Propecia Shedding

[Mike82]

I'm a 27 yr old male and my hair has been thinning over the past year. I took action about 2 months ago and went to see my dermatologist to get a prescription for Propecia. My doctor told me I was very lucky because I caught it in the very early stages and that I should be ok. However, since I started treatment (2 months ago), I have done nothing but shed hair and lots of it! My hair has become very thin and my scalp is starting to show. I am starting to freak out! At least 30 hairs fall out everytime I wash my hair.

Although my doctor didn't mentiong anything about a "shedding" phase, I did some research online and saw that alot of people experience a shed. I also read that it is a sign that the Propecia is working by putting your hairs into a resting phase only to have it grow back thicker a few months down the road. This all sounds very encouraging but I feel as though I am losing alot more hair during this shed than what I have read online from other people's experience with shedding.

Is there any clinical studies done on the shed? The Propecia website mentions nothing about this. Has anyone out there experienced a shed from Propecia? When Merk claims that a certain percentage of men maintain the hair that they started with, are they referring to when you first start taking Propecia or after a few months when it starts to work? Any info would be great!

Thanks!

[TheFrenchy]

Hi Mike,

I'm in the same situation, 27 years old, third months on propecia and I'm also experiencing what is to me a shedding...

Several users of propecia have mentionned this shedding phase and some said that is a good sign that your body is respondant to the treatment. I'm not a MD so I won't be able to tell you if it is true or not, I just hope that is true....

I think the best things to do is to take the pill and wait a few more months.

Anyone with more info about this shedding phase is welcome !

Cheers

TheFrenchy

[Mr. 4000]

Don't ever stop taking it because if you get the growth you are expecting in the next 6-12 months, it will jump ship when you stop the med.

Thats why I hate that stuff, chemicals for life, and then some have said in the future your body will start to find ways around the drug and it will slowly become less effective. But that may be 7 -10 years down the road.

I can't take it because of the side effects, but good luck.

That shedding phase scared the hell out of me and then shortly after that I got the sides.

Watch your dosing if you start to experience any negatives

[Red20]

If you experience side-effects do NOT stop the drug completely.

Many have alleviated there sides by going to every other day.


If that doesn't work go to 1 pill every 2 days.


That should alleviate any side-effects for you and allow you still get the benefits.

[irishpride86]

Ok so I am 22 soon to be 23... I used to have really thick hair and did not think much of hair loss. My father is 51 and had a full head of hair as well as his dad which is 76. The only hair loss in my whole family is on my moms side her father was pretty much bald by the time he was 30.


I went to see the doctor and told her i was STARTING to thin .. and that I want to keep AT LEAST what I have left. I asked about Propecia and she gave it to me and then i popped my first 1 mg pill on 1/13/09.

Well as time went on my hair began to shed ... not just shed BUT I LOST ABOUT 30% of my hair in 4 months ... i'm attaching pictures so you guys can see what I mean ... I have woken up in the morning and wanted to stop taking it ... But im afraid if I stop taking it more hair will fall out ... but what does not make since to me is that even though hair did not really fall out before and now its falling everywhere why would it keep falling out after i stop taking it ?


Anyway I know there are some sheds you may go through but this has been going on for 7 months and its bad ... the sad part is that I don't know what to do anymore... i'm only 22 and i'm trying to avoid further hair loss..


So I went back to the doctor at month 3 and she said shedding does not happen on Propecia and that if i shed it was prolly just timing that my hair got worse right when I starting taking it... which is total bullshit.

So what do you guys think do you think i may have improved or not improved .. i mean the shedding is getting worse and worse and its been over 7 months now... I dont want to start rogaine because I heard you only use that if there is a bald spot and that im my stage I should just use propecia alone... what do you guys think...


Ok here are all my blood test results:

CMP-Normal
CBC-Normal
ANAw/ reflex titter- Normal
FERRITIN-Normal
Iron-Normal
Free T3(Thyroid related)- Normal
PTH(parathyroid hormone)- Normal
TSH(Thyroid)- Normal
Ironized Calcium- Normal
Prolactin- Normal
RPR(DX) W RELEX FTA- Normal
[b]SED RATE-Normal
Testosterone, Total-Normal
Vitamin b12/folic acid-Normal

So in conclusion all these test were to see of ANYTHING related could cause hair loss... and the results is NO ... I'm normal on all levels.... as in my thyroid is fine.




Ok NOW THESE TEST I'M VERY HAPPY ABOUT :

POSITIVE FOR" SHORT" ALLELE(CAG<22)
A man that tested positive for the" SHORT" CAG allele of the AR gene had approximately 70% chance of a GREAT response( i.e., hair re-growth) using 1mg daily dosage of Finasteride for 48 weeks. Any score BELOW 22 means great results.

MY RESULTS:

Chromosome -x
Gene -AR
Position- exon1
CAG Allele Length- 20


In conclusion this test mean I will have GREAT RESPONSE to propecia !!



ONLY TEST I'M WAITING ON NOW IS THE HAIRDX MPB GENE TEST I WILL GET THOSE IN 3 WEEKS.

So many people are wondering what should I do? Should I get on rogaine ? Should I keep taking propecia( even though i missed 2 months and been playing around with doses)... what should I do.



The answer is this... I will KEEP taking 1mg of propecia and I have done EVERY test there can be done to cause hairloss... I NOW know what I SHOULD DO...I "HOPE"

I WILL return in 3 weeks to give you guys my test results on my LAST test which is the" HairDX MPB gene"... And then i'll update you guys after that in 1 year...


After that one year mark... I will assess if rogaine is needed... but since these test show That i SHOULD be a great responder to the drugs then no need for rogaine yet...or is there after the propecia shedding !!!

The treatment program BELOW is what I will be doing for the NEXT YEAR:

Nizoral 1x a week leave in 2-3 mins ( really dries my hair way too much) But I follow with:

Vive Pro Thickening Shampoo and cond. to help.

Nioxin system#2 shampoo & Cond. & Mediceuticals Therapro shampoo system ( Every now and then)

Dr. Proctor Nano Shampoo (5x a week)

Dr. Proctor Proxiphen-N ( 2 times a day)

Hairchi Foam ( 1x in morning after shower)

Propecia 1mg ( 1x per day)

S5 Sprio cream 5% ( At night )

Beta-Sitosterol 340 mg ( 2x per day)

Magnesium citrate 400mg ( 2 per day)

Biosil 5mg ( 2x per day)

Biotin 5mg ( 1x per day)

Green tea pill ( 2x per day)

DIM ( 2x per day)

Omega-3 ( epa-dha)- 3x a day

Ground Flax seeds( 2 spoon fulls per day)


***THINKING OF STARTING**

RU58841

fluridil

Minox ( LAST RESORT after 1 year of treatments above)



SO IN CONCLUSION has anyone has these effects while starting propecia... where you had a LITTLE thinning and then took the meds and become diffuse all over your head.... has anyone recovered form this ? Thanks any thoughts would be greatly helpful !!!


Pics are below of what my shedding has been like while being on propecia:

Basline -12/08 FIRST PIC
Month 4 -4/09 SECOND PIC
Month 7- 7/09 THIRD PIC
Month 8- 8/09 FOURTH PIC

[iwannakeephair1674]

@irishpride86

This is very interesting, could it be that you do NOT have MPB, but instead suffer from DUPA (Diffused Unpattern Alopecia)??? I have read previous posts that said Finasteride doesn't help so much with DUPA, but I am in no way making a diagnosis. However, if you do have DUPA you might consider about doing research on PRP and its possibilities. I'm really sorry your going through this, I could imagine your situation on wanting to stop hairloss and "seem" to have made it worse. I would NOT stop your Propecia right away, but would seek another opinion from a hair specialist. I do hope you can be further helped here though.

-Destin

[irishpride86]

Ok you say it's dupa..... if so then explain how my hair was thick on the sides and back and a LITTLE thin up top... after propecia i got diffuse thinning all over...

So are you sure it's dupa ???

[Mr. 4000]

Thats what happened to me when I was on Prope for only 3 months it was a quick shed and I started to get side effects as well.

I said F this shit, and ditched, well I had to because of gyno and surgery for that too.

It just isn't good for some people. I think you are way too young to start that stuff. You should just let nature takes its course while doing what you can naturally. Eat right, work out a bit, stop any drug use and drinking.

You are spending a ton on supplements and a lot of that is a waste of time and money. Don't panic if you are going to lose your hair its going to happen with or without all those products.

In your late 20's early 30's see where you are and if your hair loss is moderate, then maybe you do something about it, but you are so young. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but WTF when you start chasing your tail this early in the game it could create worse problems down the road.

I had an HT in my late 30's I still felt I was taking a huge risk, I tried all the prope and minox and supplements in my late 20's, which I think did nothing and faired pretty well in my 30's when I stopped doing anything about it, until the late 30's, from what I think was stress related, my hairloss go to a point where I knew a HT was the only way to fight hairloss, or I could have gone clean.

Take your time and dont be obsessed with your hair. Live your life and have fun and stop worrying about.

Good Luck

[iwannakeephair1674]

Ok you say it's dupa..... if so then explain how my hair was thick on the sides and back and a LITTLE thin up top... after propecia i got diffuse thinning all over...

So are you sure it's dupa ???

I said it might be DUPA... I also said I wasn't making a diagnosis and to get checked out. Maybe something exacerbated your hair loss it could be number of things (worrying, maybe even Propecia). All I know is that your hair loss does in fact look diffused.... and doesn't follow the MPB pattern.... hence why I think it might be DUPA. I've read online that PRP might help with DUPA. How are you sides and back now? are they also diffusing???

[g k]

irish:

I think your doctor might be right. Some types of MPB seem to happen VERY quickly. It does not look like anything but some aggressive MPB.

Stay on fin, see if it gets better. I think everything is normal just let the fin help you. If you are not seeing enough results start minox.

Good luck

[follicallychallengedkid]

Mike82:

Don't worry about the shedding.

My shedding kicked in at week 3 of starting on Propecia and Minoxidil. I was styling my hair and the sink was COVERED with hair. Fortunately, I didn't panic because I went into this treatment, fully aware of the shedding phenomenon.

While the shedding was happening, I used products that camouflaged bald spots. All went well and shedding stopped after a week of aggressive "hairloss". Then the lost hair came back few months later, mostly in my crown area.

So don't be alarmed. I suggest taking it for at least a year to make a conclusion on the drug's effectiveness. And of course, if you're REALLY bothered, there are plenty of hair specialists who are open for free consultations. 10 months into Propecia and all I can say it that it's been a roller-coaster ride. There are good days and bad days, and you will start to ask all these questions inside your head and doubt the drug multiple times over - but be persistent.

Good luck!

-FCK (Follically Challenged Kid)

[Mike82]

When did you start to see results from the propecia?

[KevinNalts]

I'm a 27 yr old male and my hair has been thinning over the past year. I took action about 2 months ago and went to see my dermatologist to get a prescription for Propecia. My doctor told me I was very lucky because I caught it in the very early stages and that I should be ok. However, since I started treatment (2 months ago), I have done nothing but shed hair and lots of it! My hair has become very thin and my scalp is starting to show. I am starting to freak out! At least 30 hairs fall out everytime I wash my hair.

Although my doctor didn't mentiong anything about a "shedding" phase, I did some research online and saw that alot of people experience a shed. I also read that it is a sign that the Propecia is working by putting your hairs into a resting phase only to have it grow back thicker a few months down the road. This all sounds very encouraging but I feel as though I am losing alot more hair during this shed than what I have read online from other people's experience with shedding.

Is there any clinical studies done on the shed? The Propecia website mentions nothing about this. Has anyone out there experienced a shed from Propecia? When Merk claims that a certain percentage of men maintain the hair that they started with, are they referring to when you first start taking Propecia or after a few months when it starts to work? Any info would be great!

Thanks!

Hi. As the guy responsible for the propecia site (back when I was with merck) I'm sorry that information wasn't easy to find. The shedding phase is common, but temporary. If you sign up to the propecia.com persistence program, I believe you'll get more information. But the bottom-line is that most primary-care docs don't know about this well enough to set expectations... so guys freak out. It's a temporary effect of Propecia and Rogaine... a shedding phase. It should be fairly subtle and you may just be more accutely noticing loss because you're thinking about it. Of course, if you get a lot of shedding, I'd go back to a doc (even a dermatologist). Again- I'm not a doctor or with Merck. Just my own 2 cents.

[Spex]

Shedding on meds is common especially at the start - see topic:

http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1065

[Devans]

Propecia seems to cause a lot of shedding. Maybe you're buying it from inferior places. I know http://www.europepills.com sales real propecia