Biotin/Minoxidil/Spironolactone Capsules with E-Visit EMPOWER PHARMACY

THIS ITEM REQUIRES A PRESCRIPTION FROM DR.K. NEW PATIENTS MUST PAY THE NEW PATIENT FEE AND BE SENT AN *APPROVAL MESSAGE* PRIOR TO ORDERING. DO NOT ORDER PRIOR TO THIS OR YOUR ORDER WILL BE CANCELLED MINUS A 5% PROCESSING FEE. RETURNING PATIENTS MAY PLACE AN ORDER WHEN READY AND DO NOT NEED PERMISSION PRIOR TO PLACING A NEW ORDER.

This excellent product for hair loss ships to all of my patients from EMPOWER PHARMACY!

WI: Empower has temporarily suspended shipping of all products to the state of WI due to licensing delays.

*MN: Empower is temporarily shipping STERILE ITEMS ONLY to MN (no creams or oral medications).

*This product is for WOMEN AGES 18-44 ONLY, as spironolactone is not used for treating hair loss in men.

Please click HERE for the Empower product for MEN.

For women ages 45+, serum potassium levels should be followed when taking spironolactone. This is best handled by your primary care physician. However, I do offer another product from Strive pharmacy specifically for women ages 45+.

Please click HERE for the IVY HAIR LOSS CAPSULES, Strive's hair loss product for women ages 45+

This product works great when partnered with the NUTRAFOL line of products! Click HERE for my landing page for ordering. You will order your NUTRAFOL products there.

***DO NOT TAKE THIS MEDICATION IF YOU ARE PREGNANT, PLANNING TO BECOME PREGNANT, OR BREASTFEEDING. YOU SHOULD NOT TAKE THIS PRODUCT IF YOU HAVE A HISTORY OF RENAL DISEASE, CARDIAC DISEASE, OR IF YOU TAKE ANY MEDICATIONS THAT INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF HYPERKALEMIA (INCREASED POTASSIUM LEVELS)***

This product comes in two strengths. They differ only by the amount of minoxidil:

LOW DOSE MINOXIDIL CAPSULE: Biotin/Minoxidil/Spironolactone Capsules 5/0.25/25 mg

HIGH DOSE MINOXIDIL CAPSULE: Biotin/Minoxidil/Spironolactone Capsules 5/1.25/25 mg

DOSING: Women generally start with a low dose of minoxidil (0.25mg) and remain on this dose for at least one month before increasing to the higher dose. As with many medications where you titrate your dosage up, you do not have to increase you dosage unless desired.

If you have never taken minoxidil in the past, you might want to start with the LOW dose for at least one month before moving up to the HIGH dose. This will help minimize side effects.

MINOXIDIL

Topical minoxidil is an FDA-approved medication for hair loss. While oral minoxidil is FDA-approved at this time only for the treatment of high blood pressure, low-dose oral minoxidil is frequently used by physicians off-label to treat both male and female hair loss issues, especially when the topical formulations are not effective or are not tolerated by the patient.

The efficacy and safety of low-dose oral minoxidil used for hair loss is supported by clinical studies and has been used for decades for this indication. It can help boost blood flow to hair follicles, which can extend the hair growth phase.

Minoxidil has been clinically proven to show hair regrowth in just 3-6 months.* In one clinical study, more than 90% of patients who used oral minoxidil daily experienced less shedding and/or increased hair growth.**

*Randolph, Michael and Antonella Tosti. “Oral minoxidil treatment for hair loss: A review of efficacy and safety.” J. of the Academy of American Dermatology. (2021).

**Beach, Renée A. et al. “Low-dose oral minoxidil for treating alopecia: A 3-year North American retrospective case series“ J. of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Science Behind Minoxidil

The mechanism by which minoxidil stimulates hair growth is not fully understood, but minoxidil can help reverse the hair loss process of androgenetic alopecia by the following means:

• Reverses the miniaturisation of follicles
• Increases blood flow around follicles
• Stimulates follicle movement to growth phase
• Extends each follicle growth phase

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION:

Do Not Use If:

• You are pregnant or breastfeeding
• You have heart, kidney, or liver disease
• Have a h/o pheochromocytoma
• Have experienced sudden onset of increased muscularity, deepening of the voice, enlargement of the clitoris, or excessive hair growth on the face or body

COMMON SIDE EFFECTS:

• Hypertrichosis, or increased hair growth on the face or body
• Lightheadedness
• Palpitations or tachycardia
• Headaches
• Leg swelling or fluid retention (edema)
• Swelling around the eyes
• Insomnia
• Nausea

Patients that take medication for blood pressure can be very susceptible to blood pressure drops from this medication and care should be taken when taking this medication.

Please note that because minoxidil affects the hair growth cycle, accelerating the part of the process during which your thinning hair falls out. This shedding allows the old hair to fall out, making way for new, healthier hair to take its place. Because of this, patients may experience some increased shedding up to the first 8 weeks of treatment, after which the shedding should cease.

SPIRONOLACTONE

This medication should not be taken while pregnant or breastfeeding.

Spironolactone is a drug that’s used to treat PCOS, as well as other conditions such as high blood pressure, heart failure, kidney disease, and liver disease. It’s a diuretic, which means it helps expel water from the body.

Spironolactone is an aldosterone receptor agonist, or mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA). This means that spironolactone slows down the production of androgens or testosterone hormones that are mainly responsible for hair loss. Its antiandrogenic effects subdue what aldosterone does in the body; hence, it encourages hair growth.

What are the side effects of spironolactone?

It’s very unlikely that you’ll experience any side effects when taking spironolactone, but there is a small percentage of people who may experience some of the following symptoms.

One fairly common side effect is low blood pressure. Spironolactone is sometimes prescribed to tackle high blood pressure – so it’s important that you regularly check your blood pressure levels when taking this medication.

Other side effects you may experience include:

• Drowsiness
• Headache
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Irregular periods
• Breast tenderness
• Weight gain
• Low sex drive
• Depression
• Fatigue

BIOTIN

Biotin is a water-soluble B vitamin and a dietary component found in the liver, kidney, and muscle. It is naturally present in many foods such as egg yolks, soy beans, organ meats, and nuts. Biotin is involved in essential enzymatic activities and plays a major role in maintaining an increased metabolic rate.

POSSIBLE BENEFITS OF BIOTIN (VITAMIN B7)

• Promotes hair growth
• Strengthens your hair and prevents breakage
• Helps prevent hair loss and dryness
• Restores hair elasticity
• Reduces split ends
• Strengthens your nails and allows them to grow longer without breaking
• Accelerates metabolism and indigestion
• Can help with weight loss