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Finasteride for baldness and enlarged prostate
If you are suffering from hair loss and have sought treatment for it then check the label of your medication and chances are it contains finasteride. The prescription medicine finasteride can be used for a lot of purpose. It is popularly known for its brand names Proscar and Propecia which are used for the treatment of enlarged prostate and male pattern baldness respectively. However, it is also used for the treatment of patients who have had their prostates surgically removed.
Finasteride with the brand name Proscar was originally approved in 1992 to treat prostate enlargement. However, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved it for the treatment of male pattern hair loss in 1997 after it was proven that it was also effective in encouraging hair growth. Both Proscar and Propecia are manufactured by Merck & Co.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
One of the primary uses of finasteride is for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia or enlarged male prostate. This condition is common among men in their 50s and 60s as their prostates become too large resulting to urination problems. Males who experience frequent urination especially during night may already be experiencing the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Most patients ignore the symptoms of this condition especially if they are not bothered by it. However, patients can opt for medication like finasteride or surgery. Using finasteride can also lower the risk of undergoing surgery for enlarged prostate. While low dosage of finasteride is used for treating enlarged prostate, higher dosage is used for treating prostate cancer.
Male Pattern Baldness
Men who are experiencing baldness problems usually see hair loss at the very top as well as the front and center of the head. This is known as male pattern baldness which can be treated with finasteride. However, finasteride is not so effective in treating loss of hair near the temples. It is also not effective in treating female hair loss even if it has been attributed to male pattern baldness.
Finasteride decreases the dihydrostestosterone or DHT in the body by blocking the conversion of testosterone into DHT. DHT plays an important role in enlarging the prostate so finasteride works by reducing the DHT levels in the body to shrink the male prostate. In the same manner, reducing DHT in the body stops hair loss and encourages hair growth.
Side Effects
Among the side effects identified with finasteride use include erectile dysfunction and breast gland enlargement or gynecomastia. It is not recommended for women in general especially for pregnant women as finasteride is in the pregnancy category X of the FDA which means it can cause birth defects. While there is no reported harmful effect of exposure to finasteride tablet, there is a warning against handling crushed finasteride especially among pregnant women. Blood donors taking finasteride are also restricted from donating blood at least one month after their intake.
Finasteride intake has been banned by most sports organizations and is included in the list of banned substances by the World Anti-Doping Agency because it can be used to mask the abuse of steroids among athletes. Despite the warning there were athletes who used finasteride for hair loss including footballer Romario, bobsledder Sebastien Gattuso, skeleton racer Zach Lund and ice hockey goaltender Jose Theodore-all of whom have been banned from participating in international competitions.
Merck’s finasteride patent for BPH treatment expired on June 19, 2006 while its finasteride patent for male pattern baldness treatment is set to expire on November 2013. Generic versions of finasteride are however being sold outside the United States. Finasteride is being sold under the trade name Appecia by Ajanta Pharma, Prosteride by Aleppo Pharmaceutical, Finax and Finast by Dr. Reddy’s, Finara by Ranbaxy and Finalo by Intas Pharmaceuticals.
