October 31 2006, 8:33 am PT | Posted in: Drugs
i like to know if avodart is better treatment then propecia? i’m taking avodart for 8 months and i cant say that i see so much different….
Avodart (dutasteride) should be reserved for those who do not respond to Propecia (finasteride). It is an off-label use, which means that the FDA does not authorize Avodart’s use for hair loss. In most people, the difference should be non-existent, but for the few who are unable to get Propecia to work, Avodart may have an advantage as it is a more powerful DHT blocker.
Well I am 23 years old and last October I went on Propecia 1MG per day.
This past February I had a hair transplant with Bosley
And now six months later, I just got a prescription for Avodart.
I don’t know what all the hoopla was about getting a prescription for avodart. Any dermatologist who gives Propecia will give Avodart. She said “As long as you know it is offbrand and FDA has not approved it for hair loss, then I will prescribe it.” She also said how most acne medications are offbrand, such as Tetracycline and Minocycline. They are antibiotics meant for bacteria, not acne, but dermatologists prescribe it, just like they prescribe avodart for HAIR LOSS. You dont need to go lie to a doct to get Avodart, just tell them for hair loss and they will warn you but still give you the prescription. And BTW , West Dermatology is huge, and they did it.
Stan,
I do not have a poll of doctors to tell me what MOST doctors will do (neither do I assume) but I can tell you for sure that SOME doctors do not feel Avodart is safe for hair loss. Dr. Rassman has implied as much on this very site by saying that it has significantly more side effects. I am not a doctor but I know enough to understand why doctors are reluctant to prescribe something that lowers DHT levels by nearly 100%. I remember reading something way back about one doctor who won’t prescribe it because it blocks type I 5aR, which is located in the brain among other places.
Long story short, there is no medical consensus that Avodart is safe. And in my humble but informed opinion, I would bet that it isn’t.