Propecia, an orally administered drug approved for male-patterned baldness. Propecia helps regrow hair in many men, that is a fact. The generic name for Propecia is finasteride. For more information on hair growth.

Sign up to a FREE Supplement Research Update newsletter. Once or twice a month we email a brief abstract of several studies on various supplements and natural medicine topics, including Propecia and hair growth, and their practical interpretation by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Propecia side effects
Although the maker of prescription medication Propecia denies serious side effects from the drug, there are some Propecia side effects that have been reported. These Propecia side effects include decrease in libido, and a decrease in general vitality or weilbeing. These Propecia side effects occur gradually and in a subtle manner, and many men do not realize it is occurring and forget how they felt before they started Propecia treatment for hair loss. Another Propecia side effect may be an increase in abdominal fat (increase in size of the belly).

Propecia and Women
When given in combination with oral contraceptives, Propecia can improve female-pattern hair loss in most women. At present, the main treatment for female-pattern hair loss is topical minoxidil, which is somewhat effective. Whether treatment with agents such as Propecia, which show activity against male hormones, might promote hair growth in women has been unclear. However a research group reports in Archives of Dermatology, March 2006, that women with female-pattern hair loss who were treated with Propecia in combination with an oral contraceptive did report benefits. Propecia has been linked to birth defects and that was the reason the women were given birth control pills. After 12 months of Propecia therapy, and out of 37 women treated, hair growth improvements were rated as "great" in three patients, "moderate" in eight and "slight" in twelve women. Thirteen women had no improvement and one patient experienced a worsening of her female-pattern hair loss.

Propecia Questions
Q. I am currently taking Propecia, do I need to reduce my dose if I am taking Prostate Power Rx?
   A. Perhaps you will need less of a dose but your doctor is the person who makes the final decision since he or she prescribed the Propecia and knows your condition best.

Q. I was reading something on your website about Propecia and how it caused one of the people to gain belly fat. I've been taking Propecia for 4 months and I've now started to notice that my belly is just like always inflated for some reason. I haven't gained a single pound but my belly is bigger than it used to be and so are my breasts. I read on the Propecia website that breast enlargement was one of the side effects, but can you give me some more information about the belly increase. Do you think it's because of the Propecia and how exactly did the Propecia work to make my belly bigger? Also I was wondering, when people stop taking Propecia, do their belly go back to the size it was before starting taking Propecia or not? And if not what can I do to return to what I used to be because it doesn't feel like extra fat, it just feels like something is like extremely inflated in my stomach.
   A. I don't know the exact reason why Propecia may increase abdominal fat, but perhaps blocking dht and maybe shifting to the estrogen pathway may lead to more belly fat? It's quite likely that symptoms would reverse a few weeks after stopping the Propecia.

Q. I am a 26 year old male and have been taking Propecia for 7 months. I have a question regarding Propecia treatment and future plans of bearing children. I understand women are not to be exposed to Propecia concerning possible birth defects in born children. Is there any risk to the female through intercourse with a male who is currently using Propecia ie detectable amounts through the semen? I'm simply concerned that my Propecia useage will hinder any hopes of having healthy children.
  A. We don't have any good information on the role of Propecia ingestion in a male and subsequent childbirth. Our first thought would be to be on the safe side and to discontinue Propecia usage several months before insemination.

Q. I thought I would give Propecia a try as I seem to be losing hair more than ever (I am 52). As you must know, "Propecia prevents the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the body. DHT is involved in the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and hair loss." I've heard that Propecia works, but once you stop taking it, then over a short time, I would lose all the hair that that I would of lost had I not taken
Propecia. I will try your advice on taking a portion of Proscar 5 mg, as I found out that there is no generic and that my drug plan does not cover Propecia and can't afford the $1000/year. I know from your readings that you are against messing with hormones like testosterone, but is this
one OK, I didn't see any cautions against it and I am already taking Prostate Power Rx.
   A. Side effects of Propecia that some people notice include a reduced sex drive, perhaps slight loss of vitality or the 'magic of life,' perhaps increased abdominal girth, and unknown long term side effects. Hair loss could return full force once the Propecia is stopped. It is a difficult decision, and each person needs to determine the benefits versus risks for themselves.

Q. I had a question about a hair loss issue that’s been bothering for the last year. I began losing hair when I was about 18 years old and I wanted to do something about it. I began taking Propecia immediately and everything was working fine. I had regained the little bit of thinning that had started to occur. After about 4 or 5 months of taking Propecia, I stopped taking it because I thought it was causing me stomach problems. After about 3 or 4 months, I realized that it wasn’t Propecia that was causing my stomach problems and therefore started taking Propecia again. The medication began working again, until about 4 months after when I had a very large hair shed. I didn’t know it was a sign that the medication was working and therefore due to my panic stopped taking Propecia for about 2 or 3 weeks. After I did some research and realized that this was a good sign, I began taking Propecia again, but then I also found out about Avodart and began taking that in conjunction with Propecia. It’s been almost three months of taking both Propecia and Avodart and although my hair doesn’t nearly as much it first began, I still have some hair falling out. For example when I shower, I find 10-20 hairs in my hands. The problem that I’m having lately though is that I feel all these effects on my skin. My skin has always been very sensitive and I’ve been noticing skin darkening in some areas, dry skin and sort of like rough spots like a mini rash. Also on my face I’ve been developing, not acne, but my skin is getting rougher with a very light degree of acne. I’ve read that some of Avodart’s side effects include rash, and side effects to the skin, which concerns me. I’ve also read of people who took Avodart and they said that it caused a lot of shedding and it
ruined their hairline in the first few months, but after 8 or 10 months they said it worked so well they called it a miracle drug. I want these results but I’m concerned about the side effects. My 3 months supply of Propecia is almost over and I was thinking of just sticking with Avodart for the next few months. Will this have negative results on my hair loss? Also should I stick with Avodart or is there a chance that the shedding was just a sign of not working? I’m just wondering if the shedding lasts this long. Ultimately I want to stop taking Avodart and use Propecia but now I’m afraid that if I do, all the hair that I’ve lost won’t come back because Propecia is not as strong as Avodart. Am I correct in assuming this? Or should I stick with Avodart until I see the great results that people have experienced and then switch to Propecia because its side effects aren’t as potent. Or are there any other alternatives for me? I’m very sorry to write such a long e-mail and ask so many questions, but hair loss has been such a big problem for me that it’s caused me depression at times.
   A. We understand your frustration but we can't give individual advice. It is a long term concern to use both Avodart and Propecia since we don't know the powerful blockage of DHT will do in the long term for overall health. We prefer people use one medication at a time or perhaps alternating them. Your doctor and you have to make the final decision.

Q. Can you tell me if Propecia can work for women who have had hysterectomies.. I have had hair loss from cancer treatment (I assume its from that as there has been no other reason drs can find).. i am getting on Propecia as my dr said it wouldn't interfere with Arimidex and i've had a hysterectomy so no worries there.. pls advise// i am about at the end of my rope.
   A. We don't know.

Q. I read several of your articles on impotence caused by Propecia. I am 28 years old, last year I took Propecia for about 15 days, and during those 15 days, something really weird happened. my testicles were shrunk as if I was sitting in cold water, and it was even hard to pee, and I felt really depressed. Then I realized it might have been Propecia that was causing it, so I stopped. The doctor who had prescribed it to me had also prescribed several vitamins for hair growth, and several anti-biotics to kill some germs or so. I stopped those also. The situation went back to normal. But for some reason, now I am thinking about it, it seems like I am not where I was sexually before I took Propecia. Since then, I feel that I am not having as strong morning erections, and also I also had some problems with my girl friends. I used to get an erection just by kissing or just by the thought of being with my girl friends, and now I need to concentrate and work at it. I randomly discovered that 2 things help me: Yohimbe and DHEA hormone pills. Sometimes, when I take these pills, in the morning or during the day, I have the same kind of erections I used to have before I took Propecia. And I think the best one is when I take DHEA and yohimbe together. This makes me think that the situation probably is not psychological or because I am getting old or anything but must be due to Propecia. I am still losing my hair, which seems to me that I still have the same levels of testosterone.
   A. It is possible that Propecia decreased the testosterone conversion to DHT and lowered sex drive and sensation, along with inhibiting erectile function.

Q. Q. I was thinking of taking tongkat ali because of decreased libido from taking Propecia for a long time. Since you do research on herbs, i was curious to know if there are herbs or anything natural other than Propecia and Minoxidil to stop hair loss and regrow hair.
   A. See the link for hair at the top of the page.

Q. I've read that if you stop taking Propecia, the hair loss could worsen is that true or not necessarily? I am a woman and my doctor prescribed Propecia as i have had a hysterectomy but I didn't see any improvement so i stopped it, yet i worry what I've read that if you stop Propecia, the hair loss make get worse.
   A. This is a good question. We don't know for sure if hair loss becomes worse after stopping Propecia but it is likely that certain hairs that were just hanging on due to the effect of Propecia may now fall out easier and shedding may continue at a faster rate initially.

Q. I have a quick question about something i recently read on your website regarding the drug propecia and its sexual side effects. You said (These Propecia side effects occur gradually and in a subtle manner, and many men do not realize it is occurring and forget how they felt before they started Propecia treatment for hair loss. Another Propecia side effect may be an increase in abdominal fat (increase in size of the belly).) I Was wondering where you got this information and if you have had any patients that have reported this from the use of propecia. I have read nowhere else online about this happening. From what I understand the sexual side effects are extremely RARE , not much different from the placebo group , they happen within the first month of use in those who do get them , and generally resolve with continued treatment. This is the opposite of what you said. I have never read or heard of anyone gradually getting these side effects over time. I am greatly concerned now and I was just curious where you came across this information. Also I have never heard of an increase in belly fat from propecia either. If this does occur because of an increase in estrogen , how effective is zinc at blocking the extra estrogen to avoid this as well as gynecomastia?
   A. These Propecia side effects are based on my clinical experience with patients.