Switching From Finasteride to Dutasteride: What I Wish I Had Known
If finasteride has slowed your hair loss but not as much as you hoped, the next conversation with your doctor often turns to dutasteride. Here is what is worth knowing before that appointment.
Why dutasteride is different
Male pattern hair loss is driven by DHT, a hormone made from testosterone by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. That enzyme comes in two types. Finasteride blocks type 2 only and lowers DHT by around 70 percent. Dutasteride blocks both types and lowers it by more than 90 percent. In comparison studies, dutasteride 0.5 mg produced more regrowth on average than finasteride 1 mg.
The trade-off nobody mentions first
Dutasteride stays in the body for weeks to months after you stop it, while finasteride clears in days. That is fine if you tolerate it well, but if side effects such as lower sex drive or breast tenderness appear, they can take longer to fade. Your doctor will weigh this with you.
Practical points
- One 0.5 mg capsule a day, swallowed whole. Do not open or chew it.
- Do not take finasteride and dutasteride together.
- Give it 6 to 12 months before judging results, and take scalp photos in the same light every three months.
- Tell any doctor ordering a PSA blood test that you take it, as it roughly halves the reading.
- Do not donate blood during treatment or for six months after.
- Women who are or may become pregnant must not handle broken capsules.
Keeping it affordable
Hair loss treatment only works while you keep taking it, so cost matters over years. Generic dutasteride 0.5 mg contains the same active ingredient as Avodart. A valid prescription is needed for every order.
For a fuller comparison, read this guide to dutasteride for hair loss, see the Dutafox 0.5 dutasteride capsules product page, or buy generic hair loss medicine online.
General information only, not medical advice. Speak to your doctor before changing any treatment.