January 24th, 2008 admin
PROPECIA(finasteride), a synthetic 4-azasteroid compound, is a specific inhibitor of steroid Type II 5a-reductase, an intracellular enzyme that converts the androgen testosterone into 5a-dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
Finasteride is 4-azaandrost-1-ene-17-carboxamide,N-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-3-oxo-,(5a,17b)-. The empirical formula of finasteride is C23H36N2O2 and its molecular weight is 372.55. Its structural formula is:
Finasteride is a white crystalline powder with a melting point near 250°C. It is freely soluble in chloroform and in lower alcohol solvents but is practically insoluble in water.
PROPECIA tablets for oral administration are film-coated tablets
that contain 1 mg of finasteride and the following inactive
ingredients: lactose monohydrate, microcrystalline cellulose, pregelatinized starch, sodium starch glycolate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose LF, titanium dioxide, magnesium stearate, talc, docusate sodium, yellow ferric oxide, and red ferric oxide.
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January 24th, 2008 admin
Using Propecia Finasteride online as a Hair Loss Treatment
Finasteride (brand name Propecia®) is an orally administered
medication for male pattern hair loss (MPHL). It is the only specific
MPHL treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for
prescription by a physician. Several years of investigation and use by
more than a million patients show that finasteride has long-term
effectiveness and safety in treating MPHL in men of all ages and all
ethnic backgrounds. Finasteride is sometimes used alone or in
combination with minoxidil (see Using Minoxidil (Rogaine) ) to complement hair transplantation. Finasteride is not recommended for use in women.
Finasteride’s effects in slowing hair loss and stimulating new hair
growth work best for early to moderate degrees of hair loss. Men with
extensive hair loss are unlikely to experience much regrowth with
finasteride; these men are better candidates for hair transplantation
or other surgical approach to hair restoration.
Finasteride is most effective in stimulating hair regrowth over the
crown of the scalp. It is less effective in stimulating regrowth at the
front of the scalp-where hair loss is commonly called a “receding
hairline”. Physician hair restoration specialists may prescribe
finasteride to prevent further hair loss by the patient, and carry out
hair transplantation to provide coverage at the frontal hairline.
Finasteride: How It Works
Finasteride works at the molecular level to halt hair loss and
stimulate new hair growth. It is a medication that selectively inhibits
the activity of an enzyme that converts the “male hormone” testosterone
into a form that is active in hair follicles.
Androgenic (”male”) hormones such as testosterone have multiple
effects in the body, including actions in the skin, hair follicles and
prostate gland. Hair follicles and sebaceous (oil-producing) glands in
the skin are particularly responsive to androgenic hormones.
Testosterone is the most potent of the androgenic hormones. Its
actions on hair follicles, skin and prostate tissue is not direct
however; These tissues are responsive to a form of testosterone called
dihydrotestosterone (DHT); testosterone is converted to DHT by the
enzyme 5-alpha-reductase. Finasteride acts by inhibiting the action of
5-alpha-reductase and thus inhibiting the conversion of testosterone
into DHT.
Investigators over a number of years found that 5-alpha-reductase
occurs in two forms identified as Type I and Type II, and that
finasteride is effective in inhibition of Type II. Type I of the enzyme
predominates in sebaceous glands. Type II occurs most abundantly in
hair follicles and prostate tissue. Investigators found that:
Men with normal to high levels of Type II of the enzyme (and thus
normal to high levels of DHT) are more likely to develop MPHL and
benign enlargement of the prostate gland;
Men with low levels of Type II enzyme (and thus low levels of DHT)
are less likely to develop MPHL and benign enlargement of the prostate;
and thus
Inhibition of Type II 5-alpha-reductase could lower levels of DHT
in hair follicles and prostate tissue and decrease the likelihood for
development of MPHL and benign prostate enlargement.
Finasteride-an agent that inhibits the activity of Type II
alpha-reductase and thus lowers the level of DHT in target cells-was
first developed more than a decade ago to treat benign prostate
enlargement. Prescribed under the brand name PROSCAR®), at a dose of 5
milligrams a day it is used in treatment of benign prostate enlargement
in men.
Following the lead of finasteride’s effectiveness in treating benign
prostate enlargement, investigators studied its use in treating MPHL.
These studies confirmed that at a dose of 1 milligram per day,
finasteride (brand name Propecia®) is effective in treating MPHL in
some but not all men.
Questions about the potential for Propecia® to be associated with
development or progression of prostate cancer have been addressed in a
study reported in 2003. See Finasteride and Prostate Cancer for more information.
Finasteride for treatment of hair loss should be prescribed only after examination by a physician hair restoration specialist.
Finasteride is not approved the use in women, and particularly in
women who are pregnant or who become pregnant. The drug has potential
for interfering with sexual development of a fetus.
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January 24th, 2008 admin
PROPECIA
Doctors believe male pattern hair loss is due to heredity
and is dependent on hormonal effects. Doctors refer to this type of
balding as Androgenetic Alopecia. Mild to severe male pattern hair loss
affects 80 percent of men. It has been found that men with male pattern
hair loss have increased levels of dihydro-testosterone (DHT) in their
balding scalps. Scientists believe these increased levels of DHT affect
the growth cycle, contributing to the thinning of the hair on the
scalp. Propecia works by blocking the formation of DHT.
Propecia (generic name Finasteride), the first and only
pill to treat androgenetic alopecia, was developed to treat male
pattern hair loss in the vertex (top of head) and anterior mid-scalp
area. Propecia is proven to maintain or increase hair count in most men.
What type of results should be expected?
Propecia (finasteride) begins to block the formation of
DHT immediately. However, because hair grows slowly, visible results
from Propecia take some time. Most men may begin to see the first
benefit of Propecia-slowing hair loss- as early as 3 months. In
clinical studies, it was not just ‘peach fuzz’ but real hair growth on
both vertex and anterior mid-scalp area. Propecia must be continued to
maintain any beneficial results. If you cease treatment, any hair you
have gained is likely to be lost within 12 months.
Warning
Propecia is a MEN ONLY treatment for hair loss, women are
strongly advised not to take or come in to contact with Propecia.
Propecia may cause abnormalities of the baby’s sex organs, a condition
known as hypospasdias.
Side Effects
Like all prescription products, Propecia may cause side
effects. In clinical studies, side effects from Propecia were uncommon
and did not affect most men. A small number of men experienced certain
sexual side effects. These men reported one or more of the following:
less desire for sex; difficulty in achieving an erection; and, a
decrease in the amount of semen. Each of these side effects occurred in
less than 2% of men. These side effects went away in men who stopped
taking Propecia. They also disappeared in most men who continued taking
Propecia.
The active ingredient in Propecia is also used by older
men at a five-times higher dose to treat enlargement of the prostate.
Some of these men reported other side effects, including problems with
ejaculation, breast swelling and/or tenderness and allergic reactions
such as lip swelling and rash. In clinical studies with Propecia, these
side effects occurred as often in men taking placebo as in those taking
Propecia.
Tell your doctor promptly about these or any other unusual effects.
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