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Hi
Sorry to hear about your high rate of adrenal problems.  It was
surprising to hear that you had 2 dogs with adrenal tumors, for that
is truely rare.
 
Now to your questions.
Can Lupron or melatonin be used to hopefully prevent adrenal gland
disease?  YES!  (However I do not think Casodex would be a logical
choice as a preventative.)
 
Yes, finasteride (Proscar or Propecia) alone will help to shrink the
enlarged prostate.  It works by preventing testosterone from being
converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT).  DHT is what causes the prostate
to enlarge.  Thus with no DHT, the prostate shrinks.  However Lupron
will help lower all of the adrenal hormones, including testosterone.  By
lowering the testosterone, there is less DHT that can be made, so the
prostate shrinks.  Thus it works best to use Lupron with finasteride.
Casodex works by blocking the androgen (DHT) receptors on the prostate,
so it will also work to reduce the size of the prostate.  Flutamide also
works by blocking those receptors.  However the hormone levels do not
change with these 2 medicines.  Again best to use with Lupron.  Melatonin
can also be used to reduce the size of the prostate.  It is believed that
melatonin reduces the adrenal sex hormones.  Plus there are actual
melatonin receptors on the prostate, so it may work by 2 different
routes.
 
As for giving finasteride to prevent prostate problems, it is a very safe
medicine even at high doses, so it might be a good idea to give it to
your males.
 
Hope that helps,
Jerry Murray, DVM
[Posted in FML issue 4349]