correctly). It does seem questionable to use the term "steady-state" in this context, but if you do, it simply forces you to explain in more detail what you mean!

I'd be interested in seeing that study.

Here's a passage from the finasteride (Proscar) section, straight out of the PDR:

"There is a slow accumulation phase for finasteride after multiple dosing. After dosing with 5 mg/day of finasteride for 17 days, plasma levels of finasteride were 47% and 54% higher than after the first dose in men 45-60 years old and > 70 years old, respectively. Mean trough concentrations after 17 days of dosing were 6.2 ng/mL and 8.1 ng/mL, respectively in the two age groups. Although steady state was not reached in this study, mean trough plasma concentration in another study in patients with BPH receiving 5 mg/day was 9.4 ng/mL after a year of dosing."