#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Living In Thailand Forum >  >  > Health, Fitness and Hospitals in Thailand >  >  Finasteride; wonder drug for hair loss

## Bruno

For those who have concerns about their fading hairline...

Anybody tried this drug?

Finasteride

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## Tunaka

^ Yes.

I've been using it for years and it works.

I even mentioned it to a couple of skeptical friends and they tried it and voila!  It works.

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## Bruno

> ^ Yes.
> 
> I've been using it for years and it works.
> 
> I even mentioned it to a couple of skeptical friends and they tried it and voila!  It works.


Where do you purchase this in LOS and how much is it there?

Thanks,

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## ferretface

does it make the hair grow back.

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## spacemanspiff33

Ive been shamefully lurking these forums for sometime now.....but this thread convinced me to finally man up and make an account....hello!  :Smile: 


As for that wonderful little pill finasteride, it sure does work. Pfizer markets it worldwide in a 1mg dosage for hair loss marketed as 'Propecia'. 1 pack sells for around 1500 baht and contains enough doseage for 30 days (1x1mg daily)

What I used to do to save money was buy Pfizer's 5mg version called 'Proscar' and cut the tablet into 4 doses. Why? In Canada it was same price for 30 5mg tabs as it was for 30 1mg tabs.....hmmmmm 4 months for the price of one? no brainer!


In Thailand propecia and proscar can be found almost anywhere...even the big guys like boots, etc.


1500 baht is still a bit much, this is Thailand after all, right?

    There are 2 local manufacturers in Thailand that offer both 1mg and 5mg of finasteride as well, they go by the names Harifin (Harifin-5 for the 5mg version) and Firide (5mg version holds same name).  

    Harifin is produced by T.O. Pharmaceuticals, whereas Firide is produced by Siam Pharmaceuticals. Both respectable, local Thai drug manufacturers.  Both pills contain finasteride, and should do the same thing. I myself have been taking Firide for over a year now with great success, so I can personally attest to that drug.  I read in a few places that Harifin doesn't include the same active metabolite as Firide and/or Propecia....but there wasn't much evidence to backup that claim.....and there are many people that swear by Harifin also.

    I know for a fact Firide can be found in most pharmacies also, I haven't found it in any of the big chain pharmacies, but most of the 'bigger' local places carry it at around 700baht for 30x5mg pills.

     Make sure you also buy a tab cutter, as the pills are a bit tricky to cut up (tab cutter should set you back no more than 200 baht).


    Lastly, if you want stronger results, I recommend combining your finasteride intake with a regular minoxidil (rogain) regimen as well. Minoxidil works topically by stimulating the hair follicles to grow, whereas finasteride stops the hormone that causes hair loss.  Win-win!!!







Again, I've been using this combo for just under 2 years now (first year on proscar, second year on firide) with great results. You shouldn't have to worry about male pattern baldness.....theres a cure for everything else so why cant we have hair? :P
As with all prescription drugs, there have been small reports of side effects with taking finasteride that include some nasty things like ED, low sperm count, itchy scalp, and all around not good times. Thankfully, its literally like 2% of men that experience these, but definitely MAKE SURE to monitor yourself, as if you are buying these in Thailand sans prescription, I don't think your GP is involved in this either. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, definitely definitely definitely make time to book an appointment, and let him know whats up :P  







Hope this helps, feel free to ask any questions! Good luck!

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## chitown

side effect of lack of sex drive and impotency

I would have to pass.....

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## spacemanspiff33

Haha you would be SURPRISED at how many prescription drugs claim impotency or some form of ED as a side effect. If you do some digging, you will see that its like 1 man in every 100 that experiences such things in drug trials, and the ones doing the studies have to report that in the findings....in my mind, with numbers that low, its gotta be the placebo effect doing its thing. Guys are scared of their junk, so if they are taking pill trials and 1 in 100 claim he noticed some problems seems like placebo to me....?

WHO KNOWS (Bo knows!)


Again, no problems here, just monitor yourself, and if you do have any issues, be sure to involve your GP. Or if you really want to be safe, involve him from the beginning....



Statistically there are hundreds of thousands probably millions of men taking this treatment for hair loss, and its significantly improved their quality of life, mine included. Nowhere does it say on the box 'if you take this your bollocks will fall off'  :bananaman:

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## Stinky

Are you having a laugh Chi  :Smile: 

Nevermind

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## blue

hi spaceman welcome to teakdoor


sounds good  but i'll stick to 
Mr sheen 

its cheaper

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## spacemanspiff33

> hi spaceman welcome to teakdoor
> 
> 
> sounds good  but i'll stick to 
> Mr sheen 
> 
> its cheaper



hehe the ol' bald-o shine-o eh?  :Wink: 



...and thanks for the welcome! always good to meet a fellow Canadian online  :Smile:

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## PaulBunyon

Propencia has been out since wayback as a hairloss drug. I think it is/was used for the treatment of prostate cancer and they noticed it also had effects on hair growth. My brother used it but gave up on it. For some, it may offer more results.

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## DrAndy

> I think it is/was used for the treatment of prostate cancer and they noticed it also had effects on hair growth


It is used as a treatment for enlarged prostate, not necessarily cancer

with the published *proven side effects* of this drug, you have to ask yourself "is it worth the risk for narcissistic reasons?"

Is the 1 in a 100 chance worth it?

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## rickschoppers

Yes, Finasteride was used initially to treat prostate cancer. Just be careful if you are cutting the tablets since it can cause birth defects if your lady touches the tablets or gets close to the tablet dust....May not apply to many of you, but keep it out of the reach of all females.

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## spacemanspiff33

> Yes, Finasteride was used initially to treat prostate cancer. Just be careful if you are cutting the tablets since it can cause birth defects if your lady touches the tablets or gets close to the tablet dust....May not apply to many of you, but keep it out of the reach of all females.




Yes good addition there, ricks! While it is perfectly safe for the male to chop it up, the active ingredient in Finasteride can and will cause birth defects in pregnant or soon to be preggers ladies. So make sure you dont cut them up until you are going to take them, and make sure your ladies all know, this isnt THAT little blue pill....so stay away :P



PS....ricks.....that avatar.............. ::chitown::   :Very Happy:

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## spacemanspiff33

> Originally Posted by PaulBunyon
> 
> I think it is/was used for the treatment of prostate cancer and they noticed it also had effects on hair growth
> 
> 
> It is used as a treatment for enlarged prostate, not necessarily cancer
> 
> with the published *proven side effects* of this drug, you have to ask yourself "is it worth the risk for narcissistic reasons?"
> 
> Is the 1 in a 100 chance worth it?



Yep the 5mg dose was developed to cure an enlarged prostate, and one of the side effects that came about in THOSE trials, this time in almost all men interviewed, was increased hair growth. When taken in small doses (between .5 and 1.5mg a day) it does the hair job quite nicely.




Really if you involve your GP you have next to nothing to worry about. Again, 1 in 100 is so low that I think its gotta be the Placebo effect....If you are really concerned, talk to your GP beforehand, and monitor yourself carefully. Any problems, notify GP and/or stop taking them right away, as with any drugs. The 'proven side effects' simply means in a blind study of 100 men, 1 guy said 'yeah my woody feels a bit soft...'  and then Pfizer has to release that information.  And also, all cases of reported side effects stopped with discontinued taking of the drug. Zero cases of permanent damage reported.




Its been around for a while now, and millions of men use it every day. I say again, go for it!

I love my head of hair  :Smile:

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## Bangyai

> side effect of lack of sex drive and impotency
> 
> I would have to pass.....


I had a friend who used this stuff for a while and claimed some success but as soon as he stopped taking it his hair loss resumed at an increased rate .

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## rickschoppers

> Originally Posted by DrAndy
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by PaulBunyon
> ...


Not quite true Spaceman.......The study was not just 100 men, it was many more and the outcome in that one particular study came out to be 1%. The literature shows this side affect is seen in 1%-2%. As far as expecting this side affect to go away immediate, here are some actual accounts of some men who quit the drug and continued to have erectile problems:

" I quit Propecia in March 2003 and I am still suffering side effects.  I wrote to Merk a few times but they fobbed me off saying there was nothing they could do and they weren't allowed to help me.  Although things have improved slightly I am far from normal.  Not only is my quality of life suffering I am now increasingly concerned for my future health.  No one knows yet what Propecia does to cause this condition and no one knows what the future ramifications are.  Struggling with the symptoms is one thing, ignorant doctors just make the uphill struggle ten time harder.  Still the fight goes on and I am currently in consultation with a doctor in the USA."

"A number of males have suffered *erectile dysfunction*, *impotence, low libido* and *gynecomestica* after using *Propecia*.  The shattering truth for these males is that the side effects did not disappear after ceasing finasteride.  The shattering truth is that years later these individuals are still suffering in silence with a seriously reduced quality of life due to erectile dysfunction and impotence.  It is not known exactly what causes these changes and how to screen individuals before treatment"

Again, your choice but always weigh the benefits against risks........

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## rickschoppers

Just found this sufing the net:

*Side effects*

 
Propecia 1 mg tablets (CA)


Side effects of finasteride include impotence (1.1% to 18.5%), abnormal ejaculation (7.2%), decreased ejaculatory volume (0.9% to 2.8%), abnormal sexual function (2.5%), gynecomastia (2.2%), erectile dysfunction (1.3%), ejaculation disorder (1.2%) and testicular pain.

Just another group of different studies on this drug. Again, weigh the benefits to the risks............

 :deadhorsebig:

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## spacemanspiff33

> Just found this sufing the net:
> 
> *Side effects*
> 
>  
> Propecia 1 mg tablets (CA)
> 
> 
> Side effects of finasteride include impotence (1.1% to 18.5%), abnormal ejaculation (7.2%), decreased ejaculatory volume (0.9% to 2.8%), abnormal sexual function (2.5%), gynecomastia (2.2%), erectile dysfunction (1.3%), ejaculation disorder (1.2%) and testicular pain.
> ...



All true...sorry Ricks I don't want to sound like I am belittling the side effects, I was merely pointing out that almost EVERY drug, has possible side effects. Even Tylenol. Searching the internet for ANY drug will give you stories going both ways. When you put things (especially things like prescription meds) inside your body, different things can and will happen. That is why if you are concerned in ANY way, which is 150% normal, just ask your GP! He will let you know wether or not it is safe to try something like this, and assist you in the process. Theres a reason these drugs are prescription only in most developed countries. Sure we can just pick the drug up in Thailand, but the safest way to do it would be to involve the Dr. I of course, am no Doctor, just some shmo offering advice on the internets :P



As mentioned in my story, I started taking the drug in Canada so I did have to go the 
way of meeting with my Dr, and gaining a legit prescription. It was only after almost a year of taking the drug under direct supervision of my doctor that I decided I was ok to pick the stuff up for cheap in LOS.



You have absolutely NOTHING to lose by inquiring about this or any drug with your GP.

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## spacemanspiff33

> Not quite true Spaceman.......The study was not just 100 men, it was many more and the outcome in that one particular study came out to be 1%. The literature shows this side affect is seen in 1%-2%. As far as expecting this side affect to go away immediate, here are some actual accounts of some men who quit the drug and continued to have erectile problems:



Yeah sorry about that one again, ricks, I was trying to simplify things and after reading my post looks like maybe I dumbed it down a bit too much  :Sad:  I guess thats why I'm not a doctor!


Again, I'm just some git on the internet trying to share my own personal experience. Apologies if I belittled the possible risks a bit too much. Take whatever I say with a grain of salt, and go talk to your GP!  :Smile:

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## rickschoppers

Agreed...........it is always best to check with your physician first. I do not fault anyone for seeking out lower cost medications in other countries as long as they know how to use them. You are exactly correct saying all drugs can be dangerous if not taken as intended. The  point I was trying to make is that you need to understand the risks completely. Unfortunately, physicians sometime have minimal information on the drugs they decide to use. They do not study the complete affects before writing prescriptions and I blame the drug companies for this.
Glad to see we are in agreement and hope people check out any drugs thoroughly before deciding to take them.

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## spacemanspiff33

> Agreed...........it is always best to check with your physician first. I do not fault anyone for seeking out lower cost medications in other countries as long as they know how to use them. You are exactly correct saying all drugs can be dangerous if not taken as intended. The  point I was trying to make is that you need to understand the risks completely. Unfortunately, physicians sometime have minimal information on the drugs they decide to use. They do not study the complete affects before writing prescriptions and I blame the drug companies for this.
> Glad to see we are in agreement and hope people check out any drugs thoroughly before deciding to take them.


I also actually (back in canada at least) question Pharmacists on new drugs all the time. In Canadian hospitals at least, theres always a pharmacist on duty with the duty doctor doing the rounds, as just like you said Ricks a lot of times the doctors aren't as up to speed on the drugs themselves.


Again this is Canada where becoming a pharmacist is at least 4 years in an extremely competitive university program. No idea what people have to go through, if anything, to become a pharmacist in Thailand.....

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## rickschoppers

They actually do go through some good education in Thailand. But being a pharmacist for over 30 years, their information is often times textbook. Once I tell them I am a pharmacist, things change a bit and they do not ask so many questions as to why I am needing a particular drug. Pharmacists do recieve concentrated training in how drugs work, but like everything else, there are some good ones and some not so good.

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## spacemanspiff33

> They actually do go through some good education in Thailand. But being a pharmacist for over 30 years, their information is often times textbook. Once I tell them I am a pharmacist, things change a bit and they do not ask so many questions as to why I am needing a particular drug. Pharmacists do recieve concentrated training in how drugs work, but like everything else, there are some good ones and some not so good.



whoa you're a pharmacist? Now I feel slightly embarrassed XD

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## DrAndy

nah, doan wurry mate, he just used to sell Durex

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## rickschoppers

Yep.............a pill pusher.

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