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Drug Facts and FAQ's
What is PROPECIA?
Does PROPECIA really work?
How does PROPECIA work?
What is DHT?
Who should not take PROPECIA?
Does PROPECIA work for all men?
Can PROPECIA help maintain my hair count?
Can PROPECIA increase as well as maintain
my hair count?
How long will it take for PROPECIA to
work?
How long do I have to take PROPECIA?
What about long-term use of PROPECIA?
Does PROPECIA have any side effects?
If a man is taking PROPECIA, is it
present in his semen?
What effect does PROPECIA have on
semen?
How does PROPECIA compare with other
products available for the treatment of hair loss?
How is PROPECIA supplied?
How should I take PROPECIA?
What
is PROPECIA?
PROPECIA is a medical breakthrough — the
first pill that effectively treatsmale pattern hair loss on the vertex (at top of
head) and anterior mid-scalp area.
Does
PROPECIA really work?
Based on vertex studies at 24 months of
men, 18 to 41, with mild to moderate hair loss, the clinical results of
PROPECIA are impressive:
83% maintained their hair based on hair
count (vs. 28% with placebo), 66% had visible regrowth as rated by
independent dermatologists (vs. 7% with placebo), 80% were rated as
improved by clinical doctors (vs. 47% with placebo), and most men reported
an increase in the amount of hair, a decrease in hair loss, and
improvement in appearance.
Only a doctor can determine if PROPECIA is
right for you. PROPECIA is for MEN ONLY. Further, women who are or
may potentially be pregnant must not use PROPECIA and should not handle
crushed or broken tablets because the active ingredient may cause
abnormalities of a male baby’s sex organs. PROPECIA tablets are coated
and will prevent contact with the active ingredient during normal
handling.
You may need to take PROPECIA daily for 3
months or more to see visible results. PROPECIA may not regrow all your
hair. And if you stop using this product, you will gradually lose the hair
you have gained. There is not sufficient evidence that PROPECIA works for
recession at the temporal areas. If you haven’t seen results after 12
months of using PROPECIA, further treatment is unlikely to be of benefit.
Like all prescription products, PROPECIA
may cause side effects. In clinical studies, a very small number of men
experienced certain side effects, such as less desire for sex, difficulty
in achieving an erection, and a decrease in the amount of semen. Each of
these side effects occurred in less than 2% of men. These side effects
were reversible and went away in men who stopped taking PROPECIA. They
also disappeared in most men (58%) who continued taking PROPECIA.
Taken once a day in tablet form, PROPECIA
is simple, easy, and — most important — clinically demonstrated to be
effective in most men. PROPECIA helps grow natural hair — not just
"peach fuzz" — and is as convenient to take as a vitamin: one
pill a day.
How
does PROPECIA work?
Scientists have recently discovered that
men who suffer from male pattern hair loss have an increased level of a
substance called DHT in their scalps. PROPECIA blocks the formation of DHT
and in this way appears to interrupt a key factor in the development of
male pattern hair loss in men. Most important, PROPECIA helps grow natural
hair, not just "peach fuzz," and is as convenient to take as a
vitamin: one pill a day.
What
is DHT?
DHT is one of many male hormones in the
body. DHT is developmentally important early in a man’s life; however,
it appears to be a cause of hair loss as men get older. DHT shrinks the
hair follicle until it no longer produces visible hair.
Who should not take
PROPECIA?
PROPECIA is for the treatment
of male pattern hair loss in MEN ONLY. Further,
women who are or may potentially be pregnant must not use PROPECIA and
should not handle crushed or broken tablets of PROPECIA because the active
ingredient may cause abnormalities of a male baby's sex
organs. PROPECIA tablets are coated and will prevent contact
with the active ingredient during normal handling.
Does PROPECIA work for all men?
At the conclusion of a
24-month study of men age 18 to 41 with mild to moderate hair loss at the
top of the head, 83% treated with PROPECIA maintained their hair as
determined by hair count (vs. 28% with placebo). Most men reported
an increase in the amount of hair, a decrease in hair loss, and
improvement in appearance. Although results will vary, generally men
will not be able to grow back all of the hair they have lost.
Can PROPECIA help maintain my hair count?
PROPECIA is proven to maintain
hair count in most men. It's the medical breakthrough men have been
waiting for. In clinical studies, hair count was maintained in
men taking PROPECIA, while men taking a placebo (a pill with no
medication) continued to show progressive hair loss.
Imagine looking in the mirror
two years from now — and seeing essentially the same amount of hair you
saw this morning! Now, PROPECIA makes this possible for the vast
majority of men.
Can PROPECIA increase as well as maintain my hair
count?
At 24 months, 66% of the men
in our studies regrew hair at the top of the head (vs. 7% with placebo) as
determined by an expert panel of dermatologists. An assessment by
the study investigators rated 80% of men on PROPECIA as improved (vs. 47%
with placebo). This was not just "peach fuzz," but real
hair — and growth occurred in both the vertex (at top of the head) and
anterior mid-scalp area. There is not sufficient evidence that
PROPECIA works for recession at the temporal areas.
How
long will it take for PROPECIA to work?
PROPECIA begins to block the formation of
DHT almost immediately; however, because hair grows slowly, visible
results from PROPECIA take some time. In clinical trials, most men began
to see the first benefit of PROPECIA — slowing hair loss — as early as
3 months. After 6 months, men may begin to experience regrowth. If
PROPECIA does not work within 12 months, further treatment is unlikely to
be of benefit.
How long do I have to take
PROPECIA?
You need to take PROPECIA for
as long as you want to continue to benefit from use. If you stop
taking PROPECIA, you will likely lose any hair you have gained within 12
months of stopping treatment.
What about long-term use of
PROPECIA?
PROPECIA has been tested for two years in
clinical studies of 1,200 men.
Does PROPECIA have any side effects?
Like all prescription drugs, PROPECIA may
cause side effects. In clinical studies, side effects from PROPECIA were
uncommon and did not affect most men. A very small number of men
experienced certain sexual side effects, such as less desire for sex;
difficulty in achieving an erection; and a decrease in the amount of
semen. Each of these side effects occurred in less than 2% of men. These
side effects were reversible and went away in men who stopped taking
PROPECIA. These side effects also disappeared in most men (58%) who
continued taking PROPECIA.
If a man is taking PROPECIA, is it present in his semen?
What effect does PROPECIA have on semen?
Semen levels have been measured in 35 men
taking PROPECIA daily for 6 months. In 60% of the samples, PROPECIA levels
were undetectable. The mean PROPECIA level was 0.26 ng/mL, and the highest
level measured was 1.52 ng/mL. Using the highest semen level measured and
assuming 100% absorption from a 5 mL ejaculate per day volume, human
exposure through vaginal absorption would be 750 times lower than the
exposure from the no-effect dose for developmental abnormalities in male
Rhesus monkeys. There were no developmental abnormalities seen in male
Rhesus monkey fetuses when PROPECIA was given intravenously (into the
blood stream) to pregnant Rhesus monkeys at 750 times the estimated
exposure of pregnant women from men taking 1 mg/day.
You should discuss this with your doctor
and follow your doctor’s instructions.
How does PROPECIA compare with other products available for the
treatment of hair loss?
PROPECIA is the only pill indicated for
male pattern hair loss. Merck has not conducted clinical trials
comparing PROPECIA with other medicines and therefore cannot make any
comments. You should discuss this issue with your doctor.
How is PROPECIA supplied?
PROPECIA is available as a 1-mg tablet.
This tablet is tan in color and is octagonal (has eight sides),
film-coated, rounded, somewhat elevated surface. Each PROPECIA tablet is
marked with a code of MRK 71 on one side and PROPECIA 1 on the other. The
tablets are supplied as individual bottles of 30 tablets and in PROPAK®,
a carton of 3 bottles, each containing 30 tablets for a total of 90
tablets.
How should I take
PROPECIA?
The recommended dosage for PROPECIA in men
with male pattern hair loss is a single 1-mg tablet taken by mouth once a
day. PROPECIA may be taken with or without meals. You may need to take
PROPECIA daily for three or more months before you see a benefit from
taking PROPECIA. PROPECIA can only work over the long term if you continue
taking it. Continued use is recommended to obtain maximum benefit. If you
stop taking PROPECIA, you will likely lose the hair you have gained within
12 months of stopping treatment. You should discuss this with your doctor,
and follow your doctor’s instructions.
For more information on
Propecia, you can visit www.propecia.com
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