Can you take saw palmetto with finasteride?

Answer 1

Yes, many OTC products are sold as "adjunctive" preparations which probably have a different mechanism of action than the prescription med finasteride (Proscar). Saw palmetto, horny goat weed, mauca puma (wild yam), are often sold separately or in combination in products promoted as alternatives to finasteride and dutasteride. A word of caution; unlike quality-controlled processes for prescription meds, many OTC products may have poorer standards of production, as containing either more, less, or other substances than what are listed on the product label. In other words, your results may be uncertain and variable. Some of these combination products are very expensive; consider their cost against Proscar when using an insurance plan. Also, some users have complained about estrogenic effects when using OTC products, especially erectile dysfunction as well as more frequent urination (bad at night). If you are experiencing benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), have your physician order these tests: free testosterone, total testosterone, estrogen levels. Current research indicates that rather than being excess testosterone, that actually excess estrogen can enlarge the prostate gland. This occurs when a man (usually over 40) enters "andropause" and testosterone in the system converts back into estrogen. These molecules are very closely related, and this can and does happen. Using Proscar to reduce testosterone will only be partly beneficial if estrogen levels continue to increase. Goal levels: free testosterone 10-25, estrogen levels 50-100.