Archive for October, 2009

Minoxidil and Propecia - Effective Solution for Hair Loss

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

Hair fall is a serious issue for everybody. Nobody wants to be bald. Baldness is a strictly undesired problem for people of all ages. There are various reasons behind development of hair fall problems. However, nowadays people suffering from hair fall problems have some really useful and effective medicines to stop hair fall.

Minoxidil and Propecia both are leading medicines in hair fall control segment. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved both these medicines for treatment of hair loss. Minoxidil works as a catalyst for hair growth.

Minoxidil is the only approved drug for hair loss treatment in women. People suffering from hair loss problems can obtain these drugs without any medical prescription. Minoxidil is available in liquid solution like Rogaine. A generic form of Rogaine is also available which is less expensive. Minoxidil is available in two forms, 2% mixture (ideal remedy for hair loss problem in both men and women) and 5% mixture (strictly for men).

Well, Minoxidil can be used in combination with other hair fall medicines too. But it works best if taken with Propecia. Propecia and Minoxildil together is the best medicine to control hair fall problems. Propecia is among those drugs (approved by FDA) that stops hair fall and protects remaining hair from possible loss. Due to this reason, Propecia is popular among young people who are facing hair loss problems.

Different effects of both Minoxidil and Propecia (Minoxidil’s property of stimulating growth process of new hairs and Propecia’s attribute of preserving existing hairs) make them ideal supplement for each other. Due to this reason; it is advisable to take these medicines in combination with each other for getting maximum benefit.

Sometimes people ask this question that “Does Propecia really work?” The answer is “Yes, and it is proved by several rigorous researches and case studies conducted by Food and Drug Administration. The studies reflected that 80% of men who were tested for Propecia and its effects on hair fall, experienced positive results in hair growth and density. However, the results may vary from person to person depending upon the severity of hair loss problem and other physical conditions.

I take Propecia for hair loss. Can it affect the PSA test for my prostate?

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

Yes it can, and you should let your physician know whenever you get a PSA test done. The reason for this concern was recently reviewed in a Johns Hopkins Health Alert. The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test measures an enzyme produced almost exclusively by the glandular cells of the prostate. It is secreted during ejaculation into the prostatic ducts that empty into the urethra.

PSA liquefies semen after ejaculation, promoting the release of sperm. Normally only very small amounts of PSA are present in the blood, but an abnormality of the prostate can disrupt the normal architecture of the gland and create an opening for PSA to pass into the bloodstream. Thus, high blood levels of PSA can indicate prostate problems, including cancer.

A blood test to measure levels of PSA was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1986 as a way to determine whether prostate cancer had been treated successfully and to monitor for its recurrence.

Today, however, PSA tests are FDA approved for prostate cancer detection and are widely used to screen men for the disease.

Now research suggests that the hair-growth medication Propecia (finasteride) significantly lowers a man’s PSA level, producing misleading results and potentially masking the presence of prostate cancer. Propecia is the same medication as Proscar, which is used to control benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

The difference is the dosage — 5 milligrams per day for Proscar vs. 1 milligram for Propecia. Proscar is known to artificially lower PSA levels by about half, and doctors interpreting PSA results in these men compensate by doubling the PSA value.

Propecia’s impact on the PSA level has not been formally studied until now. Researchers in a study, which was reported in the journal Lancet Oncology, assigned 355 men age 40 to 60 to take either Propecia or a placebo (inactive pill) for 48 weeks.

For analysis purposes, the men were grouped by age: 40 to 49 and 50 to 60.

By the end of the study period, PSA levels among men in the younger group had dropped by an average of 40 percent; in the older group, PSA declined by an average of 50 percent.

Among men taking the placebo, the PSA levels of the younger men had not changed, and the levels of the older men had risen by an average of 13 percent. So, if you use Propecia, be sure to let your physician know so that your PSA results can be adjusted accordingly.