Dutasteride: the new kid on the block
NKOTB
Dutasteride has become the latest player in the game of hair loss. Marketed under the name of Avodart, Dutasteride is a pill that is similar to finasteride, yet one that claims to be more effective in a smaller dose. It was orginally developed to help shrink enlarged prostates in men and it is now in the process of being approved by the FDA to treat hair loss.
While Avodart is still new to the hair loss game and not yet approved by the FDA as a hair loss treatment, many people are already using it for this specific purpose. Before you go and get yourself a prescription for some, it is important to take a closer look at this new drug and what it does and what are the potential side effects of it are.
How dutasteride works
Dutasteride works by being an extremely effective 5 alpha reductase blocker, which effects the body’s ability to turn testosterone into Dihydrotestoterone (DHT) which is thought to be responsible for the onset of androgenic alopecia (male pattern baldness) in men. In clinical trials, it has been shown that 2.5 milligrams of Dutasteride can be as much as 20 percent more effective in blocking the production of DHT than 5 milligrams of Finasteride in a two week period. Dutasteride blocks both type 1 and type 2 of 5-alpha reductase thus dramatically increasing the amount of testosterone (as opposed to DHT) that is present in the test subjects. Studies have found that dutasteride is up three time effective at blocking type 2 and almost a hundred fold better at blocking Type 1, however, since type 2 is the one thought to be responsible for male pattern hair loss, the drugs ability to block type 1 of the enzyme is only considered important for prostate health.
Side effects
Dutasteride’s side effects are pretty much the same found in Finasteride, with the most alarming one being the reported loss of libido and even cases of impotence in some men. These occurrences are rare and the symptoms cease after use is stopped. Tenderness of the breasts were also reported, but most side effects are relatively mild and non threatening.
Longevity
Dutasteride also stays in the system for a much longer period of time suppressing DHT long after the subjects have stopped treatment. While this might bode well for men suffering for hair loss, it is recommended that those have stopped treatment abstain from donating blood for at least six months to preven exposure to pregnant women.
Dutasteride and minoxidi
As I stated in a earlier blog about Finasteride and minoxidil, many men have reported good results when using Finasteride and Minoxidil in conjunction. Since Avodart is yet to be approved for hair loss, there is barely any feedback as to whether combining it with minoxidil would prove to be effective, but since it works the same as finasteride, it seems like it will be tried in the future.
Conclusion
While this New Kid on the Block seems like an interesting prospect when it comes to a new hair loss treatment, the fact that is yet to be approved by the FDA for hair loss makes me wonder how men are able to get their hands on it. Perhaps they are just lucky enough to have a enlarged prostate that their doctors prescribe it to them. The fact that this drug is doubly more potent than propecia, makes you think that the potential bad side effects are also twice as likely to happen. As for me I think I will stick with the original new kid on the block: Provillus.
Comments
Leave a Reply
-
About Provillus
-
Categories
-
Archives