Supplements to mitigate Finasteride side effects
Finasteride (Propecia) and Dutasteride are notorious for their associated side effects. These include, but are not limited to anxiety, depression, impotence, Peyronies disease, Gyno (male breast enlargement), increased fat deposition, “brain fog,”and decreased libido. If this pandora’s box of side effects were not enough, there is some evidence (along with associated class action lawsuits) that they may persist for years, possibly even permanently, after discontinuation of the drug.
Italian Study: Propecia Psychiatric Side Effects Persist After Discontinuation
I personally started on finasteride, when it came out as Proscar in 1992, and stayed on it until 2004, but discontinued due to slowly emergent reports about its side effects, beginning to accumulate in the Medical literature. My regime fortunately accounts for the same mechanisms as Propecia in a way that doesn’t produce side effects, so when I discontinued finasteride, it didn’t cost me a single strand of hair. In regards to side effects, if you had asked me if I had any while on Finasteride, I would had stated “no,” as my libido and function were intact. When I discontinued, my libido and sense of well-being went through the roof, indicating that the onset of side effects in my case were insidious and subtle enough to be below my awareness radar. I can only wonder how many who feel or report “no side effects” fall into this category.
All these problems notwithstanding, there are many who still insist on using Propecia and Avodart, and from a hair growth standpoint, rightfully so. Finasteride by itself does quite well as a hair retention agent, and produces modest degree (not generally cosmetically significant) of regrowth in a slight majority of users. When combined with a once weekly Avodart, (dutasteride) the hair growth effects become significantly more pronounced. This article goes into more detail about this remarkable interaction:
The Best Drug/Pharmaceutical Hair Loss Treatment
In fact, the vast majority who adhere to our hair loss treatment recommendations report zero side effects while on these drugs, which actually makes sense given the mechanisms of action of our supplement recommendations. Here we will list some viable options as to what one can use to possibly ameliorate, or at least minimize the associated side effects of these FDA approved hair growth drugs.
Optimized Resveratrol– 1 capsule a day: inhibits aromatase, raises testosterone
Theaflavin ( Black Tea) Extract– 2-3 capsules a day: raises testosterone, reduces Estrogen, lowers DHT, increases libido
Palmetto Guard/Astaxanthin combination-1 capsule a day each: Raises Tesosterone, reduces Estrogen and DHT
Mega Green Tea Extract– 1 capsule a day- raises testosterone, reduces Estrogen
Ashwagandha (Sensoril) Extract– 2 capsules a day: reduces anxiety, depression, via several mechanisms, enhances cognitive function
Rhodiola Extract– 2 capsules a day: reduces anxiety, depression, via several mechanisms, enhances cognitive function, enhances athletic performance
Good quality generics are now widely available for both Propecia and Avodart, and legally available without a prescription (they are not considered controlled substances) if ordered for personal use from a foreign source. Indian generics are considered especially high quality. There has yet to be a single documented incident of any counterfeits or fakes of these particular drugs from foreign sources.
The bottom line for me personally is that given what else is available, I don’t feel it is at all necessary to use Propecia or Avodart for keeping one’s existing hair or generating regrowth. My personal experience has born this out. However if I did use these drugs, I would use Finasteride, 1 mg, 6 days a week, and Dutasteride, 0.5 mg, once a week. I would also combine them with the aforementioned to avoid or minimize side effects, and significantly accentuate the hair growth effects of this drug combination, which is in fairness, quite good.