In What Case Is Avodart Better than Propecia?

Hi Doc,

In what situation do you think that Avodart may be better than propecia. For users of propecia who have been on it for more than 5 years and its effectiveness diminishing do you think that switching to avodart is ok? Obviously if propecia was still working then there would be no need to switch but what if propecia results were fading?

I am just speculating here, as I don’t have the definitive answer to your question. Avodart (dutasteride) may be more powerful that Propecia (finasteride) in treating hair loss at higher doses than are usually used (2.5mgs/day rather than0.5mgs/day), but it almost certainly has more side effects as well including significantly reduced sperm counts. The best dosing is unknown in the use of Avodart as a hair loss treatment and until the manufacturere comes up with a recommendation that the FDA will accept with regard to effectiveness and safety, the drug must be assumed not be be safe for young men who wish to have children. It is quite possible that many doctors are overdosing the medication at this point as the known half life of the drug is 5+ weeks. If/when the FDA approves this medication, more information will be available.