Finasteride Tabs

Description

💊 What Finasteride Is

• Drug name: Finasteride
• Brand names: Propecia, Proscar
• Type: 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor
• Primary medical uses:
  1. Androgenic alopecia (male-pattern baldness)
  2. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) — enlarged prostate

Mechanism of Action

Finasteride blocks the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase type II, which converts testosterone → dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

• DHT is a more potent androgen than testosterone.
• By reducing DHT, the drug slows or reverses hair loss and shrinks enlarged prostate tissue.

🏋️ Use in Sport and Fitness

Finasteride itself does not enhance performance — it’s not anabolic and won’t increase muscle mass or strength.
However, it’s sometimes used by athletes who take anabolic steroids to:

• Prevent steroid-induced hair loss (since many steroids convert to DHT, causing scalp hair shedding).
• Reduce acne and oily skin from excess androgens.

That said:

• By lowering DHT, it can slightly blunt libido or aggressiveness, which may reduce training drive for some users.
• It does not counter estrogenic side effects — it only affects DHT, not estrogen.

⚙️ Dosage and Use

Finasteride is taken orally once per day, usually indefinitely for hair maintenance — effects reverse after discontinuation (hair loss resumes).

⚠️ Side Effects

Finasteride is usually well tolerated, but potential side effects can be significant in some men:

Common

• ↓ Libido, erectile dysfunction
• ↓ Ejaculate volume
• Fatigue or low mood
• Gynecomastia (rare, due to hormonal shifts)

Rare but serious

• Post-Finasteride Syndrome (PFS): persistent sexual, neurological, and psychological symptoms even after discontinuation (still under medical debate).
• Depression / anxiety — possibly due to reduced neurosteroid levels (DHT metabolites affect brain chemistry).

In Sport (Legal Status)

• Not banned by WADA.
  However, finasteride was once prohibited (2005–2009) because it could mask anabolic steroid use in doping tests.
  After improved detection methods were developed, it was removed from the banned list.

✅ Summary