[AbiDrew85]

Both finasteride and SP are 5-aromatase inhibitors *snip* beta-sitosterol which itself is an 5-ARI.

Note that 5-ARIs will only inhibit conversion of T to DHT, but probably do little to inhibit T production. I was prescribed spironolactone over an 18 month period, which does inhibit T production and seems to have finished off what was left of my male function, apparently permanently. Subsequently stopping PM and taking Butea superba and later tongkat ali for several months did little or nothing to restore function. I have a suspicion that taking Siterone (ciproterone) as proposed by PattiJT might have a similar effect in the long term.

Hope this helps.

You have the shorthand correct, and what it does, but not the actual term it is short for. There is no such thing as "5-aromatase", aromatase is a separate enzyme responsible for a different conversion, that of T and E1 into E2, aka, estradiol. (And there's actually ANOTHER conversion path to E2 that completely evades aromatase altogether, but that path is responsible for such a small trace amount of a person's overall E2 as to be barely worth mentioning, other than for me to show off a little every now and then )

And if PM contained an aromatase inhibitor it would NEVER produce the kind of effects it does! Seriously!

The term you were attempting to use is 5-alpha-reductase. That's the 5-AR that a 5-ARI inhibits.

Sorry about getting snippy with you (pun intended ) but I couldn't in good conscience allow the possible confusion your own confusion might produce. Not when it was a fairly simple matter for me to clarify terms.