Taking the propecia plunge

[Hurts]

Whoops wrong thread

[carldunford]

Hi guys

A brief introduction, my name is Joe and I'm 22. I've never had particularly thick hair but for the past 6months I've noticed the hair on the top of my head and at the front, getting thinner and thinner and it doesn't help that I have straight hair so you can see my scalp relatively easily. Recently I have decided to cut my hair short, like a number 2/3 and when I first did this I obviously got a few remarks from my colleagues (although I thought shorter hair didn't look too bad on me!) I still have a pretty good hairline.

Now after doing a lot of online research I've decided to keep my current hair (or at least reduce the loss rate) the best/only drug is propecia. I'm well aware of the possible side effects but I try not to dwell on them because that could bring on psychological side effects. I have ordered a 6 month supply of fin and am planning to start off on 0.5mg a day. See how I get on, with it.

Just a couple of quick questions, will 0.5mg be enough? and will fin be good for my thinning hair, given that I have caught it relatively early? I know no-one can say for sure, but from your past experiences.

I shall keep you posted on my progress once it arrives

JPM

1.5-2.0 for first 2 weeks then 1mg after that. Thats for Proscar, not propecia...much cheaper.

[Hurts]

I will be selling my generic propecia soon, there are still 27 pills (out of 30).

Today I've started taking 0.25mg

The side effects are pretty unbearable these last few weeks. I can still get it up to full size (thankfully) but it's not strong at all.

[jpm]

Hey,

So Hurts, are you still on propecia at 0.25mg? Must be tricky to cut!

I have recently upped to 1mg and ordered 13months supply of Finipecia for £220, which works at much cheaper than the propecia I bought first off! (3 months for £150!!)

No sides whatsoever, touch wood. I have been intimate with ladies since popping my first pill and there has been no problems at all (which I hope I don't sound smug about, because I really feel for guys who get the sides badly )

[Hurts]

I hope it works for you bro. Cutting it down to .25 isnt that difficult with a pill cutter, but it does require careful attention to get it right.

But right now I'm just trying to taper off this thing.
Since around mid november my erections have been getting weaker and weaker to the point where it's hard to get it up and hard to get it strong. Add to that the fact that my hair has still been receeding pretty badly, I may as well quit.

However, I must say the first 3-4 months on fin were pretty awesome. Made me more confident. My hair density improved. I was getting barely noticeable to no sides. It made me stop obsessing about my hair and envying other people's hair. I really had a bad inferiority complex towards people with better hair than mine, it was laughable!

I just hope I haven't done too much damage to myself.

[Hurts]

By the way. Try not to drink or get drunk too often while on the drug as I think this is what kick started/accelerated the side effects.

[clandestine]

Since around mid november my erections have been getting weaker and weaker to the point where it's hard to get it up and hard to get it strong. Add to that the fact that my hair has still been receeding pretty badly, I may as well quit.

Sorry to hear man. Studies suggest you're part of the minority. The multitude of cases I'm reading every day where people are experiencing varying degrees of problems on finasteride suggests otherwise.

[jpm]

Just a quick update, 2.5months in on nizoral twice weekly and fin 1mg daily.

I think I have definitely hit the shedding phase as I seem to be 'losing' more hairs now than before. I have bought a small bottle of nanogen to cover up any areas that may thin too much during shedding. It's not a good feeling to see MORE hair coming out on propecia, but I've read Spex thread on shedding and I've just got to sit it out (thanks Spex!), apparently shedders get better results, so just gotta hold out.

In 2 weeks I'll run out of my Propecia and will be moving onto Finpecia I've bought from ukfinasteride, whom I have no doubts are genuine! So hopefully I won't even notice the difference, except in cost!

No sides still to report, though the hair on my legs maybe a little thinner, which is probably a good thing anyway!

I shall continue on and hope for the best

[25 going on 65]

Just a quick update, 2.5months in on nizoral twice weekly and fin 1mg daily.

I think I have definitely hit the shedding phase as I seem to be 'losing' more hairs now than before. I have bought a small bottle of nanogen to cover up any areas that may thin too much during shedding. It's not a good feeling to see MORE hair coming out on propecia, but I've read Spex thread on shedding and I've just got to sit it out (thanks Spex!), apparently shedders get better results, so just gotta hold out.

In 2 weeks I'll run out of my Propecia and will be moving onto Finpecia I've bought from ukfinasteride, whom I have no doubts are genuine! So hopefully I won't even notice the difference, except in cost!

No sides still to report, though the hair on my legs maybe a little thinner, which is probably a good thing anyway!

I shall continue on and hope for the best

Yeah man, the shedding is a pain but it's a good sign that your regimen is working. Getting back to where you were when you started (and improving beyond it) can take quite some time - I've heard stories of people who had to wait 12-16 months. But as someone who is coming up on the 1.5 year mark, I can say it will probably be worth the wait. I'm quite happy with my results. And I'm on nearly the exact same regimen - 1.25 mg finasteride daily, ketoconazole shampoo twice every week.
You're on the right path, it just takes patience. Good luck!

[jpm]

Yeah man, the shedding is a pain but it's a good sign that your regimen is working. Getting back to where you were when you started (and improving beyond it) can take quite some time - I've heard stories of people who had to wait 12-16 months. But as someone who is coming up on the 1.5 year mark, I can say it will probably be worth the wait. I'm quite happy with my results. And I'm on nearly the exact same regimen - 1.25 mg finasteride daily, ketoconazole shampoo twice every week.
You're on the right path, it just takes patience. Good luck!

hey, thanks for the encouragement! did you go through the shedding phase then?

Some days I look at my hair and think that it actually looks alright and the others its like wow, my hair is quite thin! Just depends on the lighting a the mirror.

My aim is to mountain what I have (regrowth would be a bonus!) and if propecia starts to 'wear off' in 5 years or so then I'll move onto dutasteride, which will hopefully hold me stable for another few years. So hopefully by the time the drugs have 'worn off' it will be 2020 and there will be better treatments available and I may never go bald! (there's a wishful thought!)

[25 going on 65]

I went through a mild shedding phase (I noticed it more in front than anywhere else) but nothing huge like what I've heard others report. Some might take that as a bad sign, but I have maintained and improved my hair on finasteride, so I guess it comes down to everyone's body being a little different.
Lighting can definitely make a difference in how your hair looks. For me I've noticed that cleanliness and style seem to make the biggest difference: when my hair is washed and styled, it looks like I'm not losing any hair. But if it's more oily, and especially if I've been sleeping on it, it tends to expose the thinner areas.

Like you, I plan to move onto dutasteride if finasteride loses effectiveness. I have considered starting it "preemptively" for a long time, but I'm a little unsure about it since there's less information about long-term use for hair loss.

Final note: you could consider adding minoxidil to your regimen, which has a very high chance of producing regrowth when combined with finasteride and ketoconazole.

[jpm]

I went through a mild shedding phase (I noticed it more in front than anywhere else) but nothing huge like what I've heard others report. Some might take that as a bad sign, but I have maintained and improved my hair on finasteride, so I guess it comes down to everyone's body being a little different.
Lighting can definitely make a difference in how your hair looks. For me I've noticed that cleanliness and style seem to make the biggest difference: when my hair is washed and styled, it looks like I'm not losing any hair. But if it's more oily, and especially if I've been sleeping on it, it tends to expose the thinner areas.

Like you, I plan to move onto dutasteride if finasteride loses effectiveness. I have considered starting it "preemptively" for a long time, but I'm a little unsure about it since there's less information about long-term use for hair loss.

Final note: you could consider adding minoxidil to your regimen, which has a very high chance of producing regrowth when combined with finasteride and ketoconazole.

I don't want to start dut too early because if it can only give me 3 years for example, I don't want to overlap a year while fin is still working, I know that may sound silly.

I did consider Minoxidil but at the moment I don't know if I can keep up with the regime. Anyway I'd like to keep going on propecia and see how that goes first. I have caught my loss early so hopefully I may see some regrowth and if I do add Minoxidil in, I won't know if it was the Minoxidil or propecia.

[25 going on 65]

Yeah, I don't use minoxidil either. I would say it's the least important of the Big 3 in terms of treating genetic hair loss in the long term (even though it can provide good cosmetic results for some users).
Your current regimen is solid and in a year or two, if you feel you want the extra bit of growth, you can always throw in minoxidil at that point if you want. It doesn't actually prevent the progression of MPB so there's no need to rush to avoid "losing time."

[jpm]

Yeah, I don't use minoxidil either. I would say it's the least important of the Big 3 in terms of treating genetic hair loss in the long term (even though it can provide good cosmetic results for some users).
Your current regimen is solid and in a year or two, if you feel you want the extra bit of growth, you can always throw in minoxidil at that point if you want. It doesn't actually prevent the progression of MPB so there's no need to rush to avoid "losing time."

It's just a waiting game now and its at this point that I wished I got on propecia a year ago. I can't change the past but can look forward the future

[StressedToTheBald]

Once again, I have provided evidence, studies and findings of reputable doctors as my arguments in the discussion. All the other side is coming up with is the lack of facts and insults.