Propecia, or Finasteride, is a hormone therapy drug, which influences the level of one of the most important androgenic hormone – dihydrotestosterone. Propecia long term study has proven the drug’s efficiency in inhibition of the 5a-reductase enzyme, which in its turn is responsible for conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone in body. Such conversion may imbalance the natural levels of testosterone / dihydrotestosterone, which often leads to various problems in both men and women. Thus, women may suffer from excessive hair growth, particularly on face and arms, while men become vulnerable to prostate diseases, such as BPH (benign prostate hyperplasia, or simply prostate enlargement), or even prostate cancer.
One of the most common problems in men with excessive conversion testosterone => dihydrotestosterone is pattern hair loss, or alopecia. In this case, Propecia becomes the most effective medication to avoid hair loss, and restore hair growth. Propecia long term success is explained by its stable and reliable action on body: it doesn’t cause dependency, has no abuse potential and does not interfere with other systems in body. However, Propecia long term effectiveness has the other side; it’s a number of sexual function problems that may arise of regular intake of Finasteride (Propecia). This article is to discuss the therapy with Propecia long term results, both positive and negative outcomes of it.
There is no doubt that the Propecia long term efficacy is much higher than its short-term effect. Many people experience significant improvement in their conditions only after a few month, and up to a year of regular intake of the medication. Definitely, it takes time for the body to adapt to the effect of Propecia and balance it, so the changes in hormone levels become clearly seen on the surface.
You should not expect any visible results of your Proscar (Propecia) therapy within less than three months of regular use, as prescribed. Long term effects of Propecia for hair loss may be more than satisfying: the drug completely prevents any further hair loss, and not only that. The body is once again able to grow hair, relatively quickly recovering the damage.
Unfortunately, not all of the long term effects of Propecia use are positive. Along with many side effects, disappearing with time, as the body adapts to the therapy, some complications may have cumulative effect. Propecia long term use side effects include possible damage to the urinary tract and prostate, and the masking of possible prostate cancer development, as the medication suppresses the production of some of the oncology markers.
Is Propecia safe long term? Not completely. However, with time it gets better: dizziness or sexual dysfunction disappear after a few years. Long term therapy allows making the most of your treatment with Propecia, because most of the side effects vanish after 1-2 years of use (such as sexual disorders), while the positive effects remain. However, discontinuation of the drug may trigger further hair loss; the effect of Propecia is not as persistent as we would wish.