Finasteride/propecia shed gone wrong -- long story please help! 19yo

[Buddho]

I posted this on another forum but need opinions badly, answer any questions you can!
I'm 19, I started taking prop back at the end of last Sept 2011. I tried it previously in the summer at 0.33mg a day and had ED like symptoms and stopped.
When I restarted, I took 0.25mg every 5 days to start 3 times, then moved to every 4 days then 3, finally down to 0.25mg every second day. After this for a while I started taking 0.5mg every 3 days, and have kept this dosage constant up until now. The side effects I tried to avoid were basically avoided. But over the almost year I've been on the drug, my hair has continued to get worse. Of course I won't really count the weening-on time as "serious time spent on it", but I'd say I moved up to my constant 0.5mg/ every 3 days a few months later. Maybe it was December, maybe January.
When I started to shed bad, I started doing lots of research and realized I was shedding around this 4-6 month period. I don't think my hair has taken the normal route that one would hope for..
Here are my rough observations I've noted as to how my hair has been doing:

June 5---Shed seemed to stop about 2 weeks ago maybe more/less, left top front of hairline and area behind it (where my mpb receeded the quickest) was the only spot showing some scalp, hair still looked decent

Jul 8- shed heavy, all over visible scalp, for a week or two (got worse in that front left section as well)

July 23- shed possibly still getting worse, noticing more small hairs growing on left top, but still not many

Aug 30 - hair at its worst so far, can't see many new hairs sprouting and still shedding a little bit... All finer hairs with some pigment and a small white bulb on the end....I see miniaturizing hair in the shed areas still and am wondering if this is the hair that has grown back... and all hair seems thinner in general but can't confirm exactly

My temples seemed to miniaturize quick throughout this time frame from June, almost like the hair follicle cycles were ramped up? My hair now is roughly anywhere between 25%-45% thinner, no joke.

Today I decided to up my dosage a bit more, now I'm doing 0.5mg EOD or I might do 0.25 daily. What has made determining what is going on with my hair so difficult is that when the sheds started, I didn't recede anymore. Technically I've still got hair follicles producing hair in areas that probably would have receded by now, but the coverage of hair in these areas is bare nothing. It looks so stupid. In sunlight my hair looks terrible now, I try to avoid it whenever I can. I also regrew slightly on my crown, had a bald spot there before (still doesn't look great) and in front of my hairline some, I guess, previously miniaturizing have regrown... But none of these areas are covered and thick.
My hair has gotten much worse since I started propecia/finasteride and it is so tough to deal with.
Is it just a shed? I don't think so, I've been looking closely at my scalp and see lots of thin less pigmented hairs all over in the shed area, I feel like propecia has caused me to lose hair all over much faster.
I'm heading back to university to start second year tomorrow, my house mates and everyone will see how bad my hair looks. I'd just shave it if I could, but my dad has a really bad headshape and so is mine... My head is big and gets bigger near the back, somewhat alien like I'd say. I've also got a smaller face:forehead ratio... It's just not gonna look good but sadly I still might have to shave it.. Already looks so bad in the light. I've always been an attractive guy with long hair, I have a nice face I guess you could say but bald my headshape sucks and I will look freaky trust me.. My head shape is also thinner face wise and longer backwards from a side profile
Is there any hope for me? Could it be reflex hyperandro? My skin is oily a good amount of the time now, but it was almost like this before and I have sensitive skin. Have acne still but had before, and sex drive is slightly lowered if anything, not really high.
When I look at my scalp I try to see every follicle circle/pore, and it seems like in all of these a hair is in them. Some I have to look really closely at ( in a zoom mirror) and see a tiny vellous hair...this is what I just realized andM has brought my hopes right down. I was hoping it would be the other way around, still empty follicles so there'd still be hope for them to return...if a follicle shed and has no hair in it, would you still be able to recognize it as a follicle or does it disappear?
Was my hair still thinning out and got worse because my dosage was too low? This is why I'm raising it starting now. I hope this doesn't make me shed again, if so I will probably live in my "supposed to be kickass" uni house's room all year long.. **** me right?
Remember I haven't lost ground on the drug in terms of recession, slight hairline regrowth and also in the crown (maybe it thickened, either way it looks slightly better) but everywhere has thinned out. Should hair everywhere else come in as well by now then? If these other hairs came back?
Especially in the front left, the worst spot, I think I've passed the 100 day telogen phase length...was really hoping to see some positive results in that worst spot right now as school was starting.
Please help, I need anything you guys can give me

And sorry this was so long, basically my entire hair loss dilemma, but the questions have all to do with propecia so I posted it here. I also use Nizoral 1-2x a week

[jman91]

Originally Posted by Buddho

I posted this on another forum but need opinions badly, answer any questions you can!
I'm 19, I started taking prop back at the end of last Sept 2011. I tried it previously in the summer at 0.33mg a day and had ED like symptoms and stopped.
When I restarted, I took 0.25mg every 5 days to start 3 times, then moved to every 4 days then 3, finally down to 0.25mg every second day. After this for a while I started taking 0.5mg every 3 days, and have kept this dosage constant up until now. The side effects I tried to avoid were basically avoided. But over the almost year I've been on the drug, my hair has continued to get worse. Of course I won't really count the weening-on time as "serious time spent on it", but I'd say I moved up to my constant 0.5mg/ every 3 days a few months later. Maybe it was December, maybe January.
When I started to shed bad, I started doing lots of research and realized I was shedding around this 4-6 month period. I don't think my hair has taken the normal route that one would hope for..
Here are my rough observations I've noted as to how my hair has been doing:

June 5---Shed seemed to stop about 2 weeks ago maybe more/less, left top front of hairline and area behind it (where my mpb receeded the quickest) was the only spot showing some scalp, hair still looked decent

Jul 8- shed heavy, all over visible scalp, for a week or two (got worse in that front left section as well)

July 23- shed possibly still getting worse, noticing more small hairs growing on left top, but still not many

Aug 30 - hair at its worst so far, can't see many new hairs sprouting and still shedding a little bit... All finer hairs with some pigment and a small white bulb on the end....I see miniaturizing hair in the shed areas still and am wondering if this is the hair that has grown back... and all hair seems thinner in general but can't confirm exactly

My temples seemed to miniaturize quick throughout this time frame from June, almost like the hair follicle cycles were ramped up? My hair now is roughly anywhere between 25%-45% thinner, no joke.

Today I decided to up my dosage a bit more, now I'm doing 0.5mg EOD or I might do 0.25 daily. What has made determining what is going on with my hair so difficult is that when the sheds started, I didn't recede anymore. Technically I've still got hair follicles producing hair in areas that probably would have receded by now, but the coverage of hair in these areas is bare nothing. It looks so stupid. In sunlight my hair looks terrible now, I try to avoid it whenever I can. I also regrew slightly on my crown, had a bald spot there before (still doesn't look great) and in front of my hairline some, I guess, previously miniaturizing have regrown... But none of these areas are covered and thick.
My hair has gotten much worse since I started propecia/finasteride and it is so tough to deal with.
Is it just a shed? I don't think so, I've been looking closely at my scalp and see lots of thin less pigmented hairs all over in the shed area, I feel like propecia has caused me to lose hair all over much faster.
I'm heading back to university to start second year tomorrow, my house mates and everyone will see how bad my hair looks. I'd just shave it if I could, but my dad has a really bad headshape and so is mine... My head is big and gets bigger near the back, somewhat alien like I'd say. I've also got a smaller face:forehead ratio... It's just not gonna look good but sadly I still might have to shave it.. Already looks so bad in the light. I've always been an attractive guy with long hair, I have a nice face I guess you could say but bald my headshape sucks and I will look freaky trust me.. My head shape is also thinner face wise and longer backwards from a side profile
Is there any hope for me? Could it be reflex hyperandro? My skin is oily a good amount of the time now, but it was almost like this before and I have sensitive skin. Have acne still but had before, and sex drive is slightly lowered if anything, not really high.
When I look at my scalp I try to see every follicle circle/pore, and it seems like in all of these a hair is in them. Some I have to look really closely at ( in a zoom mirror) and see a tiny vellous hair...this is what I just realized andM has brought my hopes right down. I was hoping it would be the other way around, still empty follicles so there'd still be hope for them to return...if a follicle shed and has no hair in it, would you still be able to recognize it as a follicle or does it disappear?
Was my hair still thinning out and got worse because my dosage was too low? This is why I'm raising it starting now. I hope this doesn't make me shed again, if so I will probably live in my "supposed to be kickass" uni house's room all year long.. **** me right?
Remember I haven't lost ground on the drug in terms of recession, slight hairline regrowth and also in the crown (maybe it thickened, either way it looks slightly better) but everywhere has thinned out. Should hair everywhere else come in as well by now then? If these other hairs came back?
Especially in the front left, the worst spot, I think I've passed the 100 day telogen phase length...was really hoping to see some positive results in that worst spot right now as school was starting.
Please help, I need anything you guys can give me

And sorry this was so long, basically my entire hair loss dilemma, but the questions have all to do with propecia so I posted it here. I also use Nizoral 1-2x a week

I can see why people try to taper their dosage when getting off the drug, but I personally don't think that tapering when they get on it is beneficial as the only legitimate side effect in my opinion is post finasteride syndrome and don't believe that people experiences bad side effects in the early stages, I think early 'symptoms' are just anxiety symptoms that have manifested physically.

I think you should get on the recommended dose of 1mg and ride it out. It's generally a good sign to shed hair in the first few months and I think that this period can go on for anywhere up to 1 month +. The worst thing to do is to go through the shed and quit before it has a chance to come back as it comes back 99.9% of the time.

If however you really aren't comfotable with the sides or can't take the shed anymore you could get on Minoxidil. I personally would recommed staying on fin and upping the dose though but it's up to you.

staying on 0.5 or upping to 1 mg is what you gotta decide between really

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGQF8LAmiaE

[Buddho]

Thanks for reading and answering, I really appreciate it.
I've decided to up my dosage to 0.25mg EVERYDAY. I hope this should help me see some success but I'm starting to think my hair actually just started thinning extremely hard all over the top of my head. It doesn't make sense to me though, cause it only started back in May...it's like my hair cycles sped up and miniaturized fast.

Anyone else? anything would be great to hear, thank you

[Lazoid]

Are you going through a stressful period at all?

Are you doing anything else besides FIN? i.e. Minox?

ARe you a smoker?

[freddiegemini]

Buddho how is it going for you at the moment?

[inspects]

Buddho,

Here is some good information about Propecia and Minoxidil.

[Widowmaker]

I would up the propecia dose up to 0.5mg everyday and then the 1mg recommended dose ASAP (within a couple weeks). You are still young and can maintain a ton. I would also start on minox as soon as the shed seems to stop (hopefully it does so soon). No use in suffering through both prop and minox shed at the same time. Look into adding Niz as well.

I guess you've heard these recommendations before, but they worked for me...and I started at a much older age (32 years) after (probably) losing much more ground at the temples.