http://www.smartgroups.com/message/readmessage.cfm? gid=1423922&messageid=6795&startid=6798 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]