Dutasteride is three times more potent than finasteride inhibiting the type II enzyme and 100 times more potent than finasteride inhibiting the type I form of the DHT producing enzyme. Dutasteride is not approved by the FDA for the treatment of Male Pattern Hair Loss and is approved at a dose of 0.5 mg a day for the treatment of prostate enlargement. While both the type I and type II enzymes are found in the hair follicle, there is a recent study which shows that type I is present in the human brain. The function of this enzyme in the brain is still unclear.

Would you say that finasteride is clearly the better option as it doesnt block the type 1 enzyme that is present in the human brain. Also Dr.Rassman would you say that the chances are that the messages you have got from people saying they are loosing their wit and stumbling over their words are true. Their is clearly a link between a drug blocking an enzyme thats present in the brain and brain related symptoms such as stumbling over words and loosing their wit.

I really do not know anything about the brain impact of DHT blocking medications and I certainly can not place cause and effect together. Your questions are good, but most of the work in this area is done in animal models which may not extrapolate to humans. What you think is clear, I think is not. More research needs to be done before I could answer your question with any confidence.

I just found out that Propecia has a coupon for 260 dollars for new patients. My transplant doctor sent me to propecia offer (www.propeciaoffer.com). There’s another program for guys getting finastiride at pharmacies- propecia program (www.propeciaprogram.com). I think this makes it cheaper than buying online.

This rebate is a great way to cut the costs of Propecia, particularly if you’ve wanted to give the medication a try and the price has been prohibitive… or if you just like to save money (and who doesn’t?).

The best part is that Merck, the maker of Propecia, is giving a 1 year guarantee, such that if you and your doctor agree that it has not worked after 12 months, you can get a full refund (minus any rebate). See Propecia.com for details.

I know it’s normal to lose 100-150 hairs a day. I have MPB and been losing about this much maybe more but I don’t think so. I always saw those clumps in the shower and tons of hairs during styling. But in the end I think they were those 100-150 hairs. I been on Propecia for almost 5 months and for several weeks now I don’t see much hairs during styling and almost nothing at showering. So if it’s normal to lose hairs even without MPB how come I see very little shedding now?

Appreciate your circumstances. You are probably losing hair during the daytime without realizing it… perhaps when the wind blows, when you run your fingers through your hair, scratch your head, etc. It sounds like Propecia is working well to control your hair loss.